Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-22

I'M at six o'clock in the morning, and ask them
IA rve I'M the stakes of nationality, oi treasury
and of public lands, all at once, and to leave
them TO the encmy-wholayc proved themselves
unworthy TO hold this nationality and TINS Urea
s,lry. this eminent domain: Is it policy 10
rive up the name Of Union, to give 1t TO tnelh,
and to fix upon us who really mean to de1ehu
the Union the cry of rcproach OF dlSuilion'
tell YOU mean to take the ~eather-Sage o'
them and if must fight will have the stakes
if can, if can sin them by the battle. Ano
if nv friend had expressed himself thus, ana
had an understanding with his people that nc
would fight, in the Union, for the Constitution
and the Union for all tho rights OF Virginia
under the Constitution and in the Union, with
firm determination 10 give up the Unlon only
when. in the Providence of God, it shall be IN
cvitablv dissolved by war-it my friend from
Wctzcl had taken this position. firmly and
understandingly before his people, apprehend
that it would have strengthened, instead Us he
supposcS, Of weakening his hands. ! love
peace, and | love Union. Bat rather than
let this Union stagnate in the corruption
If a revelation Of decay until the very green
scum of stagnaton shall offend the ollhctoreS
of every patriot, | would invoke the puriilca,
ton of fire and bloOl--th0Sc great purifiers u
the Almighty Himself, from the redemption ol
the cross down 10 the countless Instances Oh ma
tional crime expiated by the blood oil an ollIh-
ding people And il we must come to hattir'
and if there shall bc found in North rStefh
Virginia. or any section Of Western irsihla,
unsOund men, whose rights have Strlfen SO
hard TO maintain, If they will not stand ny
nv rights, and ! must meet them ~
hattie. | will bare 10 their spears liie
bosom which has defended them. VIII
ti,ht on AGAINST all enemies, and especially,
with nil my might, against those VINO siia,'
rr,r ;p,,r,t,s To a mOthc: Commonwealth
| like this.
Mr. WLLgY.-I will avail myself, Mr.. Pre-
sidcnt, Of the indulgence OF the C0nSehlioh'
| for very few moments, while attempt TO as
| abuse the minds OF many members, rs nave
been given TO understand. ul Il very serious
misapnrchcnsion Of the public sentiment OF the
| North western section OF this State. For some
cause unknown to me, intilDatlOns and lnSinu'
atoms pr.iudicial to the character Of that Sec
ton OF country, for her loyalty to the lnstItu.
tons of Virginia, have been busily circulated
among the members of the CGnvcntIon. was
willing, for 4 while to submit TO Il rniSapprc-
hcuSi0n which to SonIc eNtriil might bc con
Suiercd as natural, when it caine alone from
tho Eastern borders Of the State; but when
| hear Il member Of this Convention upon ms
floor, .iving out utimat!"ns c"Ilir'natory OF
these suspicious, and going 10 credit tic idea
that there is want of loyalty in the North
western section OF this State, 10 the insttu.
tons OF Virginia, Ia all Of eur institutions,
carnut but violate the liked resolution which
| had formed in nv mind when came here, and
ask the indulgence Of this Convention iur
few moments, while iisabuSc any mind which
has been poisoned by any such lnsInuatInnS.
Sir, there exists not within the hroad limits
Of this great State any people more loyal to lis
interests than the people OF the North western
part of the State-any people feadlcr To drichd
her rights to the death. speak especially Tor
my own constituency, and verify believe that
| represent the universal sentiment OF trans'Al-
| leghany. But this seems to be an age OF dis
trust and suspicion Guarantees are required
on every hand, and it appears that Western
gentlemen are asked for some guarantees for
their fidelity to this glorious olt Common
wealth. Why should these guarantees hc ask
cdg In what portion Of our history can sin.
gle incident be pointed To that would subject
us TO the ban Of your ,listruSt q: In wha, lave
wc been derelictg In what have sc been faith
less, When did We not collie up 10 the full
| demands of Justice tu the East nn ali questions:
| Never but. sir, We have record upon this
subiccl-a record written in blond. stand
| here representing the Sous of SreS who fell III
your defence in the war Of 1872. The cry OF
Your distress and for help had scarcely echoed
| back from orr western mountains and died along
the Eastern shores of your coast, when the crack
of the " estcrn rifle was heard defending your
iircsidcs and your lamilics-- defending that
| very property which you now make the object
| and subject III diStrust u the Western heart.
| We have 4 glorious record. J our soil IS conSc-
Grated with the mtlnureS Of the loyalty ol Tie
| West because it cunlalnS the honored rcinaliS OF
some Of her bravcst and uoblrst SONS Why,
sir, your honor is her honor; your interest is
her interest; your country is her country;
vour faith shall be Ecr faith your destiny
Shall be her destiny.
Bot, sir, il seems that We love the Union too
we'll That seems To be the measure Of our
offence If it betrcason to love the Union, Ne
learned that treason from you, sir-we learned
| it from your great !uen--from your JeHcrsons,
| from your Ma,lisonS, your MonrucS, and from
| others OF equally illIlstriuus dead and We have
learned il from the living, little less distinguish.
cd men who are recognized as leaders At the
| present day, and who need but the consecra-
ton OF death to place their names on
the same roll Of Immortality Above all,
we learned it from the Father Of his Country,
the greatest of ErgInia's Sons-the greatest
man that ever stood upon the ti'!e Of time. As
! ! passed down by ms monument the other
| day, and gazrd upon il with the reverence with
which every American heart must contemplate
! his memory, | could almost imagine TINT
heard lalliu. from his sacred lips the atlnonl-
| tons inc gave us in his Farewell Address bid
| ding US beware Of sectional dsSensionS bid
ding us beware Of geographical divisions, and
instructins and copnring US 10 regard the
Union as the palladium Of our liberties; to
look with dislrust upon ANY man that would
teach ns any other doctrIac. As passed fur
thcr down and gaZcd upon the beautiful statue
Of the immortal statesman Of kentucky, there
came rising up III my memory the recollection
Of his almost dying words when he went
| home after .rn memorable contest of the Com
promise Of 1850. When at Frankfort, i'll the
last spccch he ever uttered, nc said these
words:
"Mr. President, | may bc asked, as have
often been asked, when would consent to the
dissolution of the Union and | could al
most imagine that heard falling from his lips
"Ncver !" Never
And, sir, there fingers in the Western heart,
especially OF the Democratic constituency which
| have the honor to represent, that sentiment
uttered or written by Sir Calhoun, in 1882,
to General Hamilton, when he SAID THE
institution Of the Union WIS so wisely order
rd Tor the redress Of grievances ard for the
correction Of NIL evils that he who would seek
remedy lur this disease in dissolution would
merit and receive the eXccratGn Of this and all
future generations That sentiment fingers
there yet. You will forgive us if We cannot
forget these great lessons OF these great men in
Il moment. But ! tell the distinguished gentle
man from Princess Anne, tMr. WlsE) that
while do not understand altogether what he
meant by fighting in the Union, the West, who
still remembers him with gratitude for his Ser
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