Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-07-09
uov 40 vou expect to cripple the North

f. How do you expect to cripple the North
Where docs the rational mind iooa-. when YOU
ssek for the means of bringing this var 10 @
speedy termination Do ycl expect to end il
by shooting fr1 Yankees out OF their hundred
thousaGd? With their vast masses begging
!; TO be employed, even in the army that they
may taTe bread, Go you think yeu are going
to make peace by the success of your arms
merely! never made such calculation
Mir. President weak as [ utn, how then
do you expect to bring this war to : close Br
striking an efficient blow ct The pocket Of the
. North, Strip the usurper Of his pecunIary re.
sources, and you do more towards his weakness
aud disorganization than you can with all the
armies YOU can call into the field This very
morning the press briggs US the iuforn stion
that The capitalists Of the North, instead OF
rushing forward rs vas expected 10 take the
loan offered BY the General Government, nave
: yielded to the pinch upon them, and are crc:..
lating and signing petitions praying for peace
Just as we fnd our efforts are becoming eli
cent ahd blow is about to be SIT uek, they pro-
pose to huul OF aud strike no more. And nov
it il suggested to contribute seven huadrcd
Thousand dollars TO their finances, and .hcir
proportion CT the redemption fund i'll ujd ton.
just rs their capitalists sie falling in their ca
p1city to furnish money, the Sale OF Virginia
steps forward aud hands over the Necessary
amount. must confess, sir, tl;at We have III
incense respect for Our public credit. Vic are
80 jealous Of it that we cannot throw upon it
the slightest suspicion. And yet o'har arc you
compelled to do ? Nothing more nor less :aa:i
tn concur in bold, open act Of reputation
How Let US see: Your contract IS to pay this
debt in the city Of New York. You propose
Iot 70 suspend the payment OF interest, but TO
quietly shave your creditors OF twenty per
cent. by shifting the point Of payment to the
city of Richmond You make the banks here
pay them u your own currency, and you put
Tie profit in your pockets. That is complete
reputation Of ct least twenty per cent. Of the
dvi.t.
NUw look at the question in another aspect.
the enemy are taking the negroes Of your
people, End according to the pronuneiGmeato
o.! Gen. Butler, they are contraband articles Of
war. Why cannot wo as justly retain this
iIpi. of seven hundred thousand dollars year,
anu SO much Of the five hundred thousand
dollars as goes North, and upon the principle
that uuT negroes are contraband of war, de-
clare the money Of the enemy 10 be also con.
trnband Of war, and appropriate it, if necess.
airy to the iudemniication Of those who
have suffered from these outrages upon their
private property Whether you do this or
not, however, take my stand upon the broad
principle, that it is one Of our public duties TO
cripple the enemy, by resisting the payment of
their debts. 1t is in accordance with al legal
and moral obligations, and incumbent upon US
as Legislators for the people, to prevent such
an appropriation Of the public funds at this
time as will give the enemy any advantage
over us which be does not already possess.
Mr. MoNTAGUE.-I desire 10 say cnly word
or t@c upon this subject. The whole propo.
r;ion is oi such nature that feel it would
be improper for me net to give expression to
the sentiments | entertain. To begin,
differ from the gentleman who has just taken
his seat, Us we'll as with the gentleman from
Louisa, (Mr. Am5ler,) who addressed the Con-
vention upon yesterday. contend, that un-
Ger the law Of nations, We have no right 70
interfere, il any respect, with aay debt which
binds the honor, credit, and good faith Of the
Commonwealth. The question Of private
lebts-dehts due private citizens Of Suites at
var with us-is entirely different and ,as
peer settled By competent authority, "a my
iiicEd from Louisa yesterday showed; out
have taken the pains to examine the subject
Thoroughly, in all it's aspects, and say here,
without iear Of being contrsdlcted, that ycu
can fad no authority in any work upon tho
laws Of nations which justi6es such policy
; as you na1 attempt to pursue. Fatiel says
that the State never touches or interieres With
,ic:,;s due the enemy. The whole fund contid
ed to the public faith is exempt from conti-
cAtiyn AID seizure when engaged in WIZ. You
have no right to interfere with il in any re-
Spect whatever, and according to the bes. AL.
thc.ities, the rule may be said 70 be one which
hes TO gainsayers
There is the very highest authority upon the
subject. / therefore take issue with my friend
::o!n Culprper (Mr. BARBoug) and my friend
iruu, L9uiea (Mr. ASsLER) and say that if
any principle of international Law has been
settled, il II that when nations go to war they
haze no right to interfere with debts in man
iler which will reflect dishonor upon the Safe.
The gentleman from Culpeper states that the
cucbly nave been hkipg our negroes, seizlns
our vessels, and the private property OF cur
citizens. l grant it. Heyesterday denounced
,i:c course of Mr.. Lincoln as q usurper, snG
y.i ne asks US to be guilty Of the same nets,
an to YinIate our moral and constitutional
obligations. For one Sir, cannot DO L. !
wi! ue party to no such business. the gen.
:le,nan asEs-where are you to look for the tultl,
u:r'; security which is to carry you triumph.
..;::iy through the war, and replies to his ow:i
ut::stnn by saying, you are 10 look TO the goT-
.rr,nrnt down in the Custom House as the c'c
which wi!l furnish you with faith and credit
I.t at the same time you are endearorlng to
Iupke the largest State in the Contederscy
guilty Gf al act OF reputation.
Sir, regard this in the light Of moral
question, and will never consent that flr.
ginia shall SO far prove recreant to her honora-
bio pas', IS to forget the duty which she owes
t. her creditors. The amount is said to be
sever hundred thousand dollars, but if it was
seven hundred millions, am for the payment
If ii, Is long as our means hold out. The
greater the debt the greater will be the shame
and disgracs OF refusing its payment
AS it is we'll known We have commissioners
abroad, who are representing he interests Of
the Southern Confederacy, an.i can state
here, what has not yet been n'a'!e public, that
the Secretary Of State is pc isctly satisfied
with the manner in which these gentlemen
have been received, and the prospects OF their
mission. But how, let me ask, can these gen.
.lelren be successful without being aole TO
appeal to the good faith Of Their government
How cali they accomplish their object with
. out t;rn adherence, and determination to
stand by tie well settled principles of tho law
Of nations? Why, the great lever they are
welding in our behalf is, that this Lincoln
government is acting without reference to
Law or morality, and that the new government
established by US will maintain intact the
srea, principles which regulate intercourse
between civilized nations.
Are sc Just at the beginning Of the war
Just ut the threshold of the struggle to violate
this we'll settled rule, and allow our enemies in
Europe ar1 in the North 10 point to US as
fas;ryins our pledge Of faith and honorP It
strikes lne that it would be G shOrt.sighted
policy, and one that ought not to be encouraged
by this CvnTcntion.
Bni, sir, take another view Of this subject.
Virginia iy now in the Confederacy. Has this
Convention 4 right to declare var against any