Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-22
VIRGINIA STATE CONVENTION.
,sECRET SESSION.
EVENING SESSION.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL II, 1851.
SECOED pay
rcosTISUEp

FcoNTISUEo
Mr.. M.cfARLASD.--t shall! Insist, before
auLlonn. upon the necessity I'll putting ''TSitti
l., 4 state of dc:el:re, anC, rs ltaii'S "a '''a''
waS proceeding TO rcrnark,;hnt IL IL" "rs';hcn
in the morning was hereafter 10 oc ''gRroe'
IS the trnc eXparcnt OF tho pr'nr'r:e nrof
wl,ici, The Innycn:ion actco, That II VIII p'
misunderstood, m!sconccivcd MI! miSappre'
Blended.
SIR nm iricu seemed 10 prevail that We wcr;
fnrcinr 4 Controversy, an mt rnntroVerS!
with The Federal Government. No" | SUD
mi; sir, that no idea was ever more mistaken
in nv apprehension. None. Until within .ht
last Two DAYS, the prevailing sentiment Of TIM
bodr vas one of amlty, of deicrcuce, Of 10y atty
10 he Government uf The United States.
Mr. was it charged unlill We were reduced tt
the condition OF seeking peace, provided w'
wouId submit 10 wage war on the part o. tht
Govprnn,ent of the United States. That wa'
the nrcci.e condition upon which nnr loyalty
to the General Government "as 10 be tes,et
and tried. 49,.
Now, sir, | desire to know trust that
shall he answered bY the gentlemen upon
,hr ottrr .idc--ghcthcr there is one Of the
minority yha would be willing to preserve The
I1ninr I,on cordi,ion Of an acknowledgment
that V,r',iuia was about TO furnish her contln'
rent 10 carry on the war against the Southern
States?
SIR The sprcess Of cur appeal to the patriots
of the country and the patriot SIN OF our leila"
citizens, will depend upon the justice and the
equity Of that appeal. Is there a grnIIea;a'
IN this Corvcntion who is willing to say ina;
4 vln | L. inn
he would seek the preservation 81 thc .':i"n
mann the condition of furnishing our lnil cen
unp.nl TO sustain the Government In tl!eIr
ilaSrant nnrpose unOn the South? Are there
hero o! that opinion ? Sir, III coalu
Gayc been left free 70 decide between \ cen
ference with the border States anG immediate
secession, | would base felt myself AZ liberty
10 qct, and should nave unhcslta,iIsiy chosen
the alternative Of secession sooner than sub
nit 10 The degrading condition o! employing
III, means 1T our command 10 suljugate oul
Brethren of the SOurh.
The PRESIDENT The Cnair regrets exceed
in.iy 20 Interrupt tn" gentleman, but he lctl'
b1uar! ID SLY That he is indulsinsi III alatuGc
Of debate tina, is entirely cut Of order. The
o1rs,;cn before the Convention is the subSti-
tut III red hy the gentleman from ,te city OF
Richmond (Alr. RAND0LPn) 10 the ordnance
oil red BY the gentleman from ~li1nr:cr tAr.
WICgHsM
Mr. MAcgAgLaSu. the Chair Will observe
that am pressing upon !hc c"nSi!era'
liaa OF tie Convention tie proposition made
10 arm the State, uPon the ground that
our quarrel is Just, and MT rhlt it is gatm'in
70 the s%uiiccl OF inquiry; What ! meaa to
iGS;s, upon is, that thu course OF this C0uVcn-
ton in the ctcrminat:0n which It came 10 IN
Inc ,%uorning Session, was not iact!uuS nor 'i:s'
loyal, but freed upon it, and that it was i'm.
p,?iouS!y required by a jus: regard 20
sh,rrvcr Is characteristic Of .:rtl, stable and
Notwithstanding men.
place III; s, II under the correction III lie
rhair, and desire "a know if the remarks. with
hn u.pumsiiiun in view, ny ! have now defined
Il, sire not strictly in order:
TIE PRESIDENT UndorhrcLlv 81. ! canS!d
cred, tGwgrvr, that the previous remarks were
no. in order so lar, else The i't!a!r you'd ::2'
nave interrupted the gentleman.
