Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-25
The Virginia State Convention,
NFTT-FiRST DAY.
RICHMOND. SATURDAY, APRIL Is, 1881.

NO territory shall DO acquired by treaty,
without the concurrence Of majority of all
the Senators from the States which allow in.
voluntary seryitude. and a majority of all the
Senators from States which prohibit that re-
latlon, and such concurrent msjo,ities may
advise and consent to such treaty."
move to strike out this part Of the section,
because in fact it amounts 20 nothing. In Other
words, the exception there is greater than The
rule The report says:
NO territory shall be acquired By the Uni
ted States. except by discovery, and for naval
and commercial stations, deputs and transi,
routes, withou, the Concurrence Of majority
Of all the Senators frum States which allow
involuntary servtude, uud majority o. all the
Senators IRON States which prohibit that rela,
tion."
Will you please tell me-gente,nen will
think it over ih their minds-wha, will be left,
The exception is that you msy acquire all ter
ritory by discovery. That GLE hr.oeo -eM ,ha
unknown lands. Then of all the kncTa lands,
you may take all you choose FOR naval and con-
mercal stStions What Limitation is that p
how much do you require for naval stations
Is it one spo: OF space only that IS required
New, sir, under that construction could re-
lumber. Agsin--how much do you require for
me what limit is there 20 ccmu,er.
els! stGtiensG When ycu hsvs got 3
pint Of space for commercial stations, how
much back country will you require to cen
serve commercial station? Again, you are
allowed to acquire territory for depotS De-
pots for whaty How many and where! There
is co lirsis made here. Again. you are allowed
to acquire, independent Of this provision, iran
sit routes. Now take the transit route which
has been in dispute between Great Britain ano
the United States. One transit route, AT least,
we nave been aiming At HJw much are YOU
to aceuire--how broad, how narrow! You
gay, IN the nale OF q transit route iur y csasl,
acquire territory enough TO make tTo three.
UT or fre States Du you mean TO sly that
ycu are only 20 take the ribbon OF territory that
is embraced along the line Of transit This Sec
tion, in this respect is perfectly indefinte.-
And for all these purposes you are to require
mere majority Of Senators. Is there u asn
upon this hoor who would throw any obstruc
ton in the way Of the United States in acqui
ring the transit route across the lSthmus q
Why not strike out that part OF the section
have indicated7 1t only enbarrasses you.
But in respect 10 the tresty-making power
there is 3 reason for concurring IN the principle
alluded to by the gentleman from hanawha
(Mr. SuNXERs,) and the Gentleman tron
Charles City, lEx.PreSdent TrLER). Why,
| can never forget scene which occurred
Upon the f9or Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives when carrying on the internecine
war, that it was my fate TO carry on with ;hS
old man eloquent, as be was called-Johr
Quincy Adams. Some gentleman wanted &c
otter resolution, that Congress had not tine
power to abolish slavery in the States. Ht
denied the assertion that Congress had not the
power to abolish slavery in the States. | asked
him where was the power. He replied, It was
,ne "Cudja' power. 1t was most Significant
langusge. Who vas CudjoS A poor abusec
slave OF Jamaica, oppressed by an inhumar
English overseer, who fed 70 the corrale o.
the mountains of Jamaica, there barricadec
himself and d>6ed all the power Of England
until he brought the English power itself to
terms; and what were tue terms OF the treaty
That be aud his companions and their race,
r.nvu> acts that any civilized power on eartn
could commit, which Adams once denounced
and which denounced, was the act Of this
super Serviceable philanthrcpc power OF Eng
and, when she broke that treaty lgnonimous
IT,, and capitally executed some whom the
treaty protected.
You are required 10 look to the treat!
making power You IRE required TO look te
the war power. There is no guard in thi;
report against the treaty making power.
cannot consent that you shall not only re
quire the majority of both the SLAVE
States and the non.slsveholdng States, bn
hist that majority shall be supersdd
ed 10 the present requ rsment OF tht
Constitution, vote Of two-thiTds. -
1t makes the acquisition By treaty o
Territory too d'faculs-puts the majority
too much in the power of the minority
and whenever both sections concur II
acquiring territory, why not let them 7 au
sure that both my friend from Charles City
(Mr. T7Lss,) and my friend from kana"ha
tMr. SuMMEKs) cannot but see the fairness o
hat When they can concur, why not ie
both minority and majority section do itv-
WHY supsradd the twv-thiId power alsoY
see no necessity for superadding the two'thire
power. would lock to the treaty making
power after such doctrine as this, that came
from authority so high as an Ex President
Nfr. Adams, WAC was one OF the most Learned
international lawyers that tbs Country eVel
otoduced, and would never leave it unguardeo d
il more than apy other, comes wi,h,a the rult
Of the gentleman IRON kanawha, Mr.. SUN
sEAs that We ought to limit the power on pure
ly sectional questions. But Sir, have objection
to the whole section. Sir, you must take one
horn or the other of the dilemma When yot
bring a people that are in confederacy TO I'M
attitude that either the majority power mus
be left dominant to oppreSs, or, as was salt
by rhe gentleman from Kanawha, you mus
have minority actually welding the govern
meut-when these questions, on one Sue oi
the otner, have 10 be proposed to us-"aa
does it demonstrate Sir, above anything eis'
upon the face of the earth, it demonstrates th'
actua', the logical and tue political neceSsi'.
os separation. | concur with the geutlemat
from Kanawha, that the minority ought not u
be allowed to govern the majority. concur
certainly. with my own section, 10 swearing
npon the altar that that msjolity shall neVe
onnrsss me: but cannot relieve myself lrou
he oppression by such checks and balance
"A will place tho minority in the place OF 'n'
majority.
Here the ten minutes expired.
Mr, NELsos-I am not altogether satlsde'
v;,b the srgu;pout Of the gentleman IRON
pr;rc.ss Anna. rise, therefore, to object ant
in order that the gentleman from Princess Ann
may finish his argument r..
Mr. Wlsr-I aIn much obliged to my ''ien
! for giving me the opportunity TO continue ~.
argument. II say that when you come 10 mas
provisions like this you come to poln'ne siss
nothing short of the knowledge that you com
to the point of separation. You have got
r,ke one of two alternatives and by proPosin
auendmen,s like this, you admit the pFi,nclpl
lhrt you have got to take one Of two ailerns
,iyes. either to leave the msjority WITH po"e
10 oppress the minority, or to clothe tne !"
nori,y With power to govern tho majority.
will adopt neither alternative. Whsu 1t come
! 70 that, that the people cannot live toge'nei
wl:,o.t these two dire alternatives, say II
demonstrated that they have come to tue poll
| of natural separation