Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-08

tiny. One gentleman has said ,tlxt Virginia
will g. nowhere. IN other words that she will
stay %hcre she Is, in CONNECTION With Inc
Mouth. Suppose the government prrsucs q
pacific policy towards the Southern States. re-
snlting in the recognition Of their iidepen-
dencc, is that the opinion Of this Convention,
as to our future position
! shall not attempt to reproduce in any form
the argument 80 UNANIMOUSLY and SO exhaustive.
y stated. BY my friend from Richmond, (Mr.
RASDoLPH.) as 10 the necessity Of a union by
Virginia with the Southern States, fer the I'd.
vancement Of ell her manufacturing, mining.
agricultural, and commercial interests. OR
customers are in the South-our rivals in the
North. The manufactures anu commerce that
now enrich them. might enrich rs. Blu,
there is one point in connection with our in.
dGs'risl interests not sufficiently developed, 10
which [ will allude for il mn.ncnt. II Virginia
remains with the North, the uncertainty as to
the security Of slave property, tho replgnancr,
moral and political, in the minds and hearts q
q large portion Of her peoplc 10 such Il conncc
ton, must be speedily followed by an immense
emigration Of slaves and their masters from
the Commonwealth. What effect vii: be pro.
duccd upon all our great interests, by this loss
~ eA'N az Nv ~ Oh l1IlllS
will he deprecated; the towns which dcp.nd
for their prosperity upon the prosperity ut the
Country, will languisli and decay; the Custom
OF the merchants will be reduced; the employ.
menscf thu artisan and mechanic will be di.
unfinished; the pressure Of the public debt will
fall more heavily upon both tbs East and the
Wes'; private ruin and public bankruptcy.
snciai anarchy and civil convuIsion will over
whelm the Common wealth
Look et it, in its political aspect. 1t is 1850.
citation, without power or influence, with an
unirlcndly Conlcderacy. One Of seven slave
States, in a Union with twenty free States.
Virginia has been accustomed to lay down the
rule for The construction Of The Constitution.
and TO fix the principles of public policy, ahic!!
Should guide Tie administrator %! III: Govern.
1lpnt. II uuay not he her proud fortune to lead
me procession Of the Sta IS, IN triumph up to III
Capitol, out | wholly mistake the temper of her
people, if she is ever willing TO follow, a spirit
less and degraded captive, in the train Of the
victor.
There are moral, as we'll as irdlstria! and po-
liaicai considerations, WINCH Enthusiastically point
Vi TO the South. There is to be found cur OWE
form Of su2iuty; there nrc our nearest kini,,d:
there are The habits and institutions uf nuT
W people; there we may wieid the MODEST
form Of powsr-R moral and intellectual d.
%nlnioni there we Inlay improve and perpetuate
our peculiar type of civilization; there We
may build up 4 splendid Coufederscy, homo,
geneoGs in is feelings and It's iutercsls-e Con.
irdrracy that vii! change the moral sentiment
OF the world in reference - slavery, because
Europe Hiil th@! cease to LOOK at It through
Tie discolored media Of Northern prejudice
4 ConirdrTacy that will march in unity, in
power, in glory and in liberty, upon that great
and ample territory, which will be it, owu, OF
nearly half q continent.
Tha course which has been pursued BIZ the
Confederate States, SO far from inducing any
dgsportlrncy rs to The capacity OF man for self
government furnishes the most signal prour OF
the power ard Immortality Of the principles o.;
liberty. As the degree of our apprehension, in
the presence oiany danger, is generally mea>ur.
cd b. the value which VIC place upon the object
t.iaL is exposed, many Of our best and most
patriotic citizens are filed with fear, lest all the
lights Of freedom and civilization should expire
with the Union. My-Teading OF HISTORY, lead.
me, to no such unfiiial trust in Providence. j
lind that no Great revolution iias ever occurred
which did not leave the world in e better con
d,lion than it found it and ! confidently
expect that the great luminary Of constitutional
llhrrty, which now seems to lIunysto be Set.
ting in darkness. will, on the morrow
REPAIR his golden ray,
An warm the Datlop with redouhled Good"
Why should we not form, this association ?
The apprehension OF becoming responsible for
the re. opening Of the Slave trute, must have
vanished. The permanen: Constitution OF Tie
Confederate States, settles it forever. The fear
Of G revenue, 10 be derived from direct taxes,
fps, IN the same way, heen put 10 rest The
unos, serious difficulty that disturbs gentlemen.
seems to be uneaslness os 10 the condition Of
the border, which Virginia, Mary land ard Ken
:::-ky would then Constitute. Nov Lex uc
c.ln:iy inquire what are the dangers q Inc
bord r 7 As TO the escnre Of fug:;i7cs, it is
said the Canada line will be brought down to
tine Oaio. Ny " impression Is, thu. thu
Canada line. for a long period, has been very
near the Ohio, and that the security Of our
slaves is rather the result Ct our ability tc
keep them at home thsn our ability to reccye:
them, when they reach the free 5.n:e5 upon the
border. But if the Southern CunfeherncY is
established on A permanent loating. the North
ern people will soon recognize thu n~e:essit,
ari advantage Of favorable COMM rc;al ~trestieS
with It. They will then learn tina, one Of the
trrnis of gc"d neighborfood oetw cen con
tigu0us nations is, that neither should permit
IT'S citiZrns to disturb their neighbnrs, in the en-
~joylnent Of their properly; and a refusal on the
part Of the Southern Confectionery TO receive
Northern manufactures and produce upon terms
equally favorable with other foreign nations,
would lead to q treaty, in which they would
stipIiatc 10 pay Tor fugitive slaves, Dot deliver.
Ell, their entire value.
The most serious danger arises from the
exposed frontier, which tho B,rder States
would present in the event OF var. Appre
hcrs;oA has been expressed, lest we should
have the European syttcm Of standing armies,
introduced Upon cur Continent. This seems
to .uc u phantom, which will Disappear in
the presence o~frcnson and examination! Why
DO such armies exist on tie Ccnlinent OF
Europe? It is simply beculi>e The people ave
not the control over their governments. There
are standing armies in Germany, because the am.
bitlon Of the Emperor Of FraiIce, or Of the
Emperor Of Austria, may disturb the peace Of
Europe, at any omenL If the pecpe upon
the Continent OF Europe, were able to direct
tu the FAN extent, Ms in England, tfe policy
Of tho State, nut only standing armies, but war
Itself would soon become . burbarouS anomaly.
The history Of the last fifty years-cartainly
up 70 the accession Of Louis Napoieon,--eSIab.
fishes the fact, that pence is br:ng recognised
more and more, as the standing interest and Pc.
Icy orall civilized nations. Mr.. Legsre states,
in q report which be made 10 Congress many
ycnrs since, upon the propric!y Of establishing
II tribunal 10 urbitratc national f~icnltics, that
between 1918 and 1855 innu, cradle causes
for war between the ncigllhr,; .ng States Of
Earcpe, which in the preyiou~ century would
have led to tins most desolatit conflict, hal
been closed by peaceful &c citation. This
great reaction is to J." aiirii It'd to The sprta1
OF humane and CEristaia PRINCIPLES, the more
intelligent appreciation i tb" innsS Of men Of
their true interest, the multiplied relations Of
commerce, and, above nll, The increasing in
lusnce Of the people upon tbs policy Of their
government.
England within tie last ;.ecn years would,
on more than one occasion. have d: "lared war