Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-16
The Virginia State Convention.
TWEEN TY.FIFTH D 4 7.
Turncnty sf,pru IA 1871

The Convention met pufSuhhL W "oJ""'
ment at ~ o'clock, NJ, and was called 10 oroer
by the President :, n,
PRAYER by the Rev. MT. baRer.
prn11c MEETING IN LuNESBURe.
,.- rgrr.-I desire to present the follow
inn resolutions, which were adopted by my
constituepts at meeting on the 1lth ult.
will merely remark that these resolutions were
adoptod unanimously, and that the gentleman
who presidsd at that meeting, has, until very
RECENTLY. been submissionist. These resUlu-
tions point in but one direction, for my con-
st;tnen,s are aware of the fact that there are
between two and three hundred thousand Of
our k;nfolk at the South, with whom they
are anxious to unite ttfer deStinicS without
delay: ,
on Monday, the lth inst, the people Of
Lunenburg assembled ut their Court House,
it being court day, for the purpose Of taking
into consideration the great crisis under the
calling pressure Of which no are nov suffer
ing.
On motion Of F. II. Crawley, David r.
Stokes was called to the Chair. and, on motion
of John T. Merryman, g. Tacitus Allen was
appointed Secretary.
DR.. Crawley briefly stated The object of the
meeting.
DR.. Merryman moved that committee CT
dvo De appointed to draw up and present to th'
meeting Tor adoption, resolutions expressive o
the sense of the county.
WIN. c. Sucad, DR.. E. T. Merryman, Col
R. II. Allen, J. r Garland and DR.. Passmort
constituted the committee, who reported th'
following preamble and resolutions:
Whereas, We believe that our proud Com
monwealth will be ruined unless the sterr
voices of her Independent soverelgns interpost
20 arrest the dire calmity; and whereas Ger
TIN man called Abraham Lincoln, on the 4tt
of March, 1881, did disgrace the Presidential
Chair Of this country; and, whereas, certain
method of adjustment Of political troubles Il
before the soyer,igns Of this country for adop
ton or rejection, which was elaborated and re
commended by what was wronglully called
Peace Congress, we, the sOverelgns Of th
county Of Lunelburg, do unanimously adop
tn. following resolutions, which embrace Gu
VOL guarded opinions on the present crisis:
lst. Resolved, That secession, direct
str uctt cat. eternal, il the salvation of Nirgi
MIA
I'd Resolved, That as Ear AZ wc were con
cerned, Abraham Lincoln should never hav,
waved his sceptre over the State that boasts o
Washington's grave.
Sd. Resolved, That IS are irreconclably o.,
posed to any border State Convention, and dt
hereby request our delegate in the State Con
vcntion now in session, 10 oppose every chor
tending to that end, anGto press with all hi!
might and ability the immediate and ersrlast
ino separation Of Virginia from all the non
slaveilUlding States, aud to q union *ith tue
cotton States.
18th. Resolved, That u'e regard as coercion
the retaking Of forts, the collection Of the reve
nue., o. the assumption or even maintenance
of any power in the seeded States by ths
Government at Washington, and will resist
the same to the point Of the hayoneI
9th. Resolved, That u the Peace Congress
report, we recognize willful and deliberate
encroachment upon the rights Of: the South,
consequently we repudate it, We scorn and
regard j, as ''the scam that rises when nation
boils"
9Th. Resolved, That We have ever been and
are now opposed to compromise OF any char
acter, with Lincoln's party or sympathizers.
7th. Resolved, That we ure JoT tbs Suth,
tie whoie South, and neihhg but the South,
so help US God.
The preamble and resolutions were received
BY an intensely enthusiastic meeting, with such
plaudits ofapproval rs never before greeted the
ears Of mortal man. and adopted without n sim
gle dissenting voice No speeches were made.
All passed OF in oil the eloquence OF silence,
which indicated a determined spirit The day
for speeches has long since passed, and the
time for action is present Upon the brow Of
every man was written, III unInistakable and
indelible characters, my home is in the South,
my grave shall be there too If ever determl-
nation characterized the action Of any people,
it is stamped upon the actions Of the people OF
Lurenburg. In days now gone forever, they
cherished a devoted love for the American
Union, and for that flag which has tioated in
splendor over every sea- which has been hailed
with rapture in every cline where civilization
has made u footprint They have witnessed
the downfall Of the nations citadel of honor,
and now desire to leave les dishonored ruins to
the care Of those who wantonly undermined Its
once grand aud lofty pillars, They are eager to
detach the 'old mother al States and s;stes'
men, from The accurSed North, ere its fierce
and desola:ing tide Of furious fanaticisn stall
sweep her hallowed soil Their ardent alice
tons are closely entwined around the destiny
of the Old Dominion Muy oblivion never
shroud her splendor is their only prayer. But
if their mother State should ever conclude te
cling to the North, in al its hideousness anc
Nervousness, we dare say every citizen ofLunen
burg will leave her to the o,oLs and bats oil 40
clifton and seek some spot et earth where Inc
sceptre of Lincoln can never desecrate thciI
grave. DAVID T. STOKES, frcsluchI
o. TActTus ALLEN, Secretary.
PuBLic MEETING IN wTTuE COUNTY.
Mr. KENT hold in my hand the proceed
ings Of meeting held in the county OF Wythe
which ask to lay before the Convention:
i large number Of the people Of Wytht
county assembled in the Court House on Mon
day, the l1th day OF March, 1861, that being
Court day.
On motion, Judge Andrew S. Fulton was
called TO the Chair, and Lewis D. Hancock,
ESQ.,. was appointed Secretary.
On taking the Chair, Judge Fulton address
cd the meeting at length in explanation OF the
object Of the .assemblage He discussed, ct
some length, the history Of the formation Of
the Federal Constitution, demonstrating that'lt
was compact between independent and sove'
reign States, and not the establishment of
CouSoiiuatcu Hatiohai SHfSioiHe"S' AAs '''N'''
tanned the proposition that as each State en-
tered into the Union By her own voluntary act,
she could not be compelled to remain in the
Union against her own will. lie reviewed the
history Of the aggressions Of the North, and
analysed the inaugural address Of Mr. Lincoln.
He contended that Virginia had done all that
was incumbent upon her to maintain Ger place
in the Union, and said that he could no longer
see any hope for Virginia except in withdraw
ing from the Union. lie concluded by an
nouncing himself to be compelled to advocate
the secession Of Virginia from the Union
This announcement was received with enthu.
siastic applause.
2. G. Ca-r:ngtcn, Esq, offered the following
resolutions and moved their adoption:
Resolved. That in the opinion of the people
Of this county, there is no longer any hope
that the safety, the rights, the interest and the
honor Of Virginia cau be preserved in the
Union as at present constituted and controlled;
and that her political connection with that
Union ought to be severed at the earliest mo-