Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-16

occupy it BY forces able TO mnintaln X,
with the science to maintain il, with tho
| shirt 10 maintain it, and with the guns to
maintain it. 1t is not a fact that they
would not be ab!ojto occupy these island
forts.
The gentleman has asked me a question
; whether | am ready to declare for seces-
sion the moment the United States
shall attempt to reinforce any Of these
forts? Was not that his question!
Mr.. SuMMErs-I said ON the rc-cliofce-
ment of Tortugas by twenty marines.
Mr.. W1sE-Twenty marines would Test
the principle of jurisdiction as we'll rs
1000. The Committee will not be blinded
as to the principle itself, by the idea Of n
mere handful in poin; o%fnumbers. do all
swcr him pcrcmptorily that | would. Sir,
I am ready now. \ despatch has just
come that the fight is going on ut tins mo-
ment in Charleston. | hear even now
that the battle has commenced, the cannon
booming. / am ready now 10 leave my
seat up0n this floor ID march over ana
help them take these forts. ask the gem
tlcnan 10 tell me III turn il the Cnated
| States shall be gully Of the wickeIness,
| the folly Of attempting TO force the occu-
! patton Of these forts, pending our attempts
at negotiation. by the fleet which has
inst sailed from New York, passing
our very coast, our very door, 10 bring on
warw it'll these Confederate States, where ne
will stand: Gentlemen arc very brave.
| They tell us they will never conscntto the
marching OF troops through the State OF
Virginia 10 the South; no never. They
tell nc every day that they would stand
br nv side in that event. S.r.will you please
TO tell us the difference between this and
sending them past your door on the water,
| within sight of your land, within sight Of the
county where / was born, where my eyes
first opened upon the light. Will you tell
me the difference between sending them
| from New York past the door OF your
Chesapeake Bay, down TO s%lIbluSale these
| forts, and marching them directly across the
terra hrma? No. sir, they have not marched
| them, but they have sailed them and does
the principle depend on whether they sailed
by yonr door or marched through your
house {: The Lord deliver Inc from the cx-
cuses ! hear every dayabout the contingent
cics that mag happen:and the time that may
arrive when gentlemen will be ready TO take
up their arms and defend Southern rights
and Southern slavery! Whenever the I!ls-
| position has been manifested that is Mow
manifested 10 invade the territory OF these
States by occupying the forts, tell the
| gentleman that | AN not only ready to
agree to defend them, but if could !
PIT ropes around you all and drag YOU to
| their defence. Sir, I an ready TO take the
responsibility. to leap into the abyss and
to iigh, in defence Of right, in defence OF
law, against wrong, againS, oppression,
and, when YOU country lies bleeding before
you, honor asks you if you doubt. Those
worthy Of respect crowd around you and
tell you in public war, iii private war, that
if YOU doubt and 20 hack YOU are damned,
and ought be damned to all eternity.
Here the hammer fell.
Mr.. SrMMEEs.-Mr. Chairman, ! am not
Il sensation man. The argument OF the
telegram ] am not prepared, at this time, 10
respond to. ! do not know its extent or
reliability. | find myself called upon, as n
member Of this body, 10 deliberate calmly,
as | think it is the duty ofall Q: us 20 deilbe-
rate upon certain propositions now offered
for our acceptance or rejection. J trust,
Mr.. Chairman, | need not 60 over the
ground by which the amendment which
has Just met the appreciation Of aluaiority
Of this Committee commended itself TO
their approval. The gentlemen from Prln-
cess Anne seems 10 insist that the amend
plcnt which has been adopted and which he
| seeks TO corrcc. by the amendment he now
| proposes alters, in some manner, the mean
ing of this resolution. | understand him
as insisting that this amendment, being
adopted, give license not only to the troops
.,i H., y,.r,gt a q, i,,,nn tIn nlpIn-
land of the seeded States, but to
fortiiy and reinforce those already
occupied. Now, Mr.. Chairman, | differ
toLo celo with the gentleman in this in
depreciation. lie admits hilaself, thar the
original resolution. coming from the Com
mittcc Of Twenty-one-of which he was a
mcmbcr-hcld precisely the same language
in that regard.
Mr.. VISIT did NOT concur in that re-
port.
Mr.. SrNMsEs.-I did not say you did. /
said the Committee Of which sou were a
member. And I will undertake TO say,
| from my knowledge Of the gentleman from
Princess Anne, that this resolution did not
pass unobservcd and uncriticised by him. |
lake it that there are very few things which
passed that Committee that were not sub
iectcd to his full scrutinr. remarked that
the original resolution, coming from that
Committee, contains precisely the same lam
guage that it is rot altered or modified in
any respect By the adoption Of the amend
mcnt, SO far AS the occupation OF these
forts arc concerned, and the gentleman ad-
mits it.
Mr.. WIsE.--l do.
Mr.. SrMMEEs.-Thcn WIZ did rot tl!e
gentleman make his objection TO the rcso-
luton itself, and without regard to my
amendment The language Of the rcsolu-
ton is not altered in any respect, except a
to the class Of forts not to be reinforced,
and yet the gentleman seems 10 imagine
that the amendment has worked some Inys-
terious influence upon the resolutions, ny
which it has been made Ia speak another
language. Now, what | maintain is this
Ii the original resolution, coming from the
Committee, which applies TO all the forts,
but does not authorize expressly the rctcn-
ton Of The forces Of the United States there.
neither does it, now after the amendment
has been inserted. The resolution does not
import a declaration Of the will Of this
Convention or an opinion upon the part Of
the Convention, as TO whether the forces
are or arc not 10 be withdrawn from thcse
forts. The o~rigina! resolution did not eX-
press any opinion upon that subject, neither
does it NJ amended. I have already init
mated that [ concur with him in opinion as
to the policy of the withdrawal; but
nothing il contained in the resolution upon
that subject. 1t is not in the original reso-
luton, it is not in tho resolution now. The
declaration in respect 10 the position .! the
Federal Government III connection with
these forts, pending our efforts TO procure
an adjustment OF these questions as con-
tanned in the original resolution is: "Nor
to reinforce the forts now in possession Of
the military forces Of the United States"
That is one Of the conditions. II says
nothing about the withdrawal Of the troops
already there. 1t makes il one Of tho con-
ditionS while we arc Whiting, not TO REIN
force the forts. That is all. Well, s:r, the