Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-28

phraseology has been changed, | do not regaTa
it as 4 change in substance at oil; Una. > r.
irg the opinions | entartain, the iAns!aesw
10 onns;t;on us originally employed IS pre-
49, ia came. care not whether you say
~" s.otns of the person held to service Or
,rbctber You say involuntary servitude. They
ara to me the same. I say care not whether
YOU say according to the practice of the coin
iuon law or q remedy at comno law. They
are precisely the same.
But | am not here to make objections TO
grounds of resistance made by other gentle
iuuen, but to remove criticism and cayil. ] ln-
tcrpose no such difficulty. Now, While l be-
lieve the Peace Conference. propositions would
b. quite acceptable to a large nsj0rity OF the
people OF this Commonwealth, | speak my
" opinions; / may be mistakeni yet verify
believe that upon a vote they would be accept
able to Il large moj9rity Of the peoplc-yeI al
the same time, | am satisfied, upon conference
with ether gentlemen, and interchange OF
opiDion with thcm, that the notifications and
charges which the propositions have now un-
derpc.r, as presented by the committee ol
twenty Que, would challenge the appreciation
uf a still larger majority OF tho people OF Elr-
rii,ia. | said, in the reinarks | iuade the other
day, that I had been OPPOSED in the Conference
to the addition made to the Gth section. lsiat
alone would justify me in voting for tic com,
mi:tre's proposition rather than the original
proposition. because we get rid OF that which
is and always has been to me an Objection. In
constructing II proposition, MS We are, i'll be-
i.aif OF Virginia, having il in our power, 1t We
thi'k best, and not crampcd about with the
dill "ullicS OF a General Conference, SIZE no
objection to putting it into proper Language
wiicn will SUIT us. There is another prefer
ence which | have. The Peace Conference
propositions in one section rendered lrrepeas'
able certain other sections Of the propositions
au,l certain sections ol the Constitution; not
all Of the sections, however, CT The adjustment
,n,de by that Conference. Bnt this Commit
tee hes so modified the section aS to uake II
apply 10 render irrcpcalahle all those sections.
Then, when you bring up these propositions
here as 4 matter ot comparison, although the
Peace Conference propositions were acceptable
to Inc, is not MY judgment here to act and de-
t.rniine for itself whether upon this comparison,
the one or the other is likely to he most ac-
ccp,ntle to the people Of Virginia, and most
Likely 10 harmonic. the feeling Of this Cohven-
liun and Of the people. Then it seems 10 me
there is no ground for any inputaiion oil IN
consistency. | do not repudiate in any form
or to any extent the proceedings OF the Peace
Conference at Washington. You bring me
back from the committee those same PROPOSE
tons having passed through the CT uc:hle CT OK.
animation here among ourselves. we drc
forming Il proposition now to submit Oh beliali
Of Virginia to other Suites. We are ircc 10
submit i, in our own terms. | then ain at l!o-
crtv 10 compare and adopt now, as an lndepc''-
dent question, whatever proposition pVeier.-
And il is for this reason | rejectthe Peace Con-
ference proposition; not because l think less oil
i. than | did originally; not because concur
in opinion with gentlemen around me whosa;f
tha, i, is an abortion and a sham. Not AT all
! have already spoken upon it aud have given
my views Of it. In the present attitude OF our
action, y motion being made here TO strike out
the committees report and insert tie PROPOSE
ton Of the gentleman from HARRISON, lMr.
CARLlLv.) ! shall vote against striking out
The proposition Of the gentleman from Ha.rl-
son passes by altogether, end makes no
nrovision for u border State Conferences, and
it makes no provision for the ratification OF his
own proposition by the people. 1t provides
that il should be submitted 10 the people OF
Virginia, and that the county and corporation
clerks shall certify the result, aud that the
Governor shall make proclamation Of the fact;
but it makes no provision that it shall hnalIy
he passed By Congress and submitted by That
body to the people. Then, when you ask MT
how I shall vote upon this question OF striking
out, | anl constrained TO vote against striking
out. for the reason that the Committee having
reported this proposition in an improved and
amended form, so far rs the objections oi
others are concerned, | ain willing to hold On
TO it, locking to see if other Improvements arc
.-1 4 T., :, o,so ,u,ttcrp f ..rr,n mar f,-
tween the two propositions, and | have only
tn say, if there be Inconsistency III M posi-
ton, I am entirely incapable Of perce!ylns It.
Nr. Wl:E-1he gentleman from hlnawha
has collected himself and ccmes back with an
additional excuse to- that winch he gave this
morning.
Mr.. SrMMERs-I took then precisely the
same ground that | do now.
Mr.. WIsg-I did not hear any thing abou:
the Virginia proposition this morning.
Mr.. SrNMEHs-It is nu Illustration and en-
l~arrcrucnt Of the view | took then.
Mr.. Wlsg-Let us examine: ! tell the gen.
ilcuian his last explanation is more unsatisiac
tory t!.an The fist By whom was the gsilie-
maj, sent u Washington: BY Virginia.
What was he sent there for? If - get any
thing, i: WAS 10 get q Virginia proposition
This is not n Virginia proposition, Is II, that tic
brought back
Mr.. SrMMEHs-The gentleman certainly ul-
understands What | say Of the Virginia prcpo-
silio,. mean 3 proposition framed in a Fir.
ginia assembly MS contra distinguished from a
Irooosi,ion obtained from q General CoEvcn-
ton.
Mr.. WISE-I repeat, nc was on n Virginia
commission TO obtain d Virginia end. He was
not only a Coumissioner to attend at Washing
ton, but he mad the double character of being
II member O! this body, ut the tina he was u
member Of that Commission.
NJ. SrMMgRs-l was elected while there.
Mr.. WISE-IIe WAS elected while ts was
! there, bnt he Nas acting upon the commission
while iu was n member Of this body. He was
- I.r.inian there, aud "a Sirginian here, idcnil-
lied with Virginia, acting for her as her agent
will. the double commission in bis charge. And
now We are told that this proposition IS 10 lie
regarded as something coming from foreigners
, ard outsiders, and it Us not to tie treated with
the same respect rs one cmana,ing from Il mere
advisory Committee Of this body. That is all
that The Committee Of twentv.one is. But III!
be tue, as he states, ihatthe ore proposition is
u domestic, and the other a foreign one-one II
Virginia Convention proposition, and the
other q Washington City proposition-the
question arises, is it true that they are
the sameg | take up the gauntlet from
the gentleman when he asserts that they
are the same, in respect TO the very words he
uses, in the very illustration he has given in
regard TO the first proposition. Whit does the
Peace Conference proposition say in reference
to Mexican laws? You may call it ambiguity
only that you have relieved your proposition
from. No such thing. You have put in that
very clause substantial, essential alterations;
bat il vas done after n hard struggle. | be-
licre may. claim that it was done on my mo-
lion in the Committee, if | may he allowed TO
speak of what occurred in Corulnittee. The
very question was then-is 1T the same?
Bnt, sir. argument will convince any man that
viii listen to the reading IF the propositions,
ihat they are no. the same. The gentleman
t.;nyrs upon the words 'Statua Of persons