The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-27
THIRTY FIFTH DAY.

II
TvKspav, March %. 1851
-. conyent ton assembled pursuant TO ad. |
lhs.,ent The attendance OF members, ms
FaI'. ~ spectators, was very meagre.
psl' - nv the Rev, DIR. JsrER, Of the Bap- |
- Oh Nil, Of Highland, moved call of the |
A'..h{eh was ordered, and a quorum ascer- |
led TO be present
VOICE or rHk PEOPLE. |
C,unts, OF Monroe, presented peti.
g,aa citizens Of thas county, asking the |
tah ~ of the subs titute for the report OF
stoptt,np,ittt.e on Federal Relations, offered
;bt S ~ senior delegate from Bedford Mr.
,joggnI ,o ,.,ls
MILLER. of Betetourt, presented the
'.ailngs OF ameeting of citizens OF that
ffSpfy' IN favor Of the passage of an Ordi.
sc . :, 10 the Committee on Federal Re-
u,ons
PROPOSED CHANGE OF HeuRs.
,,--TrSxgR. Of Jackson, offered the follow.
,esolut.Gn
's,.s5 That after to-day, until otherwise or
w The Convention " ~ assemble al n O'Clock
- srd at I? o'clock n. Will so iato Committee
= - Whole and continue in session until
@S,s + NJ, at which time recess shall be
..s qstjl o'clock !. NJ. when the Convention
- a.sia meet in Committee OF the Whole
- SfsPl 81, OF Patrick, deemed il improper
re the vote on the resolu ton while the
.,4anfa WAS so meagFe.
" Trx<xR then moved that the resolution
,,Isia upon the table, giving notice that he
,rld call IL up TO morrow morning Agreed
PERSONAL EXPLANATION.
NJ HAN OF Marion, made an explanation
.sue portion of his previous remarks on
,sfion, She same having been misunder-
s:oOd.
coxNTTTER or THR WHOLE.
7.ha hour Of half past 10 having arrived
80 convention went into Committee of the
yS,nle The Chairman Mr.. SouTHALLl being
a5scRt, hT / ht~s' Vi Nteehprief, WIS called
n the chair
Tbe CgAiSNAN stated that the substitute of
.,s gentleman from Harrison having been
,re5 down, the only subject before the Com
.-.tre WAS the report of the majority OF the
I.rUlirfee on Federal Relations
Mr. ANBigR, OF Lonisa, said that Mr. HAR-
,,. had indicated 4 desire to offer an amend
,ssat He was not present, and no one here
~. authorized to act for him.
The CHAIRMAN, who had recognized Mr..
,vBiER, said that Mr.. NELSON, of Clarke, was
Untitled to the fioGx.
Mr. AxpLEa toaX an appeal from this de-
sion, and the Chair was sustained by the
committee.
NJ NELSON then yielded the floor TO
Nr. PREsroS, of Montgomery, who pro-
-4>'el 10 address the Committee.
Aaer alluding TO the great respon sibility
.s,uug upon him as a member OF the Conven-
ian he went on 10 consider he prac teal ISIS lie
as before the country. For years there had
lr.a regular course OF sectional hostility,
,,a.ch excited the apprehensions OF all of us.
