Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-15

1Rnt / do insist that, when The Government
sb.1 ha .,oeryerted TO the injury or oppression
Of the neople, they have the right to resume
the powers delegated to the Government The
diha.u,ty presented is ss to the manner IN
which this RICH. may be exercised. 1t is un.
onest;onably true that the people have the
revolutionary right; but it IS not fair to infer
that the trainers OF our State papers intended
TO confer upon the people another and addl
,ionsl right. One of the grand objects OF the
Government was TO vest the people with rights
they Gid not possess in a natural state hence
it would have been idle to have stopped with the
guarantee Of natural rights alone. The reSo-
I~liionary right is natural, unalienable, lnhe-
rent. AS we'll might they have guaranteed 70
u anr other natural, unaliensole and inherent
right such as the right to-hrsath the air Oh
Heaven or drink the waters OF the earth.
To my mind it is clear that the right to re
sumo rests in each State to be exercised by It's
Convention possessing sovereign powers, sub
i.c, ouly % the action Of the people. That
ri.b, Being thus exercised, and the State
thereby placed in an abnormal condition, the
remaining States have the right to demand an
MI Istmeat or settlement Of any obligation
,ha. mar rest upon the withdrawn State grow.
ing ont Of national obligation, public proper
Is. .Acd for this, among other purposes, the
right of treaty is 'interpose1. If this mode
prove insufficient the ultimd ratio rtgurs will
have been attained, and war is the last re-
sort
Ii this were not so, and the right to resume
depended upon the vii! Of a ma ority OF all the
people, as argued upoH this floor, 1t would
place it in tho power Of q majority to 'perTert
the Government to the injury and oppression"
Of a minority, and give To that minority no
other right but that OF revolution, which, from
the balance Of power against II, would reduce
1t % C state Of yasSalagc TO the majority. The
right of q State to judge Of its grievances and
act for itself is manifes. from the fact that at
the formation of the Government each State
was independent and sovereign, and only dele
gated to that Government limited powers that
dad not divest it of its sovereignty.
No arbiter. was chosen to act between a
State and the government If the State CON-
planned Of oppression and n perverslon Of her
rights there ls no form or tribunal to which
she can appeal 70 institute the enquiry and ad-
Indicate the difficulty. Each State entered into
rne government upon terms Of exact equality.
Hence the gallant little State Of Delaware, with
her eighty thousand people, is entitled to her
two Senator'S in the Congress Of the United
States. the same IS the mighty State Of New
York win her three millions. 1t is conceded
en- all ban Is, that Virginia has the right 10 de-
mand some guarantees for her future safety
and the enjoyment Of equality in this sister
hood OF States. The General Assembly de-
clared it, by the cul! of this Convention, and
the appointment Of Commissioners to the Peace
Conference Il! Washington. The Commits.
sivnsrs 10 that Conference from the North and
South. b. their action, conceded it. Almost
every northern conservative journal and orator
cMncede 1t. The Safe Of Massachusetts, by the
modification OF her personal liberty bill con-
ccled it. Each member Of this Convention
By his action on this door has conceded it Then
wait guarantees should she demand: They
SIN 'uld be guarantees Of principle and guaran'
tees Ct power. Such guarantees as are in &C.
cordauce with the spirit Of our Institutions and
will enable the South TO protect her institu-
tions and have q controlling influence in the
acquisition OF future Territory. She should
demand such guarantees as will secure her
rights aud such as the North can give withou.
aorid,;ng their Constitutional rights, End such
a. will juStifT the seeded States to resume
their former positions in the Union.
AN opposed 10 Virginia's being forced BY
TIE action II South Carolina TO iin the South
Ell CcafadeEacy. II she can be Unidentified
where size is. The action Of South Carolina
~ w -" &, SlO Na ~ SNht~tt q HtNPSt l
sp.r;: when She refused TO have u consultation
win Virginia. ! tieprecate her persistent de-
termination, expressed BY her Commissioner
OH this i?oor, never to return to the Union Of
these States. eren IL we cau remove the causes |
for which she seeded.
And | deprecate The speech OF one Of her
distinguished sons, who expressed the hope
that she would throw her AIMS around the
pillars Of tie Constitution, and tear it down
from turrct TO foundation. Mr.. Chairman, &C.
clpying the proud and potential position that
Virginia dues, and at Il time when the eye Of a
nation are turned to her, and when the friends
Of equality aud constitutional liberty are in-
ploring her TO save this great government, she
should take u high, bold and conservative po-
sition-not deiiantly but firmly, not in an
anger, bu: with forbearance. Mr.. Chairman, |
some days ago | had the honor TO oter the
folio wing resolution
"2.solccd, That the Committee on Federal
Relations be instructed to inquire into the ex.
ped,ency Of providing for the Border State
Conference, as recommended by the report Of
the majority Of that Committee, and a COME
renee with the authorities Of The Confederatcd
Stats as recommended by one of the minority
repor:s; and 4 commission to each Of the non.
eiayehpiiins States, 70 invite the authorities
Thereof, to initiate such proceedings as will bt
acceptable to the Mayctolding States now il!
the Uuion, and Of the Confederate States"
II un ahj ustInent o. our national difficulties
is had, it must be By consultation with all
the States. 1t is now generally understood
amorg the members Of tnis body that, after
Vi. shall have agreed upon a proposition to be
submitted as the basis Of that adjustment We
will ADJOURN for several months. | therefore
propose, during that time, to send a commits.
siorie- 10 each OF tue non-slaveholding States
with cur plan Of adjustment. l think it is
due to them. an also in favor OF the border
slave State Conference, as proposed by the
majority report Of the Committee on Federal
Relations. I also favor the proposition Of one
Of the minority reports, to send a commission
to the Con(sdcraeel States. We should ascer-
tain from them, authorita,ively, whether, upon
any conditions, they will return TO the Union,
and, if so, upon what conditions.
l regard it ctainen'ly proper that Virginia
should act in concert with the slave States
nov in the Union. For if they shall be forced
to resume their powers, / am opposed to her re-
linqrishing her right to the eleven hundred
million acres Of public land and her rights to
other public property, and the archives Of
the country. If We cannot remain in the
Union in peace, let US depart in peace. And in
the event We do part, let VI take all the Govern.
men. property South of the line of Sc deg. 80
min, end yield to the North all the properly
North Of that line-and the difference be paid
by one to the other. according to it's relative
value. But avoid, i! possible, q disruption Of
the Government. Test the question fairly and
fully, and / may be permitted to say, with
Difference to every gentleman on this floor,
that have sean no proposition, that, in my
opinion, would SC fully accomplish it US the
one submitted by myself.
1t is tas duty Of each delegate to look to his
o.n ~locali,v and the interest of his c~onstitu-
eaey in -stins,ing what ia best for the general
good. Acting upon this principle, my heart