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

two or three extracts from my reply.
After some preliminary remarks, in the nd
dress. the following paragraph in my reply
occurs:
Ere the voters Of the county shall proceed
to select the persons, to be clothed with trust
transcending far any other which they can be
called on to delegate, holding. as DO, com.
munlty Of interest with them, and fatcd to
share in whatever Of good or evil the future
may have in store Tor us and ours, deem it
as due to them to indicate my present views
and opinions touching the terrible and formid.
able crisis impending over Virginia"
then proceed 70 refer to and incorporate in
the address, resolutions adopted at meeting
of the people held at their Albemarle Decela.
Der Court The resolutions then and there
adopted, and which l approved IN the meet.
Ing, l re-attrm and re-adopt will not read
them, but pass on.
In subsequent portion Of the address.
say:
such is my trust in the good sense and pa
triolistn Of the American people, that hope,
If time is given to make an appeal directly to
the American masses, (not tine politicians, J
they will rise in their might, aud restore peace
to n distracted country. And then the Union
would go on in lis noble march, transmitting,
trust. for mgeS 10 colDe. ;uose countless bless
ings which We, i'll the past, enjoyed, cannot
hu. feel assured, that there is conservative
feeling enough left in the North to accept the
propositions which Ir. Cri,tenden has pre-.
than plunge over the fearful precplce, and eii'
counter ali the terrible consequences Of dis
unoa."
In conclusion, make this declaration:
''lf, during the contemplated Convention,
(tbat is, as stated in the card, already read,
before its 6nal Adjournment VII be aSc.rtalned
that our just and reasonable demands are To be
diSregarded, and oar claims for ali proper ad,
dtional Constitutional safeguards are ~ be dc.
MED, thea no alternative, think, is left but
for Virginia, throug gh such Convention, to as
suIne the powers which she heretofore dele
gated to the Federal Government"
Now, Mr. President, with this proof, with
this accumulated evidence, meeting, Gun.
posed Of know not whom, assemblies, 50 lar
a. We are informed, without notice, and adopts
the resolution which have read TO you.-
Were they justified III doing so' Before i'll,
duigins iu such charges, it would have been
infinitely better iUr them 10 have. at least, de-
sSended to specifications.
But, sir, is this AZ!
The PKrs1pgST-The hour fo- guiug iutu
Committee Of the Whole has arrived.
Mr.. SourHALL-I anu addressing tn. Con
veation upon privileged question; and even il
l we're not, should hope the Convention woud
yield to me the courtesy Of proceeding littl:
longer.
The PREslDESr-rhe chair forgot that the
gentleman WAS speaking upon privileged
question.
Mr. SourH ALL so announced, sir, when
arose to address you.
Sir. was about to remark, when interrupt
ed, that this was not all. Evidence still comes
to accumulate upon shat which | have jus,
read "piling Peion upon Ossa," and Ossa upon
Pelion. Allow me 10 say if | have not before
done so, that there is 10 portion Of my county
where there are more hgh-toned, honorable
and intelligent people than are to be found III
the town Of Scottsville and its vicinity.
In the progress of time tbs election took
place. Ny honorable colleague, with another
worthy and highly respectable gentleman, re-
sident in the vicinity OF Scottsville, and my.
self, were the candidates. | have, sir, been 10
political life OF and on for some thirty years.
and | have never appealed to the people vi
Scottsville, that have not invariably, AS aui
sure received their cordial and warm support
and in the highest and most violent party times
on.run, Mt that precinct, NY poittlca! oopa-
nents, and led those upon my own party ucK
ct. But, sir when the polls were closed At that
place at the recent election, what result Gid
they exhibit
The gentleman referred to as candidate
received large majority over my colleague
and M self, and fell some forty or fifty votes
behind the Latter, though in the aggregate vote
Of the county, Was EUuurcd with the eidss!
return. by lew votes ahead Of my colleague
Surely then sir, the good people OF Scottsvlle
knew wha: they were doing; knew ths prlnci
pies that they were voting to sustain; knew tlte
position and views upon which the candidates
stood. So much, sir, thea, for immediate and
direct secession" ss ayowed by ME during the
canvass in my county. The resolution OF this
meeting, assuming the form Of anindlctEaent,
contains, however, two counts have diS
posed OF the first. approach now the second,
and, on its trial, all have to do is to !nvoke
the testimony OF each aud every member on
this hoor. What is this second charger
THAT We hereby express and manifest our
most decided dissppTObation Of the course ol
Mr.. Southall in the Convention"
see members around Inc smile at this
most singular ard groundless imputalson.
You, cir. did me the honor of placing me oa
tho Committee on Federal Relations that
Committee, having the privilege TO sit during
the session OF the House, were engaged in the
matters referred to them for some twenty-five
or thirty days before even their first partial
report was made-sometme after their second
and final report came in. Isuppose these gen.
tlernen hardly allude to anything that may
have passed in the committee-room; and snort
time after these reports were made, you, SIR,
assigned me the position of Chairman over the
Committee Of the Whole, where have been
since, and acted as such when not absent from
ll.heaith. But, this epart, sir, appeal, Mr.
President, to your record appeal, SIR, 70
every gentleman present, and entreat ~
know, urge any TO speak, and say wien
there has been 6 single solitary vote ta1en
since tho organization Of this body, the 9Th OF
February, which goes to test or define the ac'
tual position Of any gentleman here.
most confidently refer to your Journal,
10 show that there has not been
from the day Of your installation into that
position, sir, to the present time ary vote
which tended 70 comhit any gentleman Us 10
his Interior pGiCS Jc', .iiS'~ o.
ncople undertake, with suenlrg hot haste, to
ceI,sure ,nsir delegate in general terms for the
omission or commission Of something which
they decline to specify.
/ say then, sir, in regard to this second
charge, that there is not the shadow"l shade
of proof to sustain it-thut it is gratuitous and
utterly groundess, aid, to say the least, ought
not to hare been INDUCED in. leave to 'ts
authors to reconcile it with the facts which you,
and every m=lnbcr here, know full well to be-
long to the action OF this body.
Alloy me, sir, in conclusion, AZ am upon
the subject Of ali account between the repre-
sentative and portion Of his constituents, to
indicate my opinion as to the relative rights
and duties Of each. In these exciting :lnes'
when every effort is being made for the purpose
of manufacturing public sentiment through the
..ide extent of the Commonwealth, desire to
- - -oforoDcp tn the right of instruction,