The national Republican., 1861-04-12
HON. JOHN l.. CARLILE.

w ""'S ''NS''Su 'bpy VI tut
speech of this gentleman in the Virginia Con
vention, delivered on the 7th of March. The
telegraphic reports Of this speech gave very
imperfect idea of it.
Mr.. Carlile begins with the Richmond En-.
quirer. He says that every movement that has
been made in Virginia, looking to secession,
has been in exact conformity to the programme
laid down by that paper. In October last, be.
fore the election, its editors advised the cotton
States Immediately and separately to secede,
and argued that they would inevitably drag
Virginia after them. That was the sentiment
of editors who professed an ardent love for a
mother Commonwealth, heretofore accustom.
ed to give law to the States of this Con.
federacy, to place her in a condition to be
dragged at the heels of the cotton States olthis
Confederacy!
Mr.. c. quotes from that paper of July %,
1858, in which it denounces the faction " in
the following terms:
The shrilltongued faction which has din.
ned our ears so numerically with the cry Of
disunion, is composed of three distinct classes.
OF these, the first is by far the most respect.
able; it consists of Simon Pure disunionists,
who are laboring honestly and openly for a
dissolution of the Union. The second is made
up of men whose real object is disunon, but
who cloak it under Aimsy pretences and dis.
guses. The third set are no disunionists at
all, but a mere band of malcontents disap.
pointed in their political aspirations, who re.
quire thorough disorganization and reorgani.
zation Of parties, to offer opportunity for their
own elevation to power, and find no scheme
so available as that Of exciting sectional and
factionary differences among the members Of
the only remaining national party
He also goes further back, and quotes from
the same paper in 1914:
"No man, no association of men, no State, or
set of States, has right to icithdrdw itself
from this Union Of is o,cn account. The
same power which knit us together, can un.
knit. The same formality which formed the
links of the Union is necessary to dissolve it.
The majority of States which formed the Union
must consent TO the withdrawal of any branch
| of it. Until that consent has been obtained,
any attempt to dissolve the Union, or distract
the efficacy Of its constitutional law, is treason,
TREASON, to all intents and'purposes."
Such was the doctrine, in 1914 and in 1858,
of a paper now devoted to immediate secession.
Mr.. Carlile quotes the conclusion of Mr.. Lin
coins inaugural address, and defends the Pres
ident in not recognising the ordinances of seces
sion passed by the seeded States. He says:
"What less could Mr.. Lincoln have said ?
am not here as his defender or his apologist
God knows, if there is man in the land who
regrets his existence and the existence of his
party more than do, know him not. But
am Virginian, born and raised in the State
never having lived out of it, and not expecting
to die out of it. l have too much Virginia
blood in my veins to do the slightest injustice
to the meanest reptile that crawls. Mr.. Lin.
coin does not recognise these ordinances of
secession, by which these States may have sew.
cred the tie that bound them to the rest of the
States of the Union. And l cannot, for the
life of me, reconcile the opinions offered by the
distinguished gentleman from Bedford, (Mr.
Goggin,) denying the right of secession, but
yet recognising it as duty, on the part of Vir.
ginia, to give her aid, and to spill her blood, if
necessary, and expend her money and appro.
pirate her men in defence of those who have
done that which, if they have not the right of
secession, is evidently an Illegal act"
:" But, sir, is there anything in this inaugural
address to justify, for moment, the assertions
that have been made upon this floor, that it
breathes a spirit of war? Read it again, gen.
tlemen. More pacific, more peaceful language
could not have been employed by Mr.. Lincoln,
unless he had been willing to stand up before
that assembled multitude in Washington, and
proclaim to them that although in few mo.
ments shall swear to discharge the duties of
President of the United States, and to preserve,
protect, and defend the Constitution of the Uni.
ted States, don't mean to do i'll mean to
perjure myself Sir, unless he had done this,
he could not have done less than he has done.
He has told you, in effect, and told you in plead
ing, begging terms, that no war will be made
upon you, that no force will be used against
you-none whatever. But you were dissatis.
fed, and he appeals to you and says: Dissat.
isfed though you be, wait, wait and pursue the
remedy pointed out under the Constitution to
provide for you every guarantee, every protec.
ton that you may desire l shall do nothing to
injure you; it is made my duty to say, as Mr..
Buchanan, as General Jackson, and every Pres.
ident before me has said, and as every future
President must say, that | will preserve my
OATH But after that he tells you, that if States
are so hostile to him that no one residing in
them will accept the offices which are to be
filed by the Federal Government, he will not
attempt to fill them by persons from other
States who may be obnoxious to them.
But these gentlemen say; 'Ie says he in.
tends to preserve aud protect the forts and other
public property Of the United States Well,
sir, is he not right in doing so? Is it not his
duty to do so? Would you have him to do
less2 Did you not sustain Mr.. Buchanan in
doing so to the extent that he did SO q lls it
right that those gentlemen in Louisiana shall
rob the mint Of your money and of my money
that they shall rob you OF your munitions of
war, and of your forts and arsenals and dock.
+ yards? Is it your duty, as good citizens, to
stand by and thus connivc at this act Of bad
faith, and to speak well of it, and to give Il aid
and support and to say to the Federal Govern.
inent: IF you do not give up these forts and
srsenals and dock yards peaceably, willingly,
why, we will make war upon YOU Sir, ], and
the people | represent, do not read our duties
in that way. Mr.. Lincoln, in his inaugural ad,
dress, virtually told you that he is not going to