Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-27

and acknowledged by the people. What then
would DC tho effect on our internal interests u
retain for home expenditure thirty millions an
nually. You would create employment lor
your white labor, which would restrain 1t from
emigration. You would give your own me
~cilarics q monopoly of your W market Inc
Yankee fabrics have driven your country
mechanics from you. This bill Will create d
demand for the labor Of White mechanics "no
artisans. What if il does raise the price o.
some of the fabrics generally consumed. IN.
property holder can afford to pay the little IN
crease Of price when he obtains the advantages
Of protection to his interests when thls nies
sure secures The property holder can atturo
encouragement to white labor when the white
laborer is needed to aid in the protection O
property. This State must gather all her en-
crgics, cullect her resources and improve al
the elements of her power. She needs pnPu
lation as an element Of power in the leueru
government, as a means Of defence under thu
State government We must, at any %sacrihce,
therefore, retain our people at home. ulVe
employment to labor even at the expense OF q
little burden to property. Project your OWL
mechanics and artisans, and your " mer
chants from Northern competion, and you en-
nance your own strength and power, just rs last
as you reduce that Of your adversary. Let Us
gather our imperial resources, and exhibit the
imperial strength and vigor befttlng this
ancient Commonwealth in the great struggle
in which we are involved, and from which we
cannot retire. While rsolutely protecting
slave labor, let US also give the fullest encour
agetnent to the labor Of the mechanic and the
merchant and the artisan in our midst Lc'
US have the fabrics which we necessarily con
sumo, manufactured OF imported by ou7 own
people. Let the thirty millions OF dollars
which we annually expend il merchandise DC
poured through Virginia channels. when we
build up INNER manufactures aHd trades,
the accumulated wealth and population will
be i source OF strength and safety which Will
be cheaply purchased ut the cost Oh any
burdens which this system may Temporarily
occasion.
The whole industrial system Of Massachu-
sets and all New England depends upon Inc
support of the South. | was i'll favor, last
winter. inside the Union, of making them tee!
their commercial dependence upon us; but mat
is gone, and you eau now only make Them feel
i; by Il Union Of the whole South outSiue THIS
NortIlern ConfederaCy.
shy, that when you come 10 make 'ne'p
feel their dependence for subsistence upon
their peaceful behavior towards the South,
you have a sufficient guarantee Of that g'od
behavior. You have them, therefore, entirely
dependent upon you. Now, what will you do
with them? Wait till they treat with you:
will you hold of dily Qualifying, playing last
and loose, until they find whether they can
crush out this Southern movement If thty
DO crush it out you submit. If they do not
crush it our, they, your Northern contederates,
nr,u,iate terms, not to suit you, bat 10 suit
tl.-In. Try the experiment for two or three
wears, and you will find they vii! then be SUI
t~icient!y watchful 10 make terms With the
Southern Cunfederacy to suit the Yankee, and
leave Virginia out Of considerations. liiey
will be the party to make the final treaty, and
not yuu. You can now control il Omit this
chauce, and who gainSS Wait, standing out,
one, two or three years, and when the eSpec
ta;iun Of Southern ruin fails-i( it does fall
not you, but Tapkeedom walks in aud makes
its " terms, for its own benefit Virgin,
loses the whole benefit, which a mastery
course would ncw gain for her people. That
is supposed wire Virginia craftsmanship
That Is our smslt playing. Really, SIR, tne
intelligence Of this assembly VII be exsitcd IN
history, il that is the part We Pre- 10 play iii
this drama. You are to wilt, and let Yankee
d.na llcat with the Southern Co0tedsrac!; and
when you reach the final termination Of these
great events, you are then 20 come in and iaac
such terms as Yalkeedom may permit
Now, sir, what is the quriss:on you have to
settler | do not care whai course you may
take nov you are bound ultimately TO 50 into
that Southern republic. You may 80 now on
your terms, otherwise the Yankees Will carr
YOU on theirs. Two hundred millions Of OK.
port in the hands Of that government is q CON-
mercial prize which is un inducenent that VIII
command success in treating with any nation
in the civilized world. Yet you swing your
self to the tail Of the Yankees and you Will ="
thrro ana!ly ""a 80 rir~"~r.' ,i.~ f-'L-". "~~
It is their interest to carry you there on their
and not on your terms. Are you NOT oound 10
goY d. you suppose that these Yankees con-
trolling the Northern G~oyerumen! arc golrgto
separate themselves, by war or By anything
else, from tho vast interest in the Southern
ConErdcsacy? Nsver, sir, neTcr' II will end
IN their making terms with that republic, and
terns that you will have no voice in debating
Refbs.&o control your own destiny. md the
II kSSiil control it for you.
sthc condition now Uf that Southern
RepuHfIe, and what will be the po.ltipn oil
Virginia 10 il. At the ratio Of appUrtion:ncnt
they have fix d, you would have 81 repre-
,enlatives in their Congress, and they u.s.
Virginia would control almost one fourth oi
the entire vote in their lower House Of Con.
press. Where would she stand in the North
era Republic? She stands now with - he'
representatives.. Under the nc~ apportlonment
she will have about II in the Congress Of &
Northern Confederacy with $50 members
Will not that be q largo representation IN d
Confederacy hostile to your interest! Every
principle Of that Government, every sentiment
will BE- at war with your interests. AND
the entire border States, 10 which so much
Importance is here attached, stand in the next
Congress with about ID out Of l5u representa-.
lives. There is your representation. All the Dor
der States put togethcrwill not hold The sauc re
lutive power in The Northern Confederacy that
the State Of Virginia ulonc would hold IN the
Southern. There is a material fact ioT every
virginia., honestly seeking the truth. Where
will YOU, under this state Of facts, place your
constituents? In a hostile c0rlederacY IN
which ycur power will be but ii out Of 100,
or in a t, iendly confederscy where it will be
81 out ol So? Under which Government are
YOU going TO trust the Old Dominion
DO you not think that the people Of Fir-
gina arc ready Tor the question? | know tie
people ultimately, and | tell you that If you
think they are unyrepared for the question,
you make Il great mistake. Thu people OF the
Commonwealth have as quick an appreciation
Of events as the members Of this Convention
have. Many here say that though they con-
slider the State should secede, still the people
DO not look on it in that light Many q man
here says: ~ am sn much smarter than the
people; | know that it is all right to take EIr-
giuia out OF the Yankee Union, but the people
tho uninlormed ~people-poor ignorant cTea'
lures wto sent me here, 10 not see II, and We
must 20 through a good deal Of ioolrry in or
der to satisfy them" The class, Of all . hers,
,post interested in so acting as 10 promote the