Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-05-21

n days gHne hr, when this Government WAS &;
tIacted and on rae brink of ruin, VIC ha lnc
= %ho lnik the felu, and with noble md IN
il .ieslIe bearing, said % the troubled element
It 90 sti!i; who with exalted patriotism and caln
d ness, stepped forward and cs!!ned the .rouhc
n waters. But we haze 70 such men nyw. u
:, have political leader:-esGers nf iii i,.rt,r
L who can mount The husiugS and speak 10 Y.
n peop!;, as If they had received inspiration fro.
S abnse. fear it is these politicians, opcrat!n
o upon the credulty Of the people, tina, }iav
S brought US To the condition in which We no?
. are; and they are row incapable Of controlling
Z affairs or recons;ruct!rg GeTcrnu"2Ht
: John Randolph said that u gn@ernrnent
t whether ready maGe to suit clsua! CUSTOMERS
( c" mace per order, is The rerE lsst to cpe,at,
ag 1t is intended. Governments arr Ike rcro!n
tiorIs; You may put them in motion, hui oe:,
II jon ~ control ;hcin after ttey are in motion.
tell the Secesslonists, you may make Il gov
erGrent to order, but when you cone to lncc
unforeseen occurrences, you will hare much
more n do than TO dissolve government l.
the language Of Mr. Burke They commit tn.
whole to the mercy Of untred speculation
they abandon the dearest interests Of the pub
,ic 10 those loose theories to which Uohu 1i
them won'i choose to trust the slign.e6t o.! his
private concerns X beh0ovcs every man in
ths South, if he cun devise any means which
tuaT lead 10 tho reconstruction of th; Union
to apply himself To- the use Of those means. !
did no, understand your Legislature 10 say that
when a simple Peace Conference proposition:
which Was accept d by some OF the States,
should FAIL th.n nc should scccdc. | un.
dcrstood them to say tia! when all ctf'rts had
failed But even if the legislature had said it,
this body carne from tho people more recently
thuu tie Legislature, ard were elected more
particularly in reference 10 this great question
md The ISSUES involved; and they are, hole,
batter qualified to act in respect to these matters.
NJ. sir; in view oi the d d.Mcuitcs which
must occur unier the wiSest administrations,
! you cannot toresee tho result Of a Southern
Con!ederacy; and it behooves every patriotic
statesman 10 exhaust every possible means 10
restore The Union ms it was.
! know not what the future may have in
store for us. 1t is impossible to predict what
will be the future destiny ce this country; and
yet have some hope that al! will BE- we'll when
. the angry collisions which have occurred since
! the 20lh Of December LAST, at time when We
expected every telegram would bring US
News Of blood spilled at Charleston. and
of war initiated there, shall have subsidized
and "hen the Christian sentiment Of this na.
tion. both North and South, Shall be brought
to exert their healing and bcuefccnt intll.
cncrs, and when all good mcn shall laok 70
! Him alone who can guide the ,;estinica Of i
nation. K is my sincere hope that hy wiSc
, and prudent coulIses ard b. tho cxtic.sc Of
Kindness and !urbehIuDcr On ell stiles, we may
be cbie To Come out ot this conflict wtEou;
ruin aud desolation.
Sir, you canool repair the mischief already
Inflicted. at once. Yuu hare destroyed the i,
Centre Of commerce and you have produced
dcrans.tnrnt in trade and enterprise which
cannot be restored Immediately to its former
condition OF prosperity. Legislation cannot
face it. We are obliged 10 suffer pccnuiarilr,
despite Of all the wisdom which may be exert
cd to alleviate our troubles. Time alone may
work relief We must hold on and bear The
eyis lasI Witch te, te,.ta9Jt aJt i7.s i-a !!a sEr
We arr called upon u bear. We uu>t max"
lile necessary sscr:c"; hope on, md hope oN.
nud 80 nny cscaPe, il not the results OF de-
ra.ngemcnt oi commerce., ut ieast the hw!nl con-
ae1urnccs Of civil war. | admit tnal it'"
future is ia-k | canno. tell what the result
will bc. Sh cruld. When was called
nome fcw weeks ago il consequence Of i'll.
ness in mr family, was met by soIac oi my
constituents who asked me nnxiousir for
news-what NC were doing here to ree"e the
present trou bles, told them that we had dono
nothing yet. "Why, you have bccn ihcre
some t.,ne ard you say yon haro dorc ro;h.
/ Ing; this certainly requires Il large eSpend'-
ture Of money" | told ;hem tnat ''in M
opinion, the only thing we could have done
was to adopt an ordinance of secession, and IN
doing ,ha: ,re could have involved you n way;
that would have been something, but 20 not
, know what else we could have donc IN IL:
opinion We have preserved pence in refusing to
&. any thing" They seemed 10 lh;rk. nS every
reasonable man. under the circumstances, will
! ,hink. that If We could preserve this great ma
! tioD from blnndshed, keep the sword 10 IFS
sheath, ard prevent dissolution OF the Union,
; we would accomplish glorious wO:k-n
work that Virginia might well be proud Of
rToader even than bbe might feel in the isct
E.a, she was 4 :rea, leader IN the formation "i
Ibis Government What are We 10 do: We
are expected to do something. We hare as.
scuhlvd here the wise ncn o! our Sate--a
h:dy oil men, wit,, for maturity oi wisdom and
rru,lrace, never saw exceiled. So Inucii am
| Impressed hy the wisdom, Intelligence and
experience Of gcntiemen sec around me, that
! leel grea. hesitation in obt,udng rE c!Gce
notions upon this body. We have remarkably
sober body too, not a set oi ,ncn WHO
came here intoxicated either with p4ti.
OIL excitement or ardent spr.ts. told
n friend Of mine, who Is is sober
man rs there is in this BODY, that ne
was drunk and that had not seen him sober
] since he was in Richmond ''Do you mean To
/ say am drunk" SAID he. II do not mean to
say sou are drunk with liGHor," replied;
I ..irn, you are drurk with excitement. viii:
I this idea Of secession" Men can &c, druHk
! on something else besides " ''"". hsve seen
! men drunk and drrange1, VII I'D not taken
drop of liquor; and tell yru here is more
deyanyrruent now in the counl:v than you are
aware Of. believe that the ;ope have rIln
! mad ard de.anged with wild ! traissn and the
! wise r,en Of the naim, are :if. ed Whit.
! Nothing can be more dai -rruus or mIscaieg-
GUS than 10 undertake to amrrr with govern.
! ments either Of States Or caur, hes. Bat there
! is restless spirit abroad for changing every
! tbinr. Reforms in church and State are
! the order Of the day; aud '! grows out OF
restless and excited state Of r':!nd, which is not
| satisfied with that abundant success and prns.
pcrity which have nlerked our progress htEcr-
to as q nation and conferred upon lis such in
! cstimable blessings. IL is dangerous time 10
! trust men, North or South, ln '.nI!d up new
governments. ! havs no partir +" - lineui po-
! licy 20 advocate here 10 which | feel myself
F! bound to adhere, regardless o. ali ether con-
sitiera.ions; bnt will listen most carefully and
earnestly To u!l ynopDsitloas that gentlemen
| NAV be disposed to make here, and ii they
xl present TO me any plan which will save
/ mr. rnunriv " and aDy mode OF re constructing
this guvernment-l care not from what section
., party i, may COME pledge my honest e.
forts and every energy to cooperate with them.
know one thing: that party spirit Is doing
very great mischief bnt will not charge up
on i. all the mischief that has been done.
Ny friend from Cupeper, tMr. BARsorR,)
spoke this morning of the intelligence Of the
people, and he said if you gave them facts that