Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-02
PROCEEDINGS OF STATE CONVENTION.

which have been presented by my friend from
Rockbrjgc (Slr MooRE) and my friend from
Bedford (Mr. GoGGlS) My friend from Bed
ford asked if Virginia were to SO out of the
Union where would she gos IT she is
going TO the South, how will she get there
How will she ret 10 Charleston, How will
she pass through North Carolina and Tennes-
see both foreign States? How will she pass
nv the ba,tlcments Of the Rip-Rsps and Old
Poin, Comfort: He presented picture that,
in days gone by, would have alarmed the chill
drcn and women, but 10 this day Of our revo
ia,on. bless God that the hearts Of both men
sni women are moi rs the hearts of children.
But. Mr. President, take it for granted that
my friend would agree with me in this, that IL
Virginia goes out, the Rip Raps and Old Point
Comfort viii belong to her, and if the General
Government refuses TO make the surrender and
shall send the Lieut. General to hold them, if
there is no one Of more military experience than
under him, and we will pluck the plume from
the cap ot the Lieutenant General Laugh.
ter.
But. Mr. President, | will promise my
friend one Thing, ,hatic Virginia goes out, and
North Carolina docs rot follow in two months,
will give him my head in charger. Laugh.
ter Yes, | will do that Mr.. President,
North Carolina will be out, don't care what
Virginia does; and ii we cannot get an ordi-
nance OF secession, ask my friend in my eye
{Mr GoGGIS, the reporter presumeS, TO grant
Us one ordinance. | will demand it 10 prevent
an etdson Of blood-to prevent civil war in
our midst, for You will have it Twill demand
that you will give US an ordinance for the cleo
ton OF another Convention; and If you do that,
if you won't find political tu,nbstones rising in
many quarter on many hill and in many a
valley over our departed political friends, !
mistake the public feeling very much
Mr. President, an not speaking without
authority. l tel YOU that could read you
letters that so! from my sonstituents-not
from mad caps, but sober. deliberate, con-
scicntious, religious men Of the Baptist Church,
and Of the Methodist Church; men Of
the first standing and the first infu.
cncs. They ask me: What are you doing !;
shall We be compelled TO resort to revolu-
ton That is the sentiment in my county,
ani that is the sentiment that presented in
these resolutions. If you will go out. MS trust
in God you will, you will not be celebrating
with my friend from Rockbrdge (Mr. MooKE)
or my friend from Bedford (Mr. GocGlS)
10 Central Confederacy. If you so
at al! you will so with your Southern 5reth-
rem. Ii they give US the post Of danger, they
Will also give US tho post 0! honor They want
our Statesmen they watt cur military; they
want the material arm Of Virginia to sustain
ursel9cs and them in the great struggles
Bu. ask you fthere is Southern man, hose
heart bea,s-G won't say where Southern
mans heart would beat do no, want to be
unkind and unchari,atle--b ask MY friends
to say where is the man who, in speaking Of
81, oc ~
with the Northern Conederacy, can forge;
tha, fer ,hirty years they have been warning up.
on he fifteen States OF the South; that they have
been sending their cmissaries into our families
and our dSrlings; that they have been poison.
ing our citizens and staining our own soil with
the blood of our own citizens when our wives
ard children, if they did not have thesririt Of
the nalrors Of &c, would have been alarmed -
end some are aarmed-1 say, with all
Of these tranSgreSsions committed by
Ine North, | do uot know, gentlemen, how
YOU would feel in aSsuciating yourselves with
them-l do not lnesn to make any reflections
upon You; tut will speak the feelings of my
own Utmost heart, and shy that should feel
tha; | was base enough to bend my knee omy
o?:.rcsS9r. 20 take the yoke upon my neck, and
10 present my own hard for the shackleS Of
SlAvery-wele 10 agree TO associate myself
wiIh people who have thus acted towards US.
These are my feelings. wish to God that every
man felt as do Ii they felt aS feel, We
would have peace, we would have security, we
would nave this Confederation lis i. was if We
desired il: or if we did not desire it, We would
have Confederation Of the South. And is
there man who il descendant OF the
patriots Of Is, whose heart is chilled with
feGr in this hour Of danger? They tel
Us Of their nineteen millions and Of our
twelve millions We have twelve mil
liens, but four millions Of them are Alri-
cans-tour millions Of these are slaves. But
tell you, gentlemen, and you, Mr.. President if
the tug OF war ever comes, would rather have
The four millions Of slaves and the eight mil
lions Of free mcn, than 10 have sixteen millions
Of free men and no slaves That, probably,
Will seem 10 be strange doctrine to my friends
Bat il is, nevertheless, true. We would have
with eight millions larger army than the
North, and The South could have the sincws Of
war 10 support them Give US four millions OF
Slaves under the management and discipline Of
Southern planters and Southern men, and they
will give YOU mare sinews of war, than ten
millions OF free men, agituted with the cares Of
cl;uiIics and the harrasSments ofmilltary duties.
s. that il there is fear you cannot alarm the NO.
men--il you can alarm the men. And upon Ibis
point permit me to say, that would not charge
lny friend from Bedford (Mr. GoGoIN) nor my
friend from Rock bridge tMr. MooRE), Us seek.
ing to generate any hostility between free and
slave labor. Bat upon one branch of the sub
ject my friend adverted to the condition in
which We SHOULD be plsced by:uniting with the
South, namely, tina: We would have our negrots
taken Of 10 the South, and that the Yankees
would How IN and hi W the vacuum, thus de-
fea,lng the very Object that We have in view
the preservation OF our institutions.
Sir. President, I will not treSpaSs longer
upon the patience Of The Convention TO ilnsh
the rem ,lks intended to make, but at souie
other time will endearor 10 answer the gen.
,,emar; and think will be able to prove
most successfully, that II will be for the inter.
est Of Virginiu--her material interests-to
unite with the South and not with the North;
that her agricultural, her manufacturing and
her shipping interests will be promoted BY it.
tel, on il the folly Of the North compels iir.
GINA to take her stand with the Southland
we shail he fifteen slave States-that the ma
teral prosperity Of the city Of Richmond in 10
wears, will be beyond what 1t will be in 30 years
in this Union. tell you that in 30 years the
city Of Norfolk will be larger city than the city
OF New York: so that il we we're 10 look to the
material interests Of Virginia, they would be
promoted by going with the South, and leav.
ins the North by itself But as surely as we
nnrsuc thar course, The border States will
come upon Bonded knees and ask permission
for admission into the Southern ConfedeFacy,
If they can get in upon no other terms.
Mr.. President, return you and the Conven
ton NV thanks for your kind attention, and
regret that have not had something more in
teresting TO present to you, and that my
strength would not enable me to complete all
proposed 70 sag.
Mr. BAYLOR, (of AugustsII desire, Mr..
President, to say iew words upon the question
now before this body. am not known as a
nub,i, man. | ain q yery obscure individual,