Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-28
CONTENTION.

sti;us;onal mode. a few months more and
you will find your. business men will not be
able to stand longer before the storm, they will
bend and wilt before it as they are doing
daily now. Within a short time, without
any Proridcntial calamity visiting us, the
bonds Of Virginia have come to be hawked in
the market at 25 per cent discount at atime
when under ordinary circumstances they
would be sought by nonied men for invest
ment at par. And your Legislature, in order
to raise the means for war, war upon an e1-
tended scale, resorts to the issue Of Shin-plas-
tsrs 0! $40 and upwards, in the shape Of Urea.
sury notes; which they refuse the privilege o.
issuing to the banks because suppose they
want 70 issue them themselves.
Sir, I am q Eirginian. / am proud OF my
State. I love every inch of her SOIL, ana YET
do confess that I am mortified at the posiuon
in which she has been placcd-not by any act
of her peoole. however, | I'm free TO admit; ana
because | believe it has not been by the ACTON
OF her p,o,le | am anxious to GET before
them these propositions. / am oil the opinion
Of Judge Brockcnhrough. who | believe SYM
matthias with the gentleman from Princess
Anne no, only that tho propositions OF the
Peace Conference would be adopted by al im-
mense msjprity of the people OF Virginia in
the west and northwest, but my word Tor It
.hav would be adopted by all immcnse msJorl:
Is in Eastern V;rginis. LCrirs Of mol mol
Ifgcntlemen have no fears OF It, let tue people
have the opportunity to speak.
Give tl..ln, gentlemen, this opportunity, ana
20 home and exert your Influence among those
whose fears have been unnecessarily aroused,
and bring peace ard comfort TO their pillows.
But, gentlemen, protract unnecessarily the ses'
sion or this body, and you orotrscs tne ruin
tina. is upon the country. Who Is not aware
OF the impression that has been made upon
The minds Of the people Of this State, that tho
Onion men Of this body are responsible for its
non.ac:io2, and for the tine tina; has been con-
sume1 here: Who upun this t1or does not
know tina. it IS an unjust charge affixed to uss
Sir. let us have a vote, and If the Peace Cen
ference propositions are what understand the
gentleman from Kanawha. (Mr. SrMMEKs.) in
the morning in reply to the gentleman From
Princess Anne to say they were, if they arc
safe, and will secure to Virginia all her rights,
why. Oh why deny to the people the right to
pronounce upon them? Iwarn gentlemen, in
their desire to harmonic here, in their desires
to gain the support Of men whose support
they will never gain, not to stir up new agita-
ton everywhere else. l would like 70 see,
how many men in this Convention would
rather sacrifice that which | believe in my
heart would be adopted by unparalleled msjo.
rites, in order 10 harmonic here and gain the
support of men who were elected to the Con
rention rs Union men with IFS" and butts.
I say !c. them 60. Let us get these PROPOSE
tons before The people, and let their voice be
given for peace und harmony. Let that voice
once be heard, and my word for il, it will be such
a vo:ce as was never before heard in this glori.
Gus old Commonwealth; a voice resouHdmg
from sea.Shore to mountain; a voice that will
make gentlemen willing to respect those whom
they were once willing to call their masters,
but when they now dignity with the title OF
''my people"
Mr.. NELsoS-Imove thu. the Committee rise,
(Cr!ss OF mo, no !")
Tie question was put and the Committee re-
fused TO rise.
Mr.. BRowS-I am willing that the Commit
tee should rise il they are disposed to do so,
but surprising from the indications | have jus,
witnessed, that such is not their will, l pre-
pose to dctain them for 4 few moments
l need not tell you how much | love Virginia.
I have heard that so often by gentlemen who
have addressed US that I hardly think it neces'
sary to repeat it. If l understand the ques'
ton before the Committee, it is tbs conflicting
propositions Of the Peace Conference and that oil
the Committee Of twenty.one.
Mr.. SrEED-I must renew the motion that
the Committee rise. l think there was q mis-
apprehension when the vote was taken upon
q similar motion just now. l understand
that various gentlemen voted in opposition to
the motion not understanding the circumstances
under which it was put. ! am sure when
they understand that a gentleman desires t.
speak. and That he does not desire 10 60 OH
tonight, they vii! not refuse him the courtesy
OF continuing his remarks in the morning hour.
I submit tie motion that the Committee rise.
The question was put and the motion disa-
greed to.
Mr.. BgowS.-I only gave way for the mo-
ton that the Committee rise, and will resume
the iGo.. | was proceeding TO say that | be-
liecc tue question to be voted upon was be-
tween the propositions of the Peace Confer
ence, and that Of the Committee of Twenty-onr.
Now, sir, it has been stated, distinctly, by at
least Two members Of the Committee, that the
report OF the Committee of Twenty.one, 20
far as II proposes amendments to the Constitu-
ton, is identicsliy IN substance the Peace Con-
ference propositions. Ii that be true-and
believe it Is true, for | have listened, during
the whole ri this debate, to hear some gentle
uIan point out the differenca-I say if that be
true, ! see no reason why we should take the
Peace Conference propositions, In preference 10
thos2 .: the Committee on Federal Relations,
when ttiey are in substance the same.
lear gentlemen talkicg about war, but,
sir, | am mich afraid Of gentlemen who talk
50 loudly upon that subject. They are gencr-
ally the very last men 10 come TO the post Of
war. | have listened in vain to hear why il
WAS tina. the labors Of the Committee OF Twen-
ty.one should be- superseded by the Peace Con-
iereace propositions. But | have heard Moth
Ing on the subject. You i~eco!lcct. as we'll as l.,
that il was said here That the Peace Confer
cacc propositions were not entirely plain and
eX&l.cir, and that, for the purpose of avoiding
the criticism which they received, they were
ameudcd Lr the Committee. If that be the
fac, why no! take the propositions as they come
from cur Committee so amended as to remove
ali ambiguity and difficulty! Besides that, these
propositions have attached 10 them what some
gentlemen choose to call a platform. Why
not move the propositions Of the Peace Confer-
cncc, as o substitute for the amendments only !
Why do gentlemen want to strike out the plat
form, Is it is called ?
Mr.. CARLILE.-1 will answer ,Dy friend in
the language Of q letter which | received the
other day from a gentlemen from Northwestern
Virginia, in which he said:
Il have just read Mr.. Conrads report. I
presume it is the majority report. If adopt
cd, it is unnecessary to make any further ef.
forts at compromise. If the stcessiouists had
written il-and | do not know but what they
did-,ley could not have written q report that
would have answered their purposes better"
Mr.. BKowS-I should q great deal rather
have heard the argument OF my friend, than
to have heard a letter written by some gentle.
man whom l know nothing about. Yet the
gentleman las not yet made any very good ar
gumeus in favor Of adopting his report over
the report of the committee Of twenty.one-
No~. sir, 50 far as I am concerned, l an
ready 10 vote upon all these propositions. |
desire to vote, and not to debate. But l have a
wnri Ia n To mn fr;r,d from Enochiann (hr