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

ton aud Virginia has failed to arrest The pro-
rress of nnaticism. The abolition feeling mas
been gathering strength in the country anu 4, u
Virginia and all the Southern States, WIN the
power Of legislation in their hands could NOT
! restrain it, What will it be when the power mas
gone from them TO the Republican party lne
wrongs Of Virginia uru ,unrdicable under any
! process al devastation, even when tins Lc8isla'
! ton is Il the hands vi the South. In "ha1
nook Of the Federal Constitution can Virginia
secure herself from the aggression OF iull
grown goo!ii!on;sln know Of nOnc-there Is
| nnre.
Mr.. Chairman, have no disposition TO ioi'
low the argument Of the gentleman any further
on this branch of the subject for fear OF marling
il. lie has annlliei aud illustrated j! with so
much ability that shelter myself under II
with sense OF security which, ccuio !io' ieel
under any argument OF my own.
Mr.. Chairman. wish 10 say To TINS COM
mt;ce that this subject OF SaTery Is no;
question of dollars and cents. Alter tuls Co!o-
nv was settled Oh the banks q the river al
jamestown. = Dutch ship ca'ue IN from Inc
coast Of Africa with cIrSo vi slaves: 1ne!
we're bought ny the carly co.hasts. lhGF al
| a',prrd together, tleg gre" together ana ''iey
increased together; they sat 10y shelr hearth
stones. were the nurses OF tEcir infancy, TIE
| companions nl Their childhood and the conSo'
! aton Of their declining years, and they are
now so INTERVIEWED with cur socia! habits ana
interests, and laws, that to sever the conhec-
| ton Inust be political Death even i done with
! the tr;dcre>t hand.
But, sir, the North nave rot dealt with this
suhiec. with Ie:I,;sr hand Ear FROM it.
They have dealt with il with rude hand. We
find tha. Ibis institution IS distinctly recognized
! in til. Constitution q! the United States, and
the surrender Of fugitive slaves Us guaranteed
sas honestly, and fairly and justly carried out
| by the first Congress in 1889. They enacted
I:y 50, 20 the effect thu. upon the application
! OF i r.a.lcr. he COULD get warrant lrcm n
! .Jrl., or .ju.tcc OF ;lIt Peace, and the lugi-
| lives were to pc surrendered to their masters.
| And iIri.jvcs were surrendered 20 their i!:;:S
ters, until, in en- evil hour, { case came before
the judiciary Of the United States, in which i
decision was given which says, il Is not the
duty OF State officers ~ exec1;e the law oi
! Congress. From that t.uie, sir. Il was lns'ie
| felony OIL The part of State officer ~ arrest 4
fugitive Save; and we lost all chance Of re-.
covering tie fugitive for years and wien
slave escaped, his master looked upon him us
uuch beyord his reach us il he were dead.-
! That, sir was \ distinct ant solemn violation
! o! TIC Constitution.
| H.: this is not the point. 1t is that the ha
! ,rcd o.. our Southern Institutions anu our sys'
TEN Of slavery, is deeply, irra1cally ingraleG
| iuiu tic minis u the Northern people. 1t IS
an oniuion, sir, which has bocr deeply fastened
there, and an opinion which, fear, can never
be erst.ca.ed. Sir, tie children in their prirn-
crs See print Of tie stakeholder WITH
scourge in hard, end the suffering negro IN
chairs 1T his ieet. Every kind Of effort Is
made 10 nGoctrinaIc ihto the Northern mind
the sentiments ii abolllionis:n. The press,
the pulpit, the school house-ali are made
subscriber. 10 lis purpose, until their wnoie
country, in spite vi this favorable legislation,
WI G, l., alluded 70 By the gentleman from
Augusta, lMr. BALpw!S.j III, become over
spread with those abolition sentiments. And,
Mr.. Chairman, whenever there occurs war
or cpuon t.at var will never stop II viii
20 on from time 10 time; il will increass
IN volume and either enc or the ether OF the
| parties must submit o. must he conquered.
