Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-17
VIRGINIA STATE CONVENTION.
tSECRET SESSIOS.i
TUESDAY, ArRu. Ii, 1851
FIRST DAY.

| FauQuier, thai have in my puSS.sSi,n the
proceedings "a; :, meeting held in ,ny c"'int,,
,uStructinS me to vote for an act al l,ulacdlat.
| and unconditional Secession. lhr meeting,
was held right IN the neighbo. hoes! Of lr eeil
rman iro,u Wood, (Mr. JAcKSoNl. wlh no;
drtaiu the House now by reading t!'rn, but
will hand them in for publication.
These proceedings nave already been pub.
! iiShed
The PRESIDENT! have received II conlu,l.
nication from the Governor os tha Com,nrr-
wealth, which beg leave To #un.nit f,v IL.
| consideration Of the Convention:
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.,
April l6, 1851.
Gentlemen o the Conssatiu":
| communicate herewith u despatch received
from Mr. j. r. Hathaway of Norfolk, con
| firmatory OF the information colhnun.ca ted by
him to Mr.. Harris this morning.
Respectfully,
.IuES LETcHER.
The following is the despatch referred to:
"NokEoLK. April It, 1861
"Jo Gotsrnor Letcher:
The information m regard to troops for
the Navy Yard is reliable. 1t comes from
Captain Sinclair, u S. Navy, il command Of
the Pennsylvania. j. r. HATHAWAY.
Mr.. ScorT, Of Fauquier PRESIDENT
We have met in Sncrct session Tor the purpose
| Of a Tree aud full comparison cf opinions, and
truS. the comparison will be MADE tel'he
rately and calmly.
propose 10 avail nlyStlf Of tbs occasion t."
explain some uf the views which present
themselves 10 my :nnd H. w:r,ny 10 bL conSi-
dered by this body
Mr. PREslDEST: FROM iny earliest uiantoh
have cherished strong feri,ass uf nationality.
aud have habiti.Gtr:l myself ~ regard our Fed
eral Union rs 4 national receSSity-a necessity
arising from both social and gc"graphicsl
causes, affecting, III equal degree, ali parts vi
the cr.l;,tr7--and, until a recent tlInc have
never entertained :. doubt OF lis continuance
Bu: when the people Of the country separated
into sectional partcS, and upon purely sec
tional issues wagcl party conflicts for the pos
session OF political power, nv Confidence in
the strength of the Union abalcd, and my
| feelings of attach.nrnr 10 it diminished Ne.
vtrthelcSs, for time chung to these feelings,
and still cherished the hope thar our national.
ity would survive these couflct,, and car
Union and Constitution endure
But Mr.. Pccsldeut, these feelings have goac
this hupc has fled. 10 longer believe that
the Union OF our fathers aud the Goveruu Mt
founded upon it can bo preserved. have
brought ,nyscl to look upon dissolution as
inevitable; nay, uoie, in the presence OF tue
events that surround us, and spread their bane-
ful inhneuces over the land. look upon il as
a necessity, and ~ r;tsi,ati-. | can never
bring myself To conscii4 that the slavenohing
States shall hecome the Smha"I PROVINCES uf
the non .slayeho,d2 States. so whic!! cnudi;i"ti
their continuance in 'hiS union, III ,;:y ju.!a
mcnt, will reduce tnHin.
| [ Am. therefore. H. favor oi a dissolution,
and make mere ,Gi> richnr:atc der:":::i...,' "E
that opinion. The resolutions ndnF,,f hT tb;
body in OpU!, Session uoiIt Us all IL t&c Sa:',
unless this Republican Invasion can br driven
back upon is authors.
Fur one, snail stand by tie resolutions,
and will tread nj step back "attis. in d's-c-
gard of our formal resolutions, in the face OF
our solemn. deliberate aud recorded oplnlUuS,
at time when ". wyrc strug Cling 10 keep t!n:
peace unbrvken ant! saw. The Unlun, the party
in power has pvoc!a;n"d 4 %aT, aDd entered
upon meiisureS u! r;,erG!on. !! could T''"Hr'i
this policy as Tn. r"ic5 of the Administrator
only, or as that u' tue political leaders wl:o
now govern the acton Vi the party, | rn!si.
still hope 10 save the Cnina AID preserve 'h*
peace. The Northern ;u,Sses might not b. IN
lcctcd by the insanity which RACES in rhcir
leaders, aud retur"'ng sc:se oi pa,r"i's,n,
and VI what is 'iIr 10 lSN1GiateS under con,
mon government, might induce them 10 br'rE
back their rulers 10 the walks of peace a;.i
the bcat,n tracks "i iD- Constitution. HaI
when see the President and his Cabine: eAer.
cising uSurped power, aud, in defiance Of ru':-
s,tuiona restraints: declaring war upon seven
States uf sne Conf ,lrrary; and when sce te
people of The non Si""t:hodi"g States, ni al
classes and conditions Of At: professions and
pursuits, %! ali political partl ui'''r In sap
port vi th"ni, ard, making themselves part' :
to the war, proclaim 'Ii. ;:;e lri@@ !" .''r sa'''
tY is snalniss'"a {" i?'tr tu!r, ~" ',ady |"
say that We "iii'"nt ~ tHn pre-; a"H 'i''',
therefore, ready i" r"+ '"'Se iro'' ','f''' "';''
dissolve alio5tth.' 1hH r"''tcLioh "t''c'' SUD
sists o.t"een US
MT. Fres'cea! iS'' ~" @@'"'' o''''e'> "'
discussion; snsf are ErHser h',tss'H : y" "'."'''
and uo hri r@H't' ''1'' u''"e' "''' '''','''
SION "y "h'en Va 'N'i''ss Inc ',i,
oouy' 'ne "'''S''' = ''7' ~
tnoSe VINO i'I i'''S' '''''i 'i'" ''' w, ''''
hat'oi' ""'c' '''Y "o " '.o'''.
Conclusion, We c'the u h"H' re,'".'' '',.H'
cuted anti' IL F"'*.'V:S me aIp'o"t''"'' W NV
prupic. nu- power +X!rrns u; ftr'rrf ih't !"
recommend what in our Judgment The i'f't'''
ought to do; we cannot c""in'"d' We ca'''''t
f'.,a Wl, 'ilr'l,, ,o,,.,,,;.. ,oo,. 1v.s au,,,,,
ne', o"' - ,,r.c,,c.,Il..
tn0Se ""' '"'"s's hal = n.,1a ,...,
ana "l'e" .'"" ~! es| - ,,,,.,;,,,,s ,.t
'nErs ,"'s"t '"n n, "n} h,, ~ ..I,.ar. f. ,.rr.c"
a"JuS'lue". "'" n.n tal ,' ,,,a.rn, .n,; ,h.,
measures Hese ~ r" .,.,;nn ,o,r,r,;.
Nv ononss ..is. a,, n'. -. to,n,;r nr r,,cI,ir,-
Se''ieine"'' W. =,
any set'iehlenl Ny "''"'iS
5ae Cohs.''"..on .n,' ,,'r. " hnr,l nni
Das y. 9Th :h,,,, and IT,, ,h,.