Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-02-23


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THE VIRGINIA STATE CoNvEN-
RICHMOND. Feb. 20, 1861.
Mn. CLEMENS rising TO a privileged ques-
ton, Offered n resolution, before proceeding
to personal explanation, that the Pres
dent of the Convention be authorized to
employ competent reporters to report the
proceedings of tue Convention, with a
view TO their publication hereafter if
deemed expedieut. Mr. Fisher offered a
similar resolution as substitute, which
was accepted by Mr.. Clemens, who then
proceeded:
Ma. CLEMENs.-Inow proceed, Mr.. Presi-
ideut, 10 the consideration of the matters
to which directly alluded in my opening
remarks. know, sir, that in times of pH-
litical trial and political excitement N public
man is supposed to be, in this age, public
property. And have hnd IL sufficient de.
gree of experience in public life to know,
At9V1 tAluA AZ bAttlS SGhEl| 5tNlu Is not SulEeu
to its hot and fierce encounters, and that
those who are most accustomed TO them
will find that for IL coat Of arms tcrrnpin
or an nrruudillo is the best insignia of at
least their powers of endurance Iconfess
that in alluding to the matter to which
conceive it to be my duty to allnlc. ac-
! knowledge sclf-Abasement and humilia-
! tion. Before this grave hody, by all odds
the gravest and most gifted with which
| have ever had the honor of being nssOciu-
| ted, feel it to be my duty, due to tho pro-
pTieties of tue place and the occasion, to
restrain the sentiments Of just indignation
which leap TO my lips aud crave utter.
ancc.
We are told, sir, by high authority, that
''he who cOnQucTeth his own spirit, is
! greater than lie who taketh city, and in
times like these man Is HuS fitted to
| govern others who llns not the capacity to
govern himself. had supposed il posi-
bic that among those who in other days
were associated with mo and shared my
acquaintance in this magnanimous city,
many of whose familiar faces now see
around the, and who hung with hrOtherly
love over sick couch, and ministered to
f! the necessities of broken body; / had
hoped that among those of Gods fNircr
and better part of creation, nnny of whose
! A"AA laws INV uGduI upOu inc, ana WlOS0
soft and velvety hands ministered to the
necessities OF a sick chamber, would find
when these accusations were travelling
| their rounds in the public press, some sense
OF indignant remonstrance coming TO my
relief, Against the charge that I. IL member
of Congress from Virginia, could deliber-
ately, and in cold blood, send under nv
hand, tranked documents to free negroes.
Sir, if had no sense of sclf-rcspect left, /
| had hoped that those who knew me. and
who knew the honorable families in East
ern and Western Nirginir, in Georgia, in
Alabnma, in Louisiana, in Kentucky, in
| Missouri, in whose veins courses kindred
blood. would suppose that, however mean
might he, ] would not double "A rose len {
! under their pillow. to give n moments a
pain. II is Que OF the darkest pOrleuts of
the times, thnt under these circumstances
gentlemen-Vlrgini genilemcn-have nf.
fected to helicve such II Charge against me.
Sir, IT there isnny gentleman in this State
who llns hitherto shared my acquaintance,
and who. knowing me in days past, has
believed could he guilty of so mean an
act, let him never dare to raise his eyes or
h"nd in kindness to me again.
But, sir, / do not choose to deal with
that question in this indirect way. 1t
happens that have the fullest and the
most complete proofs which will he sub
mitted to the proper authorities at WASH
ington. 1t happens that left Wnxhing-
ton City ten days before THE assembling of
this COnventinn, and was at home can
rHssiEg for seat in this honorable body.
aud during my absence, without cnnsnlt1.
tiOn with me, without my knowledge
without my concurrence in any shape or
form, n half sheet of the National IntelI,-
Qe1csr, continuing the speech of the Hon
John S. MillsOn, of this State, a speech of
the Hon. Mr.. Nelson, of Tennessee, and
my own speech delivered in Congress, was
distributed broadcast over Eastern Vir-
ginia. l authorized no one to use my
frank. left no franks for anybody TO
use. was not party indirectly or di-
rectly in any shape or form to the sending
the half-sheet of the NatiOHal INtelEigencsr
to any part of Virginia. assert the fact
to be, md no man can deny it, that there
is not, within the limits of this broad
land, single gentleman who has received
under my frank, copy of that papcr. 1t
happens that kept list of all the docu-
ments sent. sent none but pamphlet
copies. commenced with Princess Anne,
aud sent one copy to that county, and I
sent some copies to Essex to gentlemen I
know there. ] sent copies to Frcdericks.
burg. sent none to Orange, none to AL
nemaFIe, none to sFluvnuna, aud not a sin.
/ gle copy to Middlesex.
The charge is made blythe Charlottesville
ye6ersonian, and copied into the Richmond
Er1'a'aer, that sent under my frank, cop
/ les OF public documents to free ueproeS in
the county of Orange. The Alexandria
!SenttNef, asserting the same fact, says that
copies were received in Fluvuuna; and a
| friend from the county of Essex has v it,
ten to me that copies were received at Ja-
maicR Plains and at UrbnnDa, in Middle
sex. lt haPpensSthat the only person do
know is the gentleman from MiddIesex
who represents that county so hOnorably