4 war Ci opi!,ipn is EIrc, iu the long run, to
| be- war nt tic sword L.
and what is the r.nc1, sr III thy broth
or trespaSs against thee, tell him Of his faults
between thee and him alone Ii ne hear thee
thou has; .:,i;ie, thy brother. il he vii! not
hear llce' what mcxt? Take two wit.
| nesseS before him, and il lie will not hear
them, icl 1t 10 the church Gnd II lie vii! not
near the chufch" what then Let him he m
to thee rs Il heaihcn man ard publican" We
have whispered our complaint into the cars
OF our Northern brethren; we have told them
Of their fault in the presence Of the world for
witnesses We have brought them before tho
church. AMI the; have divided that church in
twain and to: Us to begorc. What is the
remedy: God speaks it by the mouth Of
His Incaraa:c Sou: - Let them I've unto thee
as heathcn mon and publicass." know Of
no nther conclusion to come &c; yet, for one,
in order To give my bretberen another cppor-
tunity. "m wiling to make cre ether effort,
and il shall b. in the nature Of an utilnatum
put forth by Virginia. in her sovereign capa.
ci,;. This is the ground wou!'l occupy. /
would give tscn IL: opportunity of rcpent!ns
| Of their uesnnsses, but further than ,nat wil.
never 90.
Mr.. Chairma!', l propose now to enter upon
4 very dtEcstc tasE. pr"Y":c nov, sir
hops no cea!i=man will DC s;ariled-to eE-
! ,iT'." what really is trc ralue Of tic Union.
! i!r. C!rirul:n, ever since the day when Con.
: stantit:c, at the cor"rrcTcctneAt Of the fourth
century. made All alaEcc with the church
| there seemed 10 he RI impression that there
was almost Il divinity not only ut the head ti
! Virginia bat at The head CT the Government
whether R2p',5! can or Democratic. Sir, the
Roman Empire in"tho person Of Constantine
shielded the church, protccad it; and the
church poured The sacred oil upon the head OF
the Roman Emperor, and declared to the sub.
i9c:s that he stool III the place Of Cf0d, and
! that passive obedience VAS due him; and, sir,
although va have no heather! ruler, yet there
| is divl:.i'y among Us in the shape Ul the Union,
AID il j. .idered a.:naGt irrrvcrcHt for US t.
enter ITO II calculation: O! is advantages 10 our
! pes H. D,it sr, | hope That this Convention,
ana every .i-- n il, will lear with Mnc while
| enter into this Investigation And SIR, know
; that tue Nor;h has calculated the value Of this
uIlnn. She knows hos many eggS the South
cru goose hos laid into her lap. She has est
mated it, she has weighed it, not in the bal.
anccs Of the sanctuary. bat in thu scales Of her
pwn Interest, and more unerrng scales were
n"vc. established ny the High Priest in the
tempe Of Jerusalem.
Mr. Chairman, ask hat has this Confcde-
racy done for us! ] ask j., sir, with simpl.
city; | aSs: it IN ,ru!!, and want to know
what g1cd thing this Confedcracy has ever
done fot' u.s. | don't mca:s to say that good
things have not been done, and that VIE are not
deriving blessings from i, bat want know what
these good things are?
| Sir, VIZ are told that wu have protection
| abroad, and that when an individual goes
abroad, ne ms only To pronounce the magic
word, :" ain an American cltizen," and hi.
aono- and his rights are protected. We know
the influence OF the magic word in ancient
times, II am Roman c.,;zcn." /: secured
protection and honor in every satfapy Of Per
,ia, in lie i'oundares Of Carthage, and in the
most distant regions Of Africa But, sir, when
ti!o Shareholder says Il am al american ci:
zen, ! know tina. his goods are protected, |
know that his person is saved from incarcrra.
iipn, know ilat he is protected from robbery,
nIt, Sir, when he says 81 a:n an American
/ citizen. Ire Eurnucan turns u,.on him and