Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-07-09
VIRGINIA STATE CONVENTION.
SECOND SESSION.
TENTH DdH-lC0ETlHC,ED.)
RICHMOND, Monday, June 24, 1851.

hlr. AM3LER-l cannot answer the question,
because do no, know. Bat in regard to the
statcmcnt that this legislation is to he intro.
ducci for the first time, l will read hiE, an or.
dinance Of the Congress Of the Confederate
States. which think will set the matter at
! rest
AN ORDINANCE
| To authyr:se certain debtors 70 ray the
umoun;s due by them into The Treasury Of
tie Confederate States.
| |. Tie Congress Q! the Confederate States Of
| Au.ecica do enact, ;ha. sl! persons in any man.
ner Indebted to individuals, or corporations in
the Uuitrti States of Americs. (eXccpt the
States OF Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and
Missouri aiid the Distric, OF Columbia be and
ere hereby prohibited from paying the ssine
to the;- respective creditors, or their agents or
| assiguecs, pending the existing war waged by
that government against the Confederate States
or any one of the slaveholding States before
named.
.. Any person. indebted US aforesaid shall
be and is hereby authorized to pay the amount
of his Indebtedness Into the Treasury of the
Confederate States in specie or Treasury notes.
and shall receive from the Treasurer eertii-
cate, coun,r.Signed by the Rssster, showing
the amuun. paid ard on what account, and the
rate Of inlcreS. which the same was bearing
8. Such certificate shall bear like interest
with the original CONTRACT, aud shall be re-.
dccnabc 1t the close Of the war and the resto
ration Of peace. in specie or its equivalent, on
presentation OF the original! certificate
4, All laws and parts Of 81! Laws .nilita,ng
against .his act hc aud the same g:S hereby
repealed
Now, s;7, the Chairman viii E1d that the
principle which ne says We snek TO i!ia&gnrate
has bssn authorized and recognized by that
act Vi tHr Confederate States. "ithou, vast
ing tine. however, cr hn7rS;ng the hQlSe by
| reading further extracts irp.. The authority
which the gentleman has produced, caA his
attention to the fact iha: the 7igh. of retaliation
rs one NOT only known bu, sri"t cpnn on all
| occasions and under all circumstances where
il IS necessary to resort ~ it between contend.
;ng nations.
| 70 show tt:e extent the u>pr1ation has gone
! in this kind OF war against the Southern Con
| fedcre:y ard particularly against the State Of
| Virginia, | call the attention ot the gentle
man tn the fact that the authorities Of the
| United States have not only declared money
| 70 be cou,ratand of war and refused to allow
i, TO be sent from the Northern States TO the
South, under any circumstances, OF to any
persons, but they have distinctly prohibited
t the delivery Of our treasury notes, prepared at
our expense in tho city of Philadelphia, to the
authorities Of Virginia, thus deprising the
State Of the righ, to issue her obligations as
Tar as they could. And while these facts are
patent and matters Of history, while ~e are
contending with this very authority Tor the
dearest rights of our heartf!S and homes, We
are gravcly told we shall subject ourselves to
:. suspicion Of dishonesty i! We retaia.e b.
refusing to pay to these very parties who are
| expressing lis tie interest accumn!a"ng on
The bonds held by them, the issue o! winch
they have endaar"rcd to prevent.
An unknown friend has beer kind eaough b TO
| send me memorandum which enables me to
answer the question propounded to rne by the
; gentleman iruH Richmond few moments ago.
l. is as follows: "Mr. Macanisy's history OF
EaS!and shows ltlat it aas & penal offence Tor
any bank or corporation, pending war be-
tHeec ,wo countries, 10 pay AM debts, moneys
CT pceuniarY obligations"
need not inform the gentleman !ha. The
Bank OF England is as much under the control
o: Government as our State bonds are undef
the control Of the COMMONWEALTH. Lis ques
,ica is therefore fully answered
Sow with ali respect for this Convention,
flor haze no idea Of occupying much OF It's
valuable time,) and for the abba gentlemen oy
whom this report OF the Committee vii! be de
Tended, | have ore more word to say. Il is
in regard 70 this idea which, With all Difference
TO the gentlemen who have advanced Ii, can
characterize by no other name than that whlcs
is called "namby- -pa:pby." While Te sre N
Il life struggle like the present, while we have
before Us the memory Of the Revolution II
which the purls:, the wiseSt, and best men who
ever lived-uen wno have oeen canon;zed IN
history as they have been loved and 7tiIcrated
by their dcscendaats-purSneu under the same
circumstances course precisely like thai
which we propose to adopt, only going further
and passing acts not merely to suspend the col
lection Of debts due TO British subjects, but
looking to the confscation Of their property
in the colonies say, following the example
Of these noble precedents which we have been
laugh. to believe were actuated BY the highest,
loftiesl and most patriotic motives are We &c
DO told, whea under similar circumstances we
seek to deprive the enemy Of the mesEs they
would employ to crush out the last spark Of
on. liberty, that We snail stand in the position
III those who have dishonesty = repu'liatrd their
debts. In Gods name, trust rot. Do the
gentlemen who urge this argument remember
they are throwing sluv upon the names ol
tIcii iuretaibeTs. Do they mean &c say tina,
our liberties were secured by the cracked ways
oe d;shonorl Shall we NOT then pursue the
course which our fathers pursued and pointed
OCT to us?
Sir, hold that the honor Of Virginia is above
all suspicion. hold that the condition in
which we are placed, the important events
t,anspiring around Us, the mighty interests in
VOWED in this contest all warrant one in the
assertion that i. is not only our duty to employ
whatever means the mercy Of God mag place
at our dsponsl to lortfy ourselves against the
enemy; but it is our duty tn employ them at
all times and under all circumstances.
If on the other hand you seek in a time like
this, upon the plea Of dishonor to the State. ifi'
is no, done TO wiring from our people tine money
YOU arc to transfer to our oppressurs to aid
them in the struggle in which they seek to de-
stroy US, for one shnll stand bv my old moth
er, the Common wealth, aud suffer with her any
suspicion If dishonor which the present may
create, unIll coming ti:ue shall tell the story o.
her wrongs. and wipe out the blight upon heE
eseu.cheoa. trust hOyever that this Con
yeption will not agree to any such su!cd .
measure, bur that the ordinance will be pssseo
as il stands thank the Convention Tor the
attention i. has given me, aEG regret that ra't
been compelled to occupy SO large portion o.
its deliberations.
Mr.. HoLconBE Il desire to say few words
upon this question. 1t seems to me that TINS
ordinance is inconsistent with both the ooiiga
iions 9f the public and of constitutional law
AS question Of finance, the policy proposed
/ III also Lnore than doubtful. That branch ol
the subject leave to the discussion Of gentle
men uore familiar with the subject than
myself. All the law Rad and commented upon
with so much force oy the gentleman from
Louisa (Mr. AnDLES) applies 10 commercial
TRANSACTIONS between individuals in belligeren'
caia5ries, and to the confiscaton Of debts
nn.!.r the authority OF government, owing by
cisjzens Of one coun.ry to the citizeus Of