Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-15

opinion, secession is not only war, but it
!; emancipation; it is bankruptcy it is repud
stloa; tsis wide. spread ruin 10 our people
nay, sir, it must be more. 1t may result n
0nly in dissolution of the Union, but it ma
result in another dissolution, which, to nj
would be more painful, even, than the owe
throw OF the Union itself. 1t may result in
dissolution Of the bonds which bind togetht
the different great slopes Of this State.
/ We all know that communities are governe
br their interests. We all know that thel
are certain laws Of attraction which are Law
Of nature, which are not controlable, and whic
lead to the formation Of commercial relation
that are more binding than political relations
Here we have our State divided into two grea
mountain shoots-one sloping TO the Atlantic
and the other to the Ohio. We find the trad
and the social relations Of that mountain slop
| ntertwine1 and associated with the grca
| West We find almost all their relations cor.
rccled with the non s!avchoiding States Of tn
great West. These people, theu will DC cale'
uuon to Scvpr connections Of the most intlmat
character. which affect vitality CIV
cry interest which thcy hive-conncctlon
which ere indispensable to their enjoyment
their social happiness and prosperity. W.
may coint upon the patriotism. "j that region
| do nor want to question it, sir But whcl
this thing has gone on when this mcrcileS.
ard je.o;atins shall ii..rc p'n. .ri.,..ac fol
SnMc length. 1l slime; wi:cn tHX"n small have
Income in,ticrah'c ard hurlhensomc, you may
r0iy urna i! that the pcnDIr will begin to loot
luto Tie carsc Of the war; and. locking TO tht
relations whiciI !hcy braT to this cause, they
e'Iil he led, | fear, ultimately, to cnuc!'ide tha
= cir intcrcs: IL the war is secondary to nihci
Interests wnic:! they base CONNECTED with ;heii
;natcria! prosperity.
But, sir as Vase, sagaciGus Statesmen, WI
should npt in.e sight uf these facts, ard tha
o"iorr NC insc this fearful stcp--for fearful Il
is sir, in c"crr ASPECT in which We r:!l view
tive should pause and ponder well.
Hnt. ssr, .!,"ie i ::ry:Ecr aspect Of the case
We l.aye already hc! out - our siS;e: States
that naYe not not yet ScrecdCrl, the 'ts" that
we intended tn Cooperate with ihenL We
u I'VE i'a:Sad. IL Committee nl the Wt:n'", which
rlaEcdes This whole Convention, by i !ars2
ipyjDiity, ali Invitation 10 these States 20 c.
Operate with us in this trying euerEnmcy.-
Three Of these State. hare already responded
- that csIi. TDey haze either appointed OF
t"k"" steps for The appointment vi delegates
~ meet delegates f.nU tnis Convention II con.
+rlitntioi, 1t Frankfort. un the 2I:h -! 'icx.
month. Now. Sir, in what a.ti:uie you'd ':r
stard--how would We be regarded il, in vio
lalion of our previous action and Of onr invI-
tatiotl 10 them, We should now prcciptateiy
rash UuraCtvas out Of the Union "',iiont cor
snItirg tham: Dii We noS 81 complain o!iH'
action Of South Carolina, in going nut ~! M:
UniDn ui;nGmt consultation ith any oi l.:l
SITTER S;atrsg U1 wr rot c'in;l.n thiI
she should gn nu. If u; Cn.nn w.ili.
cut consultation wi,ii the o.ncr S>G!her''
STATES aud change :nt;r relations both WIN
l.r ;.nd .i." Genera; t;"Err'lmnt? ;:iIrh
there. wcrr !.w, II any .::iJ G;d 10. believe
:ha: South Carolina acted rasn!y, GawlSeiy
and improperly. Sow, s:r, for one am not
for cilwng The exa;npls cf South Carolina ;
bit cvrn il South Caroline did not stand in the
saline relation to the other States in which We
stand to the sister States that have not seeded,
here is our invitation gone forth, the invita-
lion accepted BY three or four Of those States,
AID when the day arrives, they will lind that
:i:cy have been treated with the most marked
'!Src:pcct, and that without that conference
sc have undertaken to assume rev line OF
policy which changes their relation rs we'll rs
ours to the General Government.
Mr. MoRroS, Of Orange ard Greene. w Ill
the gentleman permit me TO interrupt him?
The gentleman is speaking Of an invitation
from Virginia to the Border States. | should
bc clad to hear frcm the gentleman, what
source was it that that Invitation came from.
Mr. SruAEE Il have stated already that it
sas MI invitation extended through the Com
mittee CT the Whole.
Mr. MoRToS.-I ask the gentleman il the
action Of the Committee Of the Whole is the
action Of tic Convention
Mr. SrUARr-Certainly moi. don't pro-
(ess that it was perfect invitation, but
spoke OF it rs qualified insitaLion-an invita-
ton which was so vel! understood and SO well
recognized that it met with a response from
three or four of our sister States. dlscrrnl
nate between quasi invitation; but still iii
invitation conveying fully the sense Of the Con
vcniion, ard an invitation having tae formal
approval Of the Convention. The invitation
having passed ia Committee Of the whole by q
large m,jority, i! ght readily be supposed thai
it would meet with the sanction OF The body
which was composed Of tue same material that
composed he committee.
Let US look at the attitude in which We would
stand Here is Virginia surrounded on three
SIDES BY States that have not seceded, and or
the other side bounded hv the Atlantic ocean
How would We stand if North Carolina, Mary
Iand, Kentucky and Tennessee refused to sceede
| think sir that it is '!';e to these States thu
we should consult thctu; that it Is the part
prudence that we slnuld consult them oclor
we take anv final action. And upon the ordI
nary dictates Of prudence, if nation ls golnt
to war, dues it not always seek such alliance;
rs it may obtain-alliances offensive ant
defcnsvey When we were struggling 10
our independence did We not seek ali a
Iiars;e with France to aid lis in onr strne
gle E'r liberty? And I want TO know
il Virginia now, with million Of inhah'
ilanis, is to 70 into this unequal contest rashl!
and prccpItatcly, when here are our allies
around us who, by paying proper respect u
theta, would cooperate with US, rs We ha''
every reason t) believe, in this Er"a
fu:nrc struggle, if it shall come Bat, II W.
have This conference, these other States sioui'
comi: into line with us, il we Show an nj
broken front, ihcn cherish the hcpc that IN
No. H. according to the argument whlch Ia
| De:N uTpcu Dt uul IIetitSr VIZ -
vii! see that it is . hopeless task to attempt
subjugatc these eight States, in addition t
the seven seeded States; and that, instead q
the bloody war which wn now expect, W
might have pcacss5ie adjustment of our dit
ficnltes.
Sir, ain in favor Of making this appeal.
am opposed to passing any ordinance of imme
dialc secession. | am in fa"or Of a1d:eSsin
this invitation 10 our sister States
Meet US in Conference at Frankfort on tn
9th Of next mouth want to have full an
fair interchange Of opinion in secret sessio
with them there, and want to ascertain ~ha
they intend 10 do. l want TO ascertain whe
they arc ready to oct. want to tender tb
olive branch, rot to the administration becaus'
as said, am hopeless Of any good from tina
quarter; but believe that the relations
| business interests and those social ties Thic
connect the Border States, on either side, Wi
exercise the most potent Influence on eitht
side Of the dividing line; and would be Wi
ling to tender to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Penn