Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-02

InlDu as the sun at midday, that unless We
can have security-and TN rot spssk;ng oi
5 such securities As this miserable abortion which
l tho Peace Conference preSshts-urirss we can
have securities Of polit!ca! power, say that
this Union ought to be, and trust 10 God will
BE- lissulvcd
Mr.. President why do say lhi.? I say i;
: is the sentiment Of mg heart, that this QueS.
, ton must be settled and settled fore7cr nnd
| that is the sentiment Of thu people ia thu
: country; and will venture 10 say, If / have
the opportunity Of reading tho addresses of
MY friend from Rockingham (Mr GRAY, and
f OF knowing tho will Of bis Constituents, that
f you would ind that the same sentiment would
be impressed upon their ilinds-lhut we must
have settlement Of this question: enc; settle
, ment forever 1t has been an ulcer in OR side
for thirty years. It is sending its roots deeper
and deeper Tito tho SYSTEM nEd unless We
make an ctiectual use Of the knife, and the
cauStlc to burl cut The root forever, It will re-.
suit in our destruction.
When say that the tr;buiat:on which our
people has experienced from the North TO tho
South, from the Atlantic to tn" Pacific, upon
this question; that men in every brsnc!. of the
business Of llic do not know hos 10 shape their
contracts because Of the agitation every four
years Of this nevcr-dying question Of African
>lsrery-l say, want To see this question put
to rest, not where it will spring up 10 disturb
my children and involve them in utter ruin
twenty or thirty rears hence; but | went 10
put it where it never will disturb my de:.
cendants-for if there Is 10 he bOodshra and
this question cannot otherwise be settled, |
would rather give the blood that runs in inY
veins, TO prese'ro that which is in the veins Of
ms helpless offspring.
say, then, this question must be settled.
You have said so, the country has said So
1t is the peace of the world that We call
for How can the question be settled? !?
Ny friend from Bedford (Mr. GooGtS) Re.
ferred 70 il National Convention. II that
National Convention had been held in time, we
might, perhaps, hare had some hope from such
source. Who is to blame that here was not
such National Convention Can i; be said
that that much abused lills State, South
Carolina, which this day honor as much IS
do the heroes Of Thermopylr, is TO blame:
No, that gallant litllo State cannot be COIN
planned Of, for when you were invaded here
and your soil was bathcd in Virginia blood,
and you, uurning TO Governor WISE like u
true man, led the hosts OF Virginia 10 repel
the invader, however you may nu"c received
the cenSure Of some, do say every lady al
Virginia paid you her NEED If applause, und
rendered to you personally my thanks and my
appreciation. When Virginia was invahed auI
you were in The GuGernatorial chair, South Cn7o.
lima sent her Commissioner here 10 syTpathzs
with Virginia, 10 make the grievance common
cai,se, aud to invite co operation III tcsIsins
measures for future sccniIy. Mississippi did
the same And how were they recer:'l atd
how were they treated? They were t!ra,cd
kindly, as gentlemen. You received them
cordially as tue Executive .! the State. Bu;
the Legislature, after tho most powerful aud
thrilling appeal almost that think | ever
heard, the Legislature Of Virginia Geterminci
that she could take care Of herself, and that
each sovereign State could take care Of itself
And after SJuth Carolina had thus been turned
away from the door OF Virginia, and the time
had come when she (South Carolina) felt tha:
her honor and her safety were !nv9l:rd-Gs.
cause she took the responsibility oI an inde.
pendent sovereign State, sheis denounced upon
this @ por for rashncSS for ndisctcton. tnr
want of difference, that She did not ;a"itc Viz.
! gnia 10 a further council.
| say, sir. judging Of nations D? mea, there
is not 2 man who has brought forward this
complaint-including my gallant friend from
Rock bridge, (Alr. MooRE) if he was n his sea-,
but would have cut his right arm of. il, 81 a
common danger, lie had appeaIed 10 co'ntoon
friend to unite agans. COMMON crciIy, Gnd
he lind told him colily, ii vii! tuke ca'e y! M
| selr-ycu take care Of yourself Whrr
the danger came he would recnlrct that, and
he would have hazarded his life before ie
would have invited that friend to = mutual
council for mutual protection usnin. S, that
while my friend FROM Bedford complains, let
him complain Of the right source. Do not
complain vf gallant South Carolina and Mss;s
sippi, but compain Of Virginia. If There is
blume to rest anywhere, then deTonnce Firsi.
nia-denounca your Legislature. am casting
no cenSure Upon those who took different
course. tcld many Of them at the time, "sou
arc acting uawisely and YOU will bring about
the very thing that you wish TO avoid" They
were very adverse to going into Southern
council because If they went into Southern
connc they were fearful that the action Of
South Carolina and Of other States wGulI re
| suit in dissolution OF the UEiun. believed
then and | believe now, that if Virginia had
taken her stand in that Southern Council she
| would have the same inHuencs then that she
did have in the times Of the Revolution. Had
Virginia however rnuch they might nave di:-
frred from her, looking 10 her ancient lutnr,
looking TO her great material interest, looking
| to her position, had Virginia taken the stand
| which patriotism required Of her, South
Carolina would have yielded, and other Sorth
ern States would have yielded 10 the cuunsr!s
Of Virginia But Virginia rejected tl. offer
and the crisis came.
Ate: the election Of Mr.. Lincol it was be
liercd BY the Southern States that there would
not be time to organize Southern Conference
to take definite action so as TO meet the crisis
by the fourth Of March; and appeal with Gun.
dor to my friend from Bedford tMr. Gocols,)
if, in the month Of Ocober or the month ot
September, there should hare been an appeal
from South Carolina TO Virginia 10 so Tito
conference, whether she would. rot have re.
ceived the same ansTeri No, s!T; South Ca-
rolna has done her part = preserve the
Union. And if Virginia hsI sxerted herself
0s South Carolina has, and isl been as sensl-
tive TO Southern rights ard shu;he1n wrongs
n. South Carolina has been. his Convention
would not have been TO-DAY il delberat on.
But, Mr. President, whist | un upon that ;
subject, will do lursl!e: justice 10 South Ca.
rolina. do not know whrr er heard upon
this DOR that she acted cow2rlly in going ca.
alont; but have heard it of;cl in the country,
if not here. And have "!t..n rcplIc'l 10 nm
imputaton OF that kind in /! way IA would
show very gillant uian who woili go 10
South Carolina and proclaim tha. before s'u,t
Cnrolinans." Whilst have seen many Of my
fellow citizens from all the : ltes Of the South !
and Of the North, nnd whist 'ny position for
several years past has cnah,l lie to mingle |
freely with them can say t!iat among all ny
warm hearted friends from the Srulh and from !
Virgiaia--for they all have seat IN my inno.t
heart Of hearts-yct, must o<scr: that if there
is one portion nearer the centre than another |
It is gallant South Carolina. have never
known Of more refinement and less assumption
among any class Of gentlemen than among the
South Carolinans say lha. in vindi:ation oil
South Carolina
And whilst am upon that subject, will
vindlcatc her still further. Ny iiiend from
Rockbrldgc (Mr. MooRE) spoke Of the disre
Ioect with which South Carolina treated the |