Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-30

6G, u a'i 'iiS ooiucT OtateS, until WE
reached Michigan. A voice could not be
heard on the Pacific coast it was uttered tot
iate 10 reach California and Oregon in time
II wish, with all my heart, they had
been there. New York soon joined u.s. =
but found that many had come with no olive
branch in their hards-nay, more-tlat with
them the feeling of fraternity seemed to be
gone. They had nothing to give-nothing tc
yield The Constitution was enough for them
New York, With :hcr potent voice, would not
yield one lota-not an II" dotted nor u CIV
crossed. THE Constitution must be maintain
ed-we have nothing more to grant" Suck
was, in substance, her language.
Notwithstanding all these discouragemcnts
we went to work and no man had more faithful
colleagues than myself We worked together,
and wo tried every possible expedlent to
overrule this state Of things. II was soon per.
tectly obvious that without close approach to
unanimity on the part Of the Convention, no
measures originated by US would be of any
avail. Here you have measure passed by a
minority of that Convention-a measure which
was defeated by q majority the night be-
fore, but which was afterwards passed ov a
minority, upon L reconsideration the next day,
of nine to eight. The majority which passed 1t
being minority of the Suites represented 10
! lhe Convention, Of what value and conse.
quence, then, is it? Why, sir, the gentlemen
now in power have not yet recognised
the sovereignty Of the Southern States, and
probably do not intend to recognise it.
| do not know, however, what they ncan
IT they could be lifted up to lofty cmincncc
Of policy, would say to them recognize it
at once-go into .partnership-not upon
the restoration Of the old Union, if that CALI
not bo and which may have become imposs-
ble-but by originating 4 commercial treaty
and forming an offensive and defensive alliance,
secure to yourselves all that is left Of the
old Confederacy-even its rcInains would be
valuable But there is no feeling of this kind
exhibited
But to pursue the course Of remark from
which have been diverted. What arc youto
do with this Peace Conference proposition -
W hat can you do with it? Do you propose,
us this Convention has the right TO do, to send
1t forth to your sister States for ratification p
Why, sir, here is majority of all the States
that were in that Convention, already opposed
to it How are you to get it ratiGedy How
can you ever get it ratified? Have you made
your calculations Taking out seven cotton
States, do you know that it would take every
remaining State in the Union to ratiry such Il
measure! Twothirds must recon;ncnd and
three fourthS are necessary TO ratify it before
you can incorporate it into the Constitution
The negative Of ono State defeats it, OF what
possible use is it then or why expcnd our
breath or time about it Congress, 10 whom
it has been submitted, has not approved it,
My friend said the other day, IN the speech
to which listened with so much interest, and
In which he made so able an exposition Of his
side Of the question, that Congress docs moi
recommend It, because they are the old hacks
Of politics; they were elected before these
things occurred. We had the young hacks Of
politics in our Convention; Ilaushtcrl new
men-SOme who had never appeared before in
political bodies-and yet there they stand, Us
if under paralysis. tell you nothing but the
naked truth-we could not get theu to move
one inch.
Now, sir, how came You TO get this Peace
Conference proposition | have already told
you. 1t seems, however, that it was through
my agency that the Virginia vote was lost for
it. Even my friend the editor of the National
,tntelligencer," leaves an inference open, unin.
lentionally on his part, am sure, by which
aln to be assaed for tho casting Of the Virginia
vote. know Col Seaton very well; bavc
known him from the year 1916, when entered
bs tpsctaYSqiss tYSqs9 Ct m @OFs re-
As said, even he leaves the conclusion to be
inferentially drawn, that have been the in
strument Of preventing Virginia from voting
for these propositions.
This pr0jst of the Peace Conference is made
up, as you have already seen, Of seven sections.
happened to be the presiding officer Of the
body Thu question came up in the first in
stance after the amendment OF all the sections,
OH the adoption Of the entire proposition. Cen
tlemen called for division Of the question and
demanded that the question should be taken by
sections. The subject Of course was divided,
and the vote taken by sections Each separate
section was voted upon and, BY varying major.
tiles, each separate section was adopted. My
friend, Mr. Seldom, then moved that there
should be vote taken upon the entire propo.
sition. Judge BRoCKESBRoUGH had voted against
the first section, thus throwing the vote OF Nir-
ginia against it-and there wc stood. We had
voted against two Of the other sections unani-
mousy. 4 motion was made, as have sau
by Mr. Seldom, that the vote should DC taken
afterwards upon it as m entirety. ! expressed
doubtful opinion upon the subject, and earn
estly urged tie Convention to take an appeal
from my decision. said it appeared to INC that
the adoption of each separate section by the
vote of the Convention amounted to the adop-
ton of the entire prcjst | asked an ap-
peal. Ny friend, Mr.. SEDpoN, would not
take it called upon the Convention TO
take an appeal | reiterated my doubts about
it. There rose up an almost, if not an una,l-
| imous assent to the decision Of the Chair.
still further reflected upon the question
and again expressed my doubts to the Con.
yention. and asked for its distinct decision
upon the point. The Convention reiterated, by
unanimous declaration Of approval, coming up
from every part aud all over the chamber, lis
previous approval. That decision was gwen
IN the face of this fact, that Judge BRocEEN.
BRouGH had just voted with MIR. SEpDoS and
,pyself against that lst section. had not the
slightest ldea-and in this statement am per-
| fectly satisfied that shall be endorsed by MIR.
Seldom hiuself-that Judge BRocHENBKouGr
looked to it as an entirety, or would have voted
for it as an entirely. certainly entertained
no such opinion, and was only informed oi my
presumed mistake upon hearing from him.
through his letter to myself and Judge SuA
MIRs, which has been submitted to this Con
yention. And now, sir, after full reelection
upon the question ueCiueu ny ine, "o'io o."
nit that question to your own dcc'sion' MIR
President, or that of any other parllamentar'an
l will, now, Mr.. President proceed t'
discuss, as briefly and as rapidly as can, th'
article itself, and every section Of the article
which has been proposed to your considera
ton, and which WAS mado the subject
The elaborate investigation Of my friend From
Kanawha, (Mr. SuMMERs) yesterday
Let US look at these sections. There can o'
no desire on the part of anybody to DO deceived
concerning them.
The views taken by my friend yesterla!
,r. as understand, concl,rred i'll by onr dis
tinruished colleague, Mr. RvEs, for whom
entertain sentiments of the highest respect
and with whom have always been on ianlIla
terms Our acquaintance began, sir, at oil
William and Mary, and cur friendship |, an
70 r.ith llycS BOti