Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-16

involved in the Ee0 holulnS OF All aimost cup
" fort, when the fact stands out TINS Jay, ina,
The Federal Government is exercising jurisdic-
lion and authority in every county in the Sc
coded Sta,cs-is this day transporting its mails
rs,,ar. act of Federal iurisdiction-claiming the
%4Esbt Id dosit as part Of the powers Of the
Tinted States-appointing officers, removing
officers, employing contractors, and having
work done, not under a treaty with these
States, but as the exercise of a legitimate Con-
s,itutional power, on the part of the Federal
Government, within the limits of the seeded
States, and within the limits of every county
in these States. Sir, until the Confederate
States feel the point Of honor press upon them
Sufficiently to demand that this jurisdiction,
that this authority shall be Withdrawn from
them as n matter of insult think theS
ought to be q little particular how they under
take 10 make the point Of order IN regard le
this miserable handful Of soldiers that are oc
clnyinr Fort Sumter, and who certainly DO
not threaten any more danger to the people OF
South Carolina, than the mail.carriers who
carry their letters to them.
Mr.. W1sE.-if the gentleman will alter the
uhraseolosy of his amendment, and instead OF
saving, 'in the interests Of peace" put it "for
the purpose o! pacification," | will accept It.
NJ. BALnwtN, as the reporter understood,
sy.scd 50 to change his. amendment
NJ. WISE-Now, the gentleman says that
there is a difference in regard to the character
o. these forts, and supports his friend from
Ksaawha, On the ground that there is a d!tte.
Yence between the nationality of one fort and
the nationality Of the other. | ask both gen.
tlemeu, if these forts were not created for ma
,iunai uses, and il all are not alike? II one
fort is constructed ut Charleston harbor, and
another at Hampton Reads, why, neither is
local TO South Carolina, Or local to Virginia.
Each is built and maintained for the protection
of al! thc commerce of tha United States. re-
giStered Tonnage or licensed tonnage. Your
licensed tonnage embraces your coastwisc ton
mage. Your registered tonnage embraces your
foreign shipments. Both Fort Sumter and
Fort Moiroe, as we'll as those at the TortugaS,
are national IN their purposes and objects; and
let me ask my friend from Augusta, (Mr.
BALpwIS,) TO beware and think we'll upon the
doctrine that he is pr~oclailning. Why would
hs protect and refuse to evacuate the forts or
tue Tortrgas: He says, because its guns
cover more than enters at Charles.
ton. Bat there happens to be 4 fort here at
thu mouth Of the Chesapeake that covers all
the that enters from abroad into
Bal:imore-all the licensed tonnage of Virgil
MA and of the surrounding States. and that
hereafter may be involved precisely in the
same point with the fort on the TortugaS.
As said the other day, all the com-
mercc rolling down from the lips Of
H.: lakes may claim that this fort is common
20 them. Any State bordering the Susque-
hanna river may say that it is common to her.
Pennsylvania may say it is common to her,
and Maryland may claim that it is also conf
mon TO her, precisely as all the Northwestern
Stares say that the Mississippi is common to
tncin. The same principle is involved. The
gentleman from Augusta, (Mr. BALDwiS,j
should beware lest upon this principle Fort
Moarue should be caught in this trap and
Claimed as Il national fort, despite the right Of
Virginia to hold It. should she secede. And if
she stall secede, is there a man in the State, I
ask the gentleman from kanawha, (Mr. Sun.
Msss,) ari the gentleman from -Augusts, (Mr.
BALDWIN, after all these attempts at negotia-
tons tail, and the Federal Government shall
attempt 30 held Fort Monroe after we do secede;
i ask is there a man in Virginia who would
nor, at the cannon's mouth, at the point Of the
s.hDr, al Toe steel Of the bayonet, force the
evacuation ul that fort?
II we would do this in respect to Fortress
Monroe, how can you expect Florida will not
do il with respect to Tortugas? Gentlemen
say that TortugaS is one bundled miles from
Florida. | deny il. Florida extends beyond
Tnrtueas. The jurisdiction Of Florida extends
three miles in the channel towards Cuba. Tor.
IugES is in Florida as much as Fortress Monroe
Is in Virginia. Take care, gentlemen, that you
done: lay traps ir yourselves. While we are
protecting the peace Of Florida; while we arc
protecting the peace Of all the United States in
respect 70 the forts in the South, let us remem.
Der that we have the strongest Qualifications,
not Only in The country, but anywhere upon
the globe. Tw" Of them with the cannoa's
month fronting each other. The R;p.Raps not
ye: finished, no case mates, not yet bomb proof
ard It cannot be held thirty minutes under the
guns Of Fortress Monroe. The United States
would leavc YOU to finish it. and how would
yor finish il? With Fortress Monroe in their
t.aul-. YOU could not do 1t. You cannot hold
il twenty minutes By the watch under the CO.
l,ms,iads OF Fortress Monroe, ard you could
i.l y,:. up n caSemate that would be bomb
proot before they would blow every stone that
caps the Rip Raps, down rolling into the gulf
OF Hampton Roads, And yet gentlemen
here Ale drawing these distinctions that would
swal"w up Fortress Monroe just as decisively
Us they could swallow up Iortugas. Gentle.
men. You lad better settle all these ques-
lions &; vnce. | agree with my friend from
hhsuNt| "a S"t'S
ing the idea that if we obtain this evacuation,
il. viii BE- no concession, 1t will be yielding
nothing, but simply and generously evacuating
the points in dispute, for the sake Of peace pro
temlpre, or until the war commences, and
when that comes. whether we or they claim
them or whether We or they occupy them, war
viii Lake them by the ~red-right hand, if war
can take them. Florida cannot now take Tor
tueas; hut the timber grows upon the Tom.
bicbc4 and grows upon the mighty Mississippi
that can be brought down, not in the form OF
rats. bat in the form of marine batteries that
can take il, and if you hold on to it, they will
take il just as a spirited people would take
Fortress Monroe, if it costs you ten thousand
lives. know the power Of the United States.
] know the power Of the North. | know that
the,e is no contest 10 go on between the North
and the South, Ike that which was carried on
between Great Britain and the United States,
VIXEN Great Britain had to transport arma-
mcnts, ordnance and troops for three thousand
miles across the Atlantic. | know that the
North is now but one.tenth Of that distance
from the capes Of Florida. | know that the
North now has steam fer transportation, but
in spite Of the diminution Of distance, in spite
Of steam, those forts can be taken, apdthcy
will .e taken unless they are evacuated
Mr.. BALDwlS-This Convention, some days
ago, W a vote Of two to one. declared the un-
Willingness Of Virginia to withdraw from the
Government Of the United States.-from the
present Union. Recognizing myself as being
yet o citizen Of Virginia, and q citizen of the
United States, l arm addressing myself, as far
rs can, earnestly to the policy which | be-
lieve to be the true policy Of the Government
under which we live-the policy of maintain.
ing peace With the States that have passed
ordinanceS of secession. | wish to avoid CON-
hitting this State, in any way whatever, to
doubtful points Of future controversy, which
may be availed of as means OF irritation by