Tne election OF last November resulted in a
,.saner that shook the Comm on wealth TO its
,ery centre, and the people took the neces-
sAIy measures Tor meeting the crisis and had
sent Convention here clothed with powers
,lmake and unmake. The aggressions upon
The south were no longer 10 be borne, and lac
ilr enc was ready TO repel them. Virginia
On the ith of February, was not ready fol
d.sunlon, but she took prompt and decided
sand against any measures OF coercion OF
force. " hen we met here, the choice and
purpose of firginia was 10 have proper
amendments to the Cons titution, with a view
10 restore the Union upon Il basis 10 secure
ornament protection to her rights. 1t was
llrlher her purpose, in case no suIficien1
fu,Tan tees can be secured, to withdraw from
the Union, and protect herself out OF II. What
was The proposition OF the committeef If these
permanent guarantees cannot De secured, then
hank God, we have power to secure oul
ogu rights by withdrawing from the Union
He then alluded to the determination of the
Commonwealth TO stay all impediments by
way OF coercion on the one side or preclplta
non on the other, while the representatives
of the people could deliberate with the calm
ness of peace, and If possible restore tn,
Union. The Convention interposed its mora
power-saying to the Federal Government
you must not use measures to coerce those
who have seeded from the Union You mus
not possess yourself of the forts or the com
luprCe She salG To her sister, south CarOli
Ia let there be no war; it would be hurtfu
10 those who are deeply in terested in your in
stitutious but are not so impulslye, and wan
tine 10 reflect. They had paused. The Gov
eminent had ackno wledged its iuefiiciency
and We were not now in the danger that w
had previously been. He could not say how
long il would be 80, though he hoped it nigh
be permanent But We were here to-day
with no external cause for alarm, and enabled
70 deliberate calmly upon all subject is OF agita
zen.
lie could not agree with those who said thi
was the moment 10 secede. 1t was the veT.
tine when We ought to go to work to carr.
out the wishes OF the people, as expressed Il
the polls the 4th of February last.
Proceeding TO discuss the propositions o
The committee, he said there must be thor
ough and efficient guarantees of equality fl
the Government, and of protection in regar
10 the Institution of slavery. He asked hi
fTlsnd from Aibemarle, Mr.. uolcombe,) II
when those guarantees were secured, W
should nos have done all our constituents re
QUlred Guarantees of principle, and guaran
tr4s Of power We're the covenants 10 be con
slttleG He believed that physical guaran
tees We're not demanded. The guarantee c
Mama ChaTtd was at this moment strOnge
han ever before Where was the guaran tee
except by amendments of the Constitute
that had been for a moment thought of? Ii
alluded 10 the exceptions OF the dual Execu
tive sugges ted by MI. Calhoun, and to tn
dual Judiciary foreshadow wed by Mr. Hunter
such checks were TO be enforced on a part
hat recognized no influence OF moral power
The false key Of the higher law would still B
used TO unlock The casket and steal from 1t II
treasures. Whenever any gen tleman-the ger
,leman from Princess Anne or the gentlema
from Albrmarle-could show anything tang
bic, he would be ready TO accept 1t.
Mr.. WEE protested against being mingle
with these Qualities. He would say TO tn
gentleman that a human head had been thinl
Ing OF these guarantees of power, and at
proper time would show how they could |
made prac ticable.
Mr.. PRKsToS said the gentleman from Prir
cess Anne stood alone on his own platform :
lie was TOO slow in the enforcement OF n
guarantees of power.
MI WISE said he was obliged to be slow, f.
he had very heavy weights TO drag after hin
Mr. PRESTON thought 1t would be better
press forward with his own burden, and leaN
others to take care OF themselves. lie IN
Preston1 could see no efficiency IN any qua
antees, except by suitable amendments TO u
Constitution. The first section OF the con
mittee's report, he conceived, covered Il
question of exact equality, and the NOR
mnst respond aye or no to tt. Ii the respon
Is ave- you have guarantee OF Iaitn II
the full and ample protection of the inst q
lion in which we are vitality Interested. III
speaker con tinued to discuss III gener
manner, and somewhat in detail, the prop
sillons of the commit tee, taking ground sim
lar 10 those who had preceded him in the n
vocacy of the report.
After pointing out the efficiency of the rer
edias proposed, he said the cry OF " inadeq Il
cy" still came up; We still heard OF the dee
seated hatred and sectional hos Utility exlsui
at the North He asked if we were TO get +
of this hos tihty by flying from it. Due weigh
he thought, should be given 10 the conflictii
passions in Congress, which had given an IL
pulse to sec tional hostility. The slave que
non, he argued, was NJ the bottom oil itFt
but If this cause of agitati could be cur o
much would be done towards restoring u
fr,an3,.. f.a,...a. n ,lo ,S,,.. oactinus Ever