Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-05-14


snd varied interests OF widely disners
people under the rule Of common eoeernmeu
The States of this Confederacy are buur
together by ties too strong to admit Of Il pe
manent separation. Social diversities, religio,
influences, party anasoniSms and fanatic
pre)udIces may, for a tins, produce seve
anee but they will again become united. tt
necessity of Union to our national impor!anc
the memories Of the past and the hopes Of tt
!uture, common ancestry, a common interes
and the brotherhood of IL century, will wor
their result. The heavenly bodies that con
| pose our system, are not Hore perfectly aiiius
ted to the great purposes Of the Creator, tha
! the States Of this Union seem adjusted 70 ,h
ful6lment Of all the conditions of great n.
| tional power. Their position on this cont
nent their varied climates, their production.
the diversified pursuits Of their people, es.st
llSh them az dependencies upon each otle,
and define them, unmistakably, as spparat
parts Of one great whole. | repel the idea c
an 'irrepressible conflict" What matters
that nineteen Of the Sta;es forbid slavery g
the African race. while fifteen recognize it
Neither class is responsible for the institution
Of tie other, nor las power over the relation
that spring from them, and if in the Conflict c
parties antagon;slns have arisen from ,ili:
source injurious to the harmonious working %
the Government, Te have only 10 overhaul ,h
Constitution, repair its defects and adjust lh,
balance between the sections to regain all tina
has been lost and provide against the recur
renee of the evils that have produced ,hest
arrangements.
But the Union is broken, and this Conye..
ton is assembled to deal with the events tha
have sprung from its rupture The withdraw
ing States haze associsted under the name q
the Contederated States Of America, uad ars
now exercising all the powers of an ndepen
dent nation. Ca1 they be restored 20 thc
UnionY The adoption by lhela OF the Federal
Constitution, with but few alterations, as their
lo:m OF government, and the nature Of the al
Ierations to which they con6aed their action,
lead me to conclude that the people OF those
StateS will aot be avc-ss 20 the restoration ol
their former connections provided such guar.
anlees can BE obtained as will protect them in
the future sgainst the evils to which the pas.
mas exposed them. If am right il this COZ.
cluslon, can see no imped;Ncnt in the way oi
a re union which temperate counsels, just for
bearance, and the soitenins Influences Of time
may not remove.
Bat for the present, the separation oil the
Confederated States has given 70 the non
Slaveholdins States such prepondcrance in
the Federal Government over the remaining
Saveholding States rs 10 make il incompatible
with the safety Of the latter to remain perlna.
nently associated with them under the present
constitution. will not detan the Committee
by 4 statement Of the reasons On which this
conclusion rests; 1t Is unnecessary, because all
concur n IL Every member Of this body
unites in tine demand ni constitutional amend.
ments; the demand is concession cf the ne
cess!ty Of amendment; and the concession OF
this necessity involves the concession that
without amendment it will be unsafe for us 10
remain subject 10 the present Constitution.
There Is yet another concession involved in the
which is, if the demand for constilu.
tonsl amendments be rejected BY the non.slaYe
holding States this State will, and the other bor
der slave States ought, ID withdraw from the
Union; otherwise we should be but acting an
idle farce, making demands, a0d ut The same
time procleiminG cur readiness 20 submit to
their naughty refusal.
But what is to be done? In this grave
emergency we --a..i.i~- -.
,c.,.'o-. - -s., public safety:s Various or3;-.e
n" FEo.pmittee on Federal Relations, ioGr
from the same Committee.
and sundry schemes emanat!ng !-osa individual
members Of this body. propose to consider
these various propositions, and TO Inquire
which of them is best calculated TO secure the
desired end. This diversity Of opinion points
70 onnosite inciinations Tacre is Northern
and q Southern CJniedsrecy. and We have
been told that We have reached point at
which we are compelled to choose bstween
the tro-,hat se must make up our minds to
adhere to tt. Nur;hrrp or Gn!.e with The
Southern.
lit be true that we have reached this point,
II our choice be limited to this alternative, foc
one, etn free to declare that my choice Is al
ready made. sly interests, my feelings, my
svmna,hies aid ny .rS,inct; attach me to our
Southern brothers, and iroai the first moment
that considered The question never hesits'
ted in the choice. l care nas wl,a. guarantees
may be given for the protection Ct our slaves
we NAV write the covenants and they may tx
ccnte the deed But on what terms OF equality
can eight slayeholding States confederate with
nineteen non-slaVeholding Statest The DIVER,
sity Of institutions necessarily gives rise 10 oi,
yersiiies Of interest, and these interests are o'
81 character to he affected in;uriously or oene
ficjsliy 5Y the policy TO which the government
may lie aa:anlttcd. But what security car
guarantees in the Constitution atinrc-Waa'
Security can covenants and agreements g'Vs
AGAINST a hostile policy? What security car
,bev finnish that the Government Will no
shame its policv 70 serve the interests oi th'
dominant rraiorityI In my opinion ther'
would be no security. The interests OF tn'
trc. States would control the Government an'
those of tho slave States be reduced to the con
,,;,;on of humble subordination. Therefore,
reneat that whenever am satisfied that event
have progressed 10 the point ut which al
to cheose between Northern aud Southe1'
Confederacy, my choice is made
But happily, Mr.. Chairman, our choice ooe
m, lie betyeen such alternatives; 1t is fatiie
hetgcen different modes of reconstructing ID
Union. We may reconstruct upon the feoera
Constitution with amendments, or upon Iii
Constitution of the Confederated States; OF
NAV reconstruct upon Constitution 10
nronosed bv the border States. The report {
,be Committee embraces the first plan; oec!'
ratory resolutions ard propositions OF cohs'i,'
t;onsj amendment are to be submitted 70 u
other States for adoption which are thougal
nToyidr ior all the rSiSences OF the SLAYER
Question. and it is expected that the Conleo
r,Ied States will be willing to unite on theu
! R,t the Secessionists dissent from this pla'
| and propose on their part an ordinance ac o'
Srcrss;n They desire 10 sever at once OIL
<cnnxciicn with the Federal Government al
rs.,rua fo: the State isr orig inal independer
yos;tion; here, however, divergent policies SCI
arat, their councils One class OF them won
sue at once for admission into the Southei
! Confederacy, while the other would demand
consultation Of all the States for the furPo
OF u COMMON adjustment j.:
The plan Of the Committee assumes q uiSp
si,ion on the part Of the people OF the ir
| States to adjust our differences on tbs oasls
,hese amendments, and the willingness Of Il
other States to accede to The same terms.
myself not very hopeful Of these results, b
others, more sauguine, think they can ee 0
iained, and am willing to defer to their oeI1 m
ovinions. | do so the moro readily, because