Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-25

Mr.. SLpfF.--i give way cNccflGlil.
Mr PgFsroS---rhe Ordinance Of 5rcc><Iul
says il v,li Isks eject thia ii.v There Is NJ
date in The Ordinance, and 4 propcNe 10 All
''tAis lIsh day oI April"
The aM.r3Hieut was agreed Ii UNANIMOUS
ly
The considrra,icu Of Mr. Sc6rr'. ordinance
waS ulcn reaum:l.
Mr.. GEORGE W RlCR.EnsdS, ol l.novrr. -
! suggest to my (riond from Powhamn fMr
ScoTr tD include in that ordinance prori
SIGN fur the reCOmnissiDn OF all officers III tht
Gorn,nnrwealb, civil az we'll Is military.
Mr. ScorT, Ill Pjwiiatau--I havc an s1rs o
nhicu:,,,n 10 the gentleman moving any utend
uiunt he ca1nS.s. Ny whole purpose is to
get lid Of the obligation that IS now resting
upon tho citcrrs oi tho Commonwealth o
Virginia in respect to the form OF oath which
they have taken. There is rot a:' oliie'r in
the Commonwealth in cUmEiissan WHO has
rInL taken 40 oath IT, support tho DHns!ii.;tCr
al the United States. know it Is not the
I,lac: -! :ll5 Convention t0 rGiieve All i"di
yidull ioIi al oath but every oath "i .a's
character ;uat Is taken, is :asei iEpe':,E ~
-cst .u iiiEa> he holds the cop:'uisa:"lL ~ Eei
thlu commission is vacated hs u Ii'Sove' .l.ilI
thn OATH Nhen the commission Is rciit"r'l
tt.a:. he taxes new oath, and thus frees him
s:iE from ali responsibility u1der The InrtE,r
oa.h.
Mr.. SAMUEL q. STAPLE: 81 i'aificE. II simply
waa: to make an inquiry Touching tho subject
Of t:Iis ordinance.
[! | understand the nature OF the ordinance
OF srreEsion which VIC PASSED htte yCSicT-
day, It Is not Olndirg upon the people
ucl,i ii siali be ratified by the people them
selves sl The polls. simply lido TO inquire
h.,s 1t is that while we are part aud parcel ol
tie .;..ncrai Government, an officer can be cX
pcct;.i 10 rapu1,atr his obligation to support
LIie Constitution ol ihe Unile;: Sla'cs:
sir. SCOTT, Of Puwla: ian. According to my
vicw, the ,uh uf every Utfcer lasts during the
liu,u hc nnis his oihce and To lnnger The
Obi icl u ,;i,: ul,nar.cr il; to Gbsnlve i.i,i from
ii,nt "aIgstinn by declaring the 1ttic:. vscaut
Mr. wv. 6 nKowN, Of Preston i desire 70
inquire oi my ;riend it that oath is not taken by
tic U0,eTnor himself, and if ne Can fcr=go the
1,igaii0n unlcr the ordinance?
nir. J. Is BALDWIN, OF Augusta i; appears
20 nlU ii il is lie purpose OF this Convention to
unier ;yn!. Ih': discharge cf these Sort If iunc.
i,Ds, 49,, wr had b,:irer gna !.iils deeper ulo
Ills ;n"t;cr iauk Jr,y, :,nn 10 sale IN Yes
,r, distinctly 10 The c"n'rFi'oH, ui5 views as
II the Scupv II! ii.,: n"h,:, Of his body. and
ilr earnest 81 2c:ioa; wiiic:i entertained t.
o. departing iru n'~tI duiined limitations. g.:
il st:rrucd 10 inr
tiiriaS slrnutti my p'niiioH Ia regard IT,
Tia; ,i.H..nr, r&I!rssrd ,i.r "trncai ctnrici!vn
X :i::h sui tIt..rlai". iha; II wI:t'd IL v! !-rf
aad hGttvr 10: itS 10 cGuti;ie ourselves arrirt!, :,
within ,t: llni,.a -! our poser Under Tie Lui.-
iiItuiiuu OF Virginia. ihiGs it pnper 10
stale now thai, unuer.iAf ding III" j,''l4rcn: ~
the Cnn"rIt!un /" r l.ii,::crrt, AID llq! ii j.
IL; prupoac IL exercise y power tnat, / have
ti;aug:.. i,rtoli.c .lsav ;,ate, have discharged
.r;srt s,9ve REGARDED ~ iay OWE dIty 10 my
Go:ssl;;a.u;,, rnd viii o.f-! 10 further opposi.
,:nr to any Exercise Ct ro1er Of the part OF
.His G;:yvrnt!pn on the E,eis . slcTe Of power.
have Iced mTsell ight il regard ~ this
matter | ,lu rot iatenn t" be placed III lee
position ri facii0u3 opponent in any sens al
the ,rrrn. From this moment further wish
- ;,u a.,.rS!uuu lis taking up and considering
in .;..,,i ,a.h every measure t!!s, comes hsfjie
lhis niy, 4pYