Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-12


spectlve State Governments. Mari: it well, ~
President; note it, gentlemen a! the C'.avaf,;i"n
look to it. re people nf if'i,ginia-ii i tFv par
pose Of those who a'e pressiu. with sac;
eagerne$s and such earasS;ncss u,riri his bod,
these resolutions, if t!;rr can ;;a:c tca
adopted here never, never To ai0w lie pccpi,
to pass upon them.
And, sir, it is not anyti,iac ia lie Inaugural
address Of The President ii the l.. States .l.at !ias
induced the submission o.: these resolutions 1T
this time. grant, sir, tia; the delivery OF rilal
address and It's appearance. l,.> bean made iilc
occaSonaS the election ufi he man MAS made ilG
occasion By tho Cotton States to d!SseYe! their
connection, so f.ras they can dG il, ram the rest
ofthe United States will hrru remark. Mr. Pre-.
Sident, that every movement that h"S hccn mar
in the State ot Virginia, looiiny 20 srcc. sion.
has been in exact cnn!arh;T 10 I'll. pr0gramine
laid down by the Richmond "Eapuirer." III
October last before ti.c election, Ire criitors of
! that PAPER advised thu Cotton S'arcs im:mc,,i,
atey and separately Ia seccrla, and S;n:ei that
they would inevitably drag Virginia after item
This is the sentiment y! gentlemen who pro-
less al ardent love fora mother Commonwealth
she vino has heen accustomed 20 give i:Iw 20
the States oi this Cnucderacy; il is an cEh:bi-
biton Of their lnndHcss for her, 10 place Ter i:
a condition % h. dragged Mt The irccl ni t'r
Cotton States 81 thiS Conicdcrary.
! have said that the appearance "f ;ne icr;I.
sural Address of the President has been r;rre-
| y seized nr0n ~ the occasion lor the sul':i.iS.
sinn of lhcstresou'ionS, AMI the einqlIeft de.
clamation 20 which We lave listened 'av az
ter day. during the present week has been bur
in compliance with the programme TO fire
the Southern heart, 10 induce members uf this
! BODY. /! possible, 70 forget that they had Il coI-
stituency behind Iirm to wtItm ,ilrr we're res
ponsiblr-not responsible il lh0-e :yiio 60: up
meetings in the streets OF Ills city ana cai: i"r
reports from Peace Commissioners 10 be made
! 10 them. On the 18th day of February. more
than two weeks before the lnausnT! Address
appeared the programme vas laid down aid
published in tho I:clsmond - EnGniIrr' ss 90
lows:
AYE. the Convention now assemble! n tbs
city, can, in one day, in one hour. take nc,cn
which cannot full to restore cur Caioa, tnai::
tain our honor, and preserve an honorable
peace in the Union.
This can be done by single ordinance
by all ordinance wElc!i viii rot require even
reference IL the people under the prescribed
terms Of the Legislative act ard the late popn-
lar rGte-by All ordinance which will involve
neither secession nor qualification and Gem
pretending only such action as State may
take in the Union. and in strict conformity with
the letter itself Of the Constitution Of the Uni.
ted States.
Let the Convention command the conf.
dence Of ali the Southern States by dccariu.
the fixed intention o! Nirg ginl TO rcsi5! all al.
tcmpts 10 conrcc Il SOuherH State let il COTE.
malId the fall sympathy Of the Southern
States hY declaring that ii separation shall
prove tia"l and lrrclneG;ablc, Virginia vii! cast
her lot with tina! Of her Southern Sisters"
This is the programme Of the editors Of
this paper. Without having the pleasure Of i
personal acquaintance w;th them. have ii,e
same respect, for any opinion they might give,
that would have iur lie opinions OF any three
respectable gentlemen, and no more; SO far rs
the cracking Of their whip over my back is con
ccrncd, it will Affect my action just rs much
rs the cracking If any other three scnilnmcns
whip over my back might effect it, u.d 10
more.
LIT us look again, and see if We cannot take
another peep ntD the programme. Mr. PrcSi-
,lsn., have lS;cred, in body representing
the sovereignty Of my native Commonwealth.
TO appeals made u my fears. ami through l;I:
70 the fearS Of the people, 10 inGmce us lD 10
tha; which gentlemen must suppose thot if we
Were nat Influenced by fear, could uot cnin-
.nand The appreciation Of uur Judgments. We
are urged 10 adcp: these resolutions 20 save
Virginia lom ci.il war. Oh, hat 4 tear will
course do%n my check, when the fact is 1tia'i4
patent 10 my !hii,i that .ny mother Common.
wealth is 10 bc driven iH.o course OF cunG:ct
which her Judgment dogs n"t arprc"", ~ ai'.
pcalS 10 her learS
Sir, Of course know it is not intended that
sch will be the csSe; hut am satisfied that
gentlemen hare not rttitctc:i wisely. hei"r:
they submitted such arguments in behalf Of
their propositions.
Bat lhaG those who arc the aE:.iriS Of t;Iis
plan, and in the carrying out Of whose pro-
gfalnmc these resolutions have been 0iEeTe:!,
care very little about civil war; we vii! find in
that paper Of the 4lh March. 1861, clothed in
mourning. "EXPrL TIE INVADER At uNcE;'
that is tho heading Of the editorial. / shall
not dctuin the Convention by reading the whole
Of it; will simply call the attention ol the
Convention 10 tle last sentence:
LET the Confederate State, once appeal Ia
arms for resistance ~ INVASION, and the Sub
MISSIONS: programme loses It's last prep cE
the border States"
That is what these crl:i'rmen say in that
editorial. They understand ,hsir programme
well. have uo doubt Of il. Bu. they will
never be able to succeed in carrying j. on: and
accomplishing their purpose.
Mr.. President. how different; is the "Hn-
quirer'' Of lSG0-Gl from the "Enqurcr' Of
1858! Will any gentleman explain TO He what
has produced this charge wflcn has come over
tho spirit of its dreams? Everything III the
Federal and State Governments is precisely
where it was in 1858 with the solitary c1ccp
tioE Of Nj Lincoln as President o! the Cnrtci
States, and the gcinS cut cf Mr. Buchanan,
who hs. held tfa; position for the last lnnr
years E:ery peIsr!'nl liberty hill that i of
&s becn ui,o.i the S;aii.e lpek nl any of He
= brl-savehv!ding was i!:erv in 1873. The same
Anti slavery sentiment, the same sentiment %!
hostility to the institution African slavery
existed in SO ss much us it lists in 'Gl. And
yet that ENQUIRER speaks differently, ard in
different Tore
In its issue Of July %, 1f:;', it says:
s.The sbriil-toagucl f:ct.i Il which has din
ned in our ears So unnri c;ully with the cry
of disuninn. is c0lni oscd # three distinct
classes. or these, the liIsi IS b. lar the most
respectable--it consists OF Simon Pure dis
/ unonsts, uho are la5c, ing knErs.ly aTd
opculy for u dissolution 81 the CmcII. The
second is lnado up If r''n whose real object
is dsunion, but who cloak it unGer !l!msy
pretencvs ard iisguses. Tie third st: are
no dsuniorsls at all bat = meI2 band Of NAL
contents, disappointed il heir p"Iilical aspi.
ratiohs, who reqrirc 4 rn""augi GiSorgam!-
za.ion and re.o:ganizauon -: parties lo GGar
opportunity for tLeir pwn elevation to power.
and find no scheme - available SIS that 81
exciting sectional and faclior,ary differences
among the members o! ihc only Tamaning
National party
Now, Mr.. President, shall not ''e.an Ibis
Convention by attempting further proofs Of the
remarks have !ra!ic III relation to THESE !c>o.
lutions. think it will plainly appear thar
these rcs9u:ions we:. determined u2oT beEo c
the Inaugural address was delivered; that The
appearance OF that Inaugural las only been