Mr.. MacrARlAyD WITH c view 10 deter
mine uuun the r~rubli,ie success Of any appeal
On the part u: Virginia to Inc pa'ri
,tis,n Of our !ellrw c%'tiz=us, Ii is conceded
Il be right, that it should be ascer'
taincd that the position Of Virginia TO-
day was demanded be- all just and rro;er
considerations and / was proceeding Il sh0w,
that iii re ought not 10 &c two Opinions IN re
sIcct 10 the p7oprictg and the urgency o. The
occasion we are called upon to respond to-
And here to permit me to inquire il there be
;, single member Of the minority upon this
q ,or who wants timo for consultation with the
- S,,,., ,,t,n r-,,,lJ ha ypill .,tr "a ar ~.i,r
the proplicty %! continuing in the Union,
It The condition wiS attached thereto oil III"
nishing the contingent Of the ) n'c, necessary
to SATISFY the pres,dcn! 1.-The United States.
desire TO bring distinctly to the minds 6i
gentlemen n consideration Ct tia; question: -
We must have many differences, Mr. PTesi.
dent.
l aru sorry to lind that | q FER "iih you, sir,
in respect 10 the policy and the cause which
the Convention has decided upon. There's M
citizen IN the State whose judgment and patri
otism mere appreciate than yours. Yet, |
must insist that # it was left to you I'll deter
mine the condition upon which We would seek
the co operation of the border States, that you
would regret that co operation, if it required
the submission of Virginia to the reQuiS'iion
which has been made by the Secretary Of War.
| apprehcnd, sir, That we may expect IN the
border States tie unanimjty and agreement
which character &c our w State n respect
to that important and exciting question.
Well nov. sir, it will be agreed upon all
tina: there is al actual, inevitable neces
sity for ~cquipping the State. We must have
money! mean there shall be no deficiency Of
il: bat + desire it to 10 known that if the
State is subject to The necessity of furnishing
men or money for her defence, it. is by the ex
ercise Of nc capriciouH power, Of no lndcpen-
llsnt and unrestricted will but thRt it is G nc.
cessiLy fnrced upon us by the actual condition
and necessities Of the times.
Why, sir, SO arprchcnded Il week agc, that
Virginia woaid be called uron to furnish her
contingent 20 subjusa;c the citizens o! the
South. If the suggestion WAS made 4 week
since, il would have been regarded on ell hand.
M one too wild and chilnerical 10 be entertained
for = moment. And nov that it is come; now
that it is upon US, | approhend that every sen
lilnent Of manhood ard Of loyalty ought to be
upon the side Of n stern and uncom
promising defence.
Mr.. President, s|low me 10 Say, that there IS
not a gentleman upon this floor to whom sec
l1nnl aJIeSisS IDult We uIdieSNCu VII ""N
impressive force and influence than myself; and
there is nothing short Of principle which !
would no, %concr,ie Tor the sake of harmony
md consent. There is nothing which | would
not rather yield than tina! gentlemen, upon this
4 Dor, from any section Of the State, should re-
tire d ssstiStsd or disafccted from the proceed
lncs OF this Dody.
But | beg gentlemen to observe that sec
tional questions Of necessity are sunk. They
must oe put aside when the question respects
he honor, the integrity and the safety CT the
Safe.
lam Informed that military gentlemen arc
waiting To receive tho orders Of this body for
me purpose OF retiring from the United States
and erg ,ging ia the scrvicc Of Virginia
I trust this o:d,r will be sive,:, and in order t.
rvoiI embarrassing me proposition now before
the Convention. | ~iil suspend M remarks.
Mr. JcuH F KrLDv, Of Narscmonh.-Mr.
President, 7 would ask the consent of the @ n
vcn,ion "a regard my vote for the ordinance Of