Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-27
VOLUME LVII.-NUMBER l06.

Z ~
ment at Washington, to enable it 20 settle
by treaty ihc grave controversy which
now divides this Con(elcracY. The sub
ject Of the controversy Is your property,
and your rights. The grievances ,'or
which they have seeded arc more yours
than theirs. You recognize the necessity
of treaty 10 settle the controversy between
the sections And yet when YOU come to
treat for a final solution Of this grca;
struggle, on which side Of the negotiation
are YOU; You are on the side negotiating
with South Carolina and the other secc-
| ding States, and contracting with them fer
| the protection Of your rights, agains: your
associates in the treaty. Is not that a
beautiful spectacle? Why, sir, the report
Of our Committee states that the gricv-
| aaccs which arc to be the subject Of the ne
| got:atlUn,arc grievances more nearly Affect
ns the interests Of the Commonwealth Of
| Virginia than any Of the seeding StateS.-
! You get mp new authority to negotiate for
| the protection OF these as>a;lcd interests:
and you are on the side Of the Northcrn
States, 10 negotiate for the protection OF
your own interests and your own rights
which are a<saiIcd By the Northern States.
That: sir, is new phase Of Virginia
craftsmanship. If VIC were Yankee peo-
pie, who were going into negotiation
upon such terms, might expect something
would come out Of it for it might, in Yam
krc lands, be made TO work as smart
Yankee trick. If YOU were Us sp.arias the
Yankees, you might play it oil and foo.
| somebody. But when YOU ask M to go
into game Of that sort, to be played with
I'll I rut bnr T. nj In
il. That scene will indeed BE- strange: passing
strange. The rights OF Virginia SIavehold-
crs are invaded; the Virginia Shareholder
at home is trembling under the appr:Acn-
sion that his rights ol property will bs sac
ri:icrd anl here wc are, poor uecrepit.
impo:cn. men, standing with folded arIns.
waiting Cor tic result Of 4 trcatE between
the slaT.E1!;.iN- States that have Scccttcu
and the NOrthrrn States. ~ wp!N vut t:ir
protection o. oar own rights ana Interests!
Mari; how far Lur admission c.:I!:..., y"':.
Mark h0w !ur the admission .! L.: ,ci!!-
:n;itcc OF iwca;y-Jac. l.! their report. ra'-
RIGS them. AID sec whore thc: propose i"
stop. Io" acknowledge Tia; The l.rN"lHt:J;'
la: progressed So ia: That thcrr l:aS /" 30
an agcncr empowered Oh the >:.:r of the
Washington to treat vita thc government
At the South. That is IN acnn"WlrG g:ncu,
that this controversy has progressed 80 far
that there has 10 be established n! author
itv upon the part Of the North 10 deal
wi.h the authorities upon the part OF
the South 10 establish new guarantees
for the protection Of the rights and
interests Of Southern men. You Mr.
yinians, you demand this negotiation
And when that negotiation commences,
Virginia is to be on the Northern side.
Sir, wheH You addressing MIR. NIsE,)
whcn vou wen. to Brazil, and entered
upon the negotiation Of 9 treaty between
tat Government and the Government ot
the United States, you always stood on the
side Of the United States. imagine: you
never told the representative Of some other
nation to come and represent your country
Ina negotiation With you anu Brazil, i3r
the protection Of the interests Of yocr
country, against ineditated cncroachmcnt
| bv Brazil. i would have been 4 queer
treaty for Brazil and the United States TO
negotiate with some nation for the rrotcc-
! ton Of the interests Of the United States
against Brazil. Yet that is the position 20
which this Commiitcc has come. They ac-
knowledge that the controversy has arrived
at point where the existence Of The Gov
crumcnt at the South must DC acknowed: ::ed
when they must bc treated with and tti
! you .ravcly stop while the negotiation is
| Y0n. on. and remain on the siuc from
which concessions and guarantees are 10 be
| obtained. | ask you whether. having ac-
kuowlcdgcd the necessity for new inStru-
mentalitirS, new negotiations, new COM
| pactS, whether, as honest men. having in
! charge the interests of your countrymcn,
| living in this great Commonwealth, you had
| not better place yourselves on the side with
the party holding interests in common with
| your own.
This great controversy has reached lis
crisis. You recognize the necessity Of rcs-
ular negotiation and full and final settle
ment. If ever this Union is to be restored,
it is to bc after new bargain between the
sections, and under new compact full oi
conditions for your security. The collision
between the sections has become so violent
the struggle has become so ritai-that
BIZ general ackno wled cement here. wc have
now 10 come 10 new terms OF association,
or separate forever. Then let the parties
TO the new compact stand honestly and
fairly asundcr. Let each stand for its own
interest and give to its own side It's full
power and influence. The more powerful
the party Of cur side the more favorable
will be the terms which we obtain. i
we have reached that point where we mus
have new compact, as all now agree
let us take our natural, our honest side il
the negotiation.
Now, sir, that's the amount Of 1t: hat
mas Virginia to fear from going South under
the existing circumstances? If we have TO
20 there finally, where are We TO 60 in the
oac, two or three years, which, upon the pol
! icy Of this Committee Of Twcnty-onc, II
will require, to conclude the negotiations
Where will YOU stand ii tiie interval: In
the house Of yOur enemies Or yoIf
fricnds' lou have told TIE people oi
Virginia in tha. report. lnat the !-Juar iii
which YOU now stand is utterly unit . live
! in. Right across the street Is oac every
war safe anL comfortable iu.o which You
are cordially and earnestly invited. ioa1%i
! it is, with lis doors I'll open to ;;oa. IH3ar
wan;ci taerc. Ioar strange r-Pii is, wi!,
not come until haze *; al>tcd ;ut appeals
to the charity O: IN c..c.n! o rv.'a:r ;;ie
house WHICH now occupy. When iin1
!
ceo, vour invitation. Your company is 50
listasteicl to ne will not go to you until
I am kicked out Of my present dwelling
What are you afraid of! Oh it is your at
tachment to the Cnion, is it! You are
afraid that something will be done that will
dissolve that Union. Is that the principle
upon which this grave assembly Of Virginia
statesmen is to act Are you going to act
upon tina. sentiment? My distinguished
friend from Halifax, (Ar. FLocgSoT,) cx-
plodcd that theory the other day. lie told
YOU that il was not question Of the disso-
luton Of the Union Eow-that the Union was
already dissolved. That is fact acknow-
lcdrcd now I believe everywhere III the
world except in this Convention. may
almost allow there is not an authority on
this continent, or in the world, except this
able body OF experienced Virginia states
men now present, which does not recognize
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