Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-06-04
knife, and put to it any sort OF handle 50

that 1t be strong-aSh, hickery, oak
But if possible, get Il double-barreed gun
and dozen rounds Of buckshot and 70 rpun
the battle field with these. If the enemy's
guns reach further than yours, reduce the dis
tance; meet them, foot to foot, eye to eye, body
to body, and when you strike n blow. strike
home. Your true-blooded Yankee will never
stand still in the presence Of cold steel Let
your aim, therefore, be to get into close quar-
ters, and with few decided, vigorous move.
mentS, always pushing forward, never back,
my word for it, the soil of Virginia will b.
swept Of the Vandals who are now polluting
its atmosphere.
The band then struck up the air of Dixie
which was followed by ave May be Happy
YETI" during which, Mrs. Davis, the wife of
the President in company with Mayor Mayo
of Richmond, appeared at one Of the windows
and was received with demonstrations of de-
light.
The music over, with its usual pertnncisy,
E:the crowd insisted on having speeches from
Hons Robert Toombs and j. P. Benjamin, but
both these gentlemen being absent, Hon. ex.
Senator Wigfsll, also being called for, appeared
at one of the windows in another part Of the
house, and said lie must be excused from dis.
cussing the questions of the day. The time
had come for action, not talking. Virginia
having taken her place among the Confederate
States her sister sovereignties were sending
troops 10 her border az rapidly as possible
Nothing remained to be done by her citizens,
except to organize companies with whatever
arms could be had, and hang upon the tanks Of
the enemy at every step. The latter would thus
be annoyed, and far more execution Of an cf.
fective character done, than oy the simple
sklrmishes among the few soldiers on the out.
posts which were already beginning to be re-
ported 10 the country.
In conclusion, he stated that Hon. Col L. O.
G. Lamar, of Mississippi was in the room and
would address the assemblage, after which he
hoped no further call would be made.
SPEECH OF HON. L. Q. c. LAMAR.
Gentlemen 1t affords me pleasure to re.
spond to your cnll. But feel conscious Of my
inability to address you in strain worthy Of the
interest inspired by the great events now so
rapidly hurrying to their consummation. ln-
deed, it would be almost impossible to give ad-
cquate expression to the feelings with which
all patriotic minds are now agitatcd. Fortu-
natcly, however, the time has come when the
people need neither the aid Of argument nor
of exciting appeal. The time has arr we'd when
they arc satisfied that the deliveranco Of
this fair State depends not upon argument
! not upon eloquence-not upon craftsmanship;
but upon the lighting manhood Of the people
OF this country (cheerS)-upon the courage
which dares to strike Il brarer blow for the
right than tho enemy dare to strike for the
wrong The people Of these Confederate States
have, by solemn appeal at the ballot box, al.
ter exhnusting every effort to live in peace
with their ncighbo!s, proclaimed their deter
Inination to take. their place and maintain it
among the nationalites Of the earth and the
charter Of their new nationality which was
written with the pen OF our revolutionary faith
erS, and adopted at Montgomery, shall if a
sacrament be needed, be subscribed with the
blood Of patriotism. Fellow-ciLizcns, if tl.is
continent is to be the theatre Of internecine
war, history will acquit these Confederate States
Of all responsibility for its caamties. The very
first ect of the Confederate Government was
| to send commissioners to Washington TO make
terms Of peace, and to establish relations Of
amity between the two sections; and il the
buiioon who now disgraces the seat once occu.
| pied by Washington aud Madison had not been
lost &c thcdictatcs Of true justice anu humanity;
IL that people had not been blindedby passion,
naddened by tanaticiSm and excited by tho
| loss Of powcr-had they consented 10 peaceful
separation OF these two sections into two rcpub-
lies, each pursuing its destiny IN accordance
with its own choice, it would have afforded
the strongest evidence Of the capacity Of man
for selfgovcrnment ever presented to the world.
But they did not do it. They proclaimed war
and suhjugation. They have called upon you
to abandon your right Of svlf:governinent-to
surrender your civil liberty. Right here Eir-
ginia steps forward, and, among all the rich
materials she has hitherto contributed to the
| history OF the country, there are none 80 rich
az those contributed in this contest; for, from
the moment the Federal Government raised an
arm against her Southern sisters Eirgi-
MIA sprung forward 10 catch the blow.
Grand, glorious old Commonwealth. Proud,
| free Empress! Mother Of States them
selves free, standing here in robes Of steel,
raging majestic arm to press back the foe
! that dare attempt 10 force her daughters into
an unnatural and unwilling Union. And
now war is denounced upon her-an in.
furiate mob is upon her borders. But the sen.
timent Of Virginia is the sentiment Of the
South. Rather let the pillars Of the new Re.
public crumble to their foundation-rather let
| its lofty battlemcnts be overwhelmed with
the last hopo Of liberty, than its people
should quail in this hour Of trial or refuse
to tread with her the bloodieSt path
| that may be marked out for her TO follow. The
| sentiment Of the entire South is with her; men
| from every rank and class Of society are rush
| ing TO arms, begging the Government to put
any kind Of weapons in their hands, and allow
them to march 10 the battle fields Of Nlrgin
| tell you in our State the little State Of Mis-
sissispi, the number Of men who are ready To
| fight, fully believe, is above our voting pop
| uaion Even the walls OF our universities
stand today mute and deserted, while our
young students have marched upon the soil Of
Virginia 10 mingle the dash Of patriotic youth
with the courage of disciplined manhood, and
teach the vain. glorious foe the invincIbity Of
Southern arms, and the inviolabIlity of Virgi-
mia soil. Fellow-citizens-l shall not detain
you longer.
{CrieS of-"Go on!')
We may not know what viii be the nature
or result OF this contest. Itray be that much
suffering is before us. 1t "ay be that our
towns and cities will be s.u ied. 1t may be
that our fields will he des"ilvl 1t may be-
for it is well to look at the worst attitude Of
affars-that our South shall yet emerge from
the contest exhausted, pallL, her garments
dripping with blood but for all that, she will
survive, and her glorious Constitution, fresh
with rigor, will be instinct With immortal life.
This very night | look iyrward to the dny
when this beloved country Of ours-for, thank
God, we have country at last-wl be n
country to live for, to prHy for, TO fight for,
and if necessary to die for. (A voice: "Yes,
! am willing to die for it '.lndred times
orer") Cheers-amid which the windows
were closed and the crowd slowly dispersed
John Brown and Col. Ellsworth.
The Chicago Democrat one Of Lincoln's
organs, utters the following indignant howl
in publishing the account Of the death Of Ellis