Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-28

that Virginia can never exert her just ant
proper influence with the now seeded States
until she mani(ests her determination tn Ell
loose from the Northern aggrcssnr and tak'
sides with the oppressed-until she manifest:
her determination 10 share with her galan
Southern sisters the dangers and the perils ane
tho trying ordeal through which they are now
passing.
Why, sir, when they sent their AnlbasSa
doris here 10 defer to Virginia, to ask he: II
take the lead and say what was best to he done
for the common good, and when old Virgins
coolly spurned the offer OF sympathy ant
turned away from her children, it was but na
tural that these Southern States should fec
some temporary ds,rust towards The OLE
Mother. Was it not natural? They did fec
it They felt it properly. But when Virgini:
shall move into line and proclaim to the worlt
that, come weai or come woe her dcstinics are
indssolubly linked with her sister States o.
the South when she shall take this position
and this unnatural strife shall be terminated
hereafter; when Virginia invites these South
ern sisters 10 come back into the governtnen:
which she has helped to reconstruct-they will
come, sir, hope, not rs my friend from Rock
bridge (Mr. MooRE) supposed on yesterday;
they will come not like the prodigal son OF old
repentiug, in sack cloth and ashes, for wha,
they have donc-but they will come IN the
proud consciousness of virtue and right they
will come back to the Old Mother, and in the
beautiful and touching language OF Ruth to
Naomi: "Entreat me not TO leave thee or to re.
turn from following after thee, for whittier thou
goest will 60, and where lhon lodgest I will
lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy
God my God. Where thou diest will die,
and there will be buried.
But ii in this, sir, shall be mistaken; il
Virginia cannot re construct the Union, Fir-
ginia can secure peaceable separation. Sir, il
ne cannot live together with our Northern
Confederates We have right to be permitted
10 separate; We have right surely to depart
in peace. This would be poor boon, and Tr.
ginia, by prompt and decided action, in iny
hunrtle Judgment, would eilber restore tue
Union, Or secure reaceable and 6na! separa.
ton; she would have right 20 say, sir, as was
said by one Of old, "ct there be no contention
pray thee, between thou and Ine--thou wilt
go 10 the right, end then will 80 to the left. u
But, sir, say it is no longer question ol
Uninn or disunicn. The question is, will We
60 North, or will we go South? Every consid
Grafton Of intcTes:, CT honor, Of patriotism
every Impulse 81 the hear! prompts the Vir.
sinia people TO cast their destiny with their
Sister States Of the South. Sir more than
goo, 1000 of those Southern people have gone
from Virginia. They clsitu Virginia as their
mother; they sTe uur brethren, our kindred;
bone Of cur bone, and flesh CT our fcsh. Cen
Virginia desert them nowy Can Virginia de.
scrt them in their hour Of greatest need? As
well, cir, Light ask if & mother could forget
md desert her own offspring
But Mr. President, had intended 10 refer
particularly to some Of the points niadc by the
gentleman from Rockbridsc, (N(r MooRE)
regret that he is not in his seat this morning
will, with the permission Of the Con7cn
tion, notice some few Of the objections urged
BY that gentleman against connection Of Fir-
g;na with the Southern Confrdcrscy
lie seems still determined to believe, in spite
of all the evidence which Gun be Gdduccd that
It is the purpose OF the Southern Conederacy
to re open the African slave trade Why, sir,
not only has every State Convention Of the Sc
ccded States put the heel OF condemnation upon
it. but the Congress at Montgomery itself
has embodied in It's Constitution provision
prohibiting the re-oplning L! the African slave
trade.
But wha. says the gentleman? ? he SAYS he
is not willing to go into Southern ConIeder-
ation-in fact. into any Conicde!.cy whose
Constitution does not prohibit the re opening of
the African slave trade; and yet he prefers to
adhere to this Northern Confederacy IN whose
Constitution no such prohibition is 10 be
found.
We 6re 10 be- oppressed, he tells us, with
drrc. taxation. Why, sir, in answer 10 that
it is sufficient TO say that the provisional
government had already adopted the tariff Of
the old government, and that the revenue Of
the government is now collected by duties up.
on imports, ard Se have the assurance of their
commissioners and Of their leading men
throughout the South That it is not their pur-
pose to resort to direct taxation, but 10 levy
such duties MS shall produce sufficient re-
venue to carry on the government.
But the Southern States have not assigned
the true Cause Of their withdrawal from the
Union. That il tile great objection urged by
the gentleman CIR. MooRE) to these Southern
States He maintains that the cause which
they have given j.. not the true one. Why,
sir, some cf them gave notice twelve months
ago, that tic election Of Black Republican to
the Presidency, upon Black Republican plat
f0rr,, would be with them treaty breach, and
they would no longer remain in the Northern
Confederecy. It IS upon this ground that they
have taken their stand, although for years they
have submitted to acts Of intoicrabie opprcs-
sion in the way of high tariffs, in order to at.
test their devotion 10 the Union. But low,
VIXEN President is elected by party who
denounce the Union Of our fathers and the
Constitution Of the country as league with
death and covenant with hell, those Southern
people can submit no longer, but have deter
mined to cut the Gordian knot, Gid risk the
ISSUE with tho god o. battles.
We were tcid BY The gentleman DIR. MooKs)
that he is unwilling 10 form any connection
with the seeded States, because there is
direct conflict Of interest between Viz
ginis and her sister States Of the South. The
gentleman did not proceed to point ou,
that condict. In what does it consstY Are
we not people Of homogeneous Interests
Are We not people of like habits, CT like in.
situations and like religion? Are We not oil
deeply and vitally concerned in the preserva-
tion OF the institution Of African slavery P
We arc, sir and the only Union which can
Yield any material benefit to Us is Union with
our Southern Sist.7 States.
But the burdens Of taxation, under the new
government, would be intolerable. Sir, it is
humiiiating to me, in times like th@se, to be
compelled to meet the argument Of taxation
Carried ont to its legimate extent would it bene.
6tuSio submit to any and all aggression, and to
pnrchGse exemption from taxation az The price
ur honor tselfy ! maintain not, Sir. Bat can
tha tay hr CO pnorInouG in the Southern Gov
rrnment3 have no doubt It would be The
most economical and virtuous government ever
administered upon this continent. I believe it
would BE- sn honest government. and that is to
me controlling reason for the preference that
give to i, over our old Northern confederates.
Eut sir, VIC ulay be taxed; and if so. arc
there not advantages TO he reaped from it2 We
would derive some benefits from this taxation.
As it is now, we are taxed for the benefit Of
the North; We are taxed and taxed, and they
enjoy the benefits, because the money is dis
tribu:ed and expended in the Northern States.