Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-09


duty of this State will he, to unite with the
States Of the South and such Of the non slave
holding States as shall agree with them. Not,
however, to withdraw from this Union, but
with the intention Of re-construc,ing it afresh:
supercede the Government ut Washington,
take possession Of the National Capitol, Of the
archives of Government, of the public domain,
and Of the ancient i!ag-the stars and stripes Of
the nation.
But Mr. President, in the mean time Viz
ginia should demand that the arm of Federal
authority should be stayed, that no attempt
should be made, on the part Of the Federal Co.
vernment, to coerce and subjugate the States
that have seeded from the Union. Recogniz.
ing, Us have always done, the right of State
to secede to judge OF the violation Of its rights,
and to appeal to its own mode for dress |
could not uphold the Federal Government in
any attempt to cocrcc the seeded States to
bring them back into the Union
II then, Mr.. President, these efforts on the
part Of Virginia for Cancellation and harmony
shall fail, If the Northern States shall reject
the orertures OF peace thus rendered, and SHALL
attempt to !naugurate the policy indicated by
the Chicago platform, if then, in the battles
wreck and midnight of storms which shall fol.
low, this Union, the Rome of our hearts and
affections, with AL the Sloried memories Of its
pictured past
shall In T!bcr melt
And the vast range Of It's vida Empire fall,
we shall be cheered by the corsoling reelection,
that we, at least. are innocent
Mr.. President, one word more, in conclusion.
Ny los is cast with that Of Virginia; come
veal, come woe. Beneath her sell rcpose the
remains Of those who gave NE existence, and
of my children and when my own journey OF
| life shall have been run. my prayer will oe
that | too may rest in her bosom.
| Mr. AyuLEx Of Louisa.-l did hope that
would not feel it TO be my duty to say one
word during the deliberations of this Conrrr-
ton. appear here as the representative OF
people whose opinions have been expressed
openly and without disguise. and expected
my only duty would have been To have re-
corded their wishes ia the votes which might
he called upon to give. know that there would
be assembled around me those in whom Viz
GINA truSted-those whose wisdom gave the
people confidence in them-those whose eXpc-
rience would he n guarantee that the rights
honor and glory Of Virginia would he protected
at all times, and under all circumstances, | felt
that here was Convention of the Anglo.SaNon
race-a race whose proud history for 600 years
has been but thu rciteraiion Of that noble stand
taken on the plain Of RUnnymcdc, when II WAS
announced that the rights Of the people were
invaded, and the answer came up with one UNI
versal shout, these are our Demands here are
orr arms; choose you between acceding 10 the
one, taking the risk Of the either"
have heard repeated time ard time again,
that our position here is an anomaly. DO those
who say that, mean to tear from the pages Of
| r,f r,1n
title TO deeds OF fame: An anomaly, sir, that
| the Anglo-SaXOn race meets to delrlnd their
rights, and say that they mean to maintain
then! have listened and listeneG-let NE
say il with all respect-with utter surprise ut
the course which the gentleman has taken here.
You have assembled here ly the voice OF the
people, who IRE agonized because their rights
are in danger. You are called together for the
purpose OF maintaining that right, which has
been canvasSei III tn. heart ut every Amerl.
can, that free people can only be governed
by their consent; a,,d whe!, that great question
il before YOU, and when the long echoes tina!
roll down for seventy odd Years OF your
history tell you that that cry was uttered
when the former foundations OF your
liberty were raised, We have been RECALLED,
day after day, with talk about the protection
of the negro 4 stranger, who knew not the
objects which you really had in view, and who
only Judged By the debates VI this Convention,
would suppose that you were gathered together
10 protect negro property and negro property
alone The great principle which lies at the
very foundation OF free Government, Is villa.
is really involved here. We have had essay
after essay, quotation after quotation, extract
after extract, read here by gentiemen-they
will excuse me the eSprcssion-who have been
housing about cid newspapers, to prove what
one gentleman has said ut one time, and what
another gentleman has said At another time;
what newspaper editor may have said upon
one occaSiou and what he may have said upon
another occaSivn--and i'll the meanwhile the
yreat question, which in all time heretofore,
has srOused and fired the hearts Of our race,
and the maintenance Of which has given them
the proud position they u"cup:, is completely
ignored or forgotten.
Sir, such things do not happen iroia mere
accident I ask in al! sincerity, why this
blinking OF this question: Why attempt to
deceive yourselves and those who trust in you,
by discussing side issues, and by misleading
the public mind. Can it be possible, sir, that
we must write it down hereafter, that the III.
stincts of our race have been lost? that the
proud memories Of the past are 10 be forgotten,
and that we, who ought to hold in our hands
this single question and allow no cloud 10 be
raised about it, but present it fairly and full"
before our people, and give them our decision
upon it fairly and squarely, will fail omeet the
issue required at our hands: put the qnes.
ton, Sir, and do 1t in sadness and not III an.
ger: what have we done? Business through
out the land is PROSTATE Your people are III
Il tevcriSh, unsettled and dissatisfied condition.
They have looked for the trumpet tore which
ought to have come from the Virginia C"nven-
ton assembled to deliberate npun the preAer-
vation ofthe liberties Of Virginia And what has
been the policy that you have adopted =
1t is the policy Of an individual whose nc
tions and sayings have been set forth so graphl-
cally by Mr.. Dickens refer 10 Mr.. Mcawbcr.
You have been asking us, time and time again,
to "wait for something to turn up laushter)
and whenever Won have asked US TO Wait for
something to turn up, Burkis has always re-
plied "Burkis is sillin'." But what has t,ru-
ed up? You have told my people that we must
wait: MS an Get Of duty, as an act OF right WE
mpst wait for YOUR Peace Conference. Your
Peace Conference has acted, and what did they
! do? Have YOU had from them that clear, open,
manly and honest avowal Of Southern rights
which you had n right 10 expect:
1t comes upon loy ear like vail OF anguish,
when hear an intmation, broadly gwen out
here, that the men frcm the mountains did not
have the community of feeling and community
Of interest within which believe they possess
ed. Men Of the West-if | aul mistaken II 1t
he vour hamd Which is to drag down our drs-
TIMES, ard which is tn pxiinguish the lireS
upon nnr altars--cune, ! hrSccch yon - COME
like your owu NJ untain blasts when the storm
King 10 his wrath, sends his messengers loFtii
To execute his will-coinc like your own 'n"un
tain torrents fierce, resiste$s and destructl"e-
come not in the sulse Of the Jesuit, to all m
Edestroying the last hope Of those who are
gathered around The sam. family altar Win
Ganr.ntrns Rrrnn1nher hsSeech YOU, i.