Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-04-10

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that there is no alternative, that we cannot and
ought not to remain longer with the States TO which
We are now connected, then, Mr. President and then
only, the Commonwealth as Commonwealth ought
to speak and act united from centre to circumference
united from the Roanoke to the Potomac, from
the sea shore to the Ohio.
Sir, I warn you'll warn you as Virginian-l
warn you as friend and brother, not to throw
6re-brand among the people Of this Commonwealth.
speak freely; speak as one Of this family circle.
Icaimto have Is large, Is permanent and as abiding
love and interest in this Commonwealth as any
here. You shall not claim higher niche for the
glory and honor of Virginia than claim. l love
her IS child ought to love mother; never en-
tertsined sentiment At war with the loyalty OF
Vrgnan, or adverse to her peace, her interests or
her glory. If know my own heart-man some
times is mistaken in himselfbut if know the SEN
timents Of my own bosom, would this moment, for,
the peace and honor, safety and glory of this Com
monwealth Of ours, lay down this poor and worth
less life as cheap sacrifice for such good.
But am here to demand and protect the rights
of my people. came here to speak as freeman,
to deliberate SUCH aye and to deliberate and to
speak boldly, unin6uenced by all and every extreme
Of pressure whether from within or without
When gentlemen talk of passing an ordinance OF
secession, what do they mean? Have gentlemen, |
say adverted to our positions and surroundings?
dnance of immediate and separate secession am
here sir as one of her sons to protest against that
course. Where is Virginia, and what.are her duties!
Gentlemen of the Convention, bear with me for
moment while refer to this subject Where are
you! Here lies Maryland in your lap-yng on
your lap for safety and protection. Maryland with
in whose limits is situated the capital of this nation
Maryland has not even called convention or
legislature-which has yet made no move towards
nf nd vot her
instantly and forever is to be settled by the move.
ments Of Virginia. You cannot make move in the
way of secession in Virginia without precipitating
Maryland I know it; you cannot do it Mary
land connected to you by every tie that can connect
one State with another; by all our common rights
and interest in the Potomac and the Chesapeake
by her magnificent railroad, terminating at two
points within your MISUNDERSTANDING and Par.
kersburg- traversing the whole extent of your
northern and northwestern borders-will you 60
out by separate State action without consulting
Maryland, thereby precipitating her into the most
painful and difficult position in which State can
be placed putting her into the hands of the Federal
Government with all the power Of that government
upon her?
But again, Sir, where is the Old North State, the
land Of Nathaniel Macon, typical as he was of North
Carolina; slow but wise, hard to come up to the
mark it may be, but firm and unappeasable when
Why, Mr. President, if you pass an ordinance OF
secession, you cannot get to the Southern Coneder
acy unless rth-Caro;ina goes with you, for she
lies between you and Georgia There is evidently
disposition on her part to secede. majority of
her votes have been cast against convention. She
refuses even to call a convention to consider the
question of secession resting calmly upon her dig
nifty and upon her rights.
And then, what do you say of Tennessee-glori-
Of n oh
borders your territory and receives from you the
waters of the Clinch and the Holston? You know
the character and sentiments of her people, true,
brave, and loyal; the bravest of the brave, the
truest of the true. She has called no Convention,
taken no measure or movement, laying quietly, bid
ing her time, ratifying by her vote in the Peace
Conference the acceptability of that scheme and
guaranty.
And then comes your noble and glorious daugh.
ter Kentucky, the first-born Of Virginia. come
from the Kentucky border country. Indissolubly
connected as we are with our Kentucky friends on
the other side Of the Sandy River and with Western
Virginia holding the same rights and the same in
terests in the Ohio and the Mississippi
Kentucky holds some six hundred miles of Ohio
'front.' with the States of Ohio. Indiana and Illinois
all lying across the stream in full view of her. Do
you mean to precipitate yourselves out of the Union
without considering or enquiring what effect that
movement is to produce upon Kentucky? Do you
contemplate such . step without conferripg with
your other sisters Of the border, who are equally
interested with you in the result' Will you go out
without consulting Maryland, North Carolina Ten
nessee, Kentucky-all connected with US, bound up
in our fate, affected necessarily by our act of seces
sion? Do you mean to take Jump outside the
magic circle which now encloses u.s. without taking
counsel with those whose fate is intimately connect
ed with yours, and whose destiny for good or evil
would probably be consummated by your act?
Why, sir, we hear the argument advanced con-
tinualy, that whatever Virginia does, the other
States will do. Mr. President, have we come to
this? Are VIC to assume before the world, and put
forth as justification the idea that Virginia can
properly 60 out of the Union in her present posi-
ton, without arrangement consultation with her
surrounding sisters, upon the theory that so COM
handing is her attitude and her influence that these
other States will be compelled to follow where she
leads? This is not an argument upon which Vir-
ginia can stand 1t is not worthy her ancient fame
or her yet unsullied justice and magnanimity.
Sir, we are constantly expressing ourselves and
in strong terms against coercion We are all against
coercion. We are pedging ourselves against the
policy of coercion. Yes sir and rightly; and yet,
in the same breath, shall ourselves coerce? You
will not let President Lincoln or the Federal Gov
eminent coerce any of the Southern States. You
announce yourselves as utterly determined to resist
this policy, and yet you take course towards your
sister States that have not offended you, who are
relying upon you, who are Rugged up as it were, in
your arms and sitting upon your lap which will in
evitaby coerce them into system which they would
not willingly adopt You are forcing them to
change their position, and encounter all the perils
Of the change, whether they will or no. By your
own leap into the abyss, you are compelling those
States to follow, with boast before hand that they
are obliged to take the plunge if we do.
What is the difference between moral and physi.
cal coercion, in the result which is to be brought
about? What is the difference between knocking O
man in the river, by blow, or compelling him, by
causes which you can control and which he cannot
escape, to jump in himself? Sir, the people of vir
gnia will not tolerate such policy towards the
States have referred to. Here is Missouri, more
distant from u.s. now in Convention. Arkansas is
now in Convention. Both these States will, in al
probability, propose and recommend border slave
| State conference.
There is another State which will not forget, 70,
have had recent occasion to be renewedly impress
| with admiration little State 7 vvi1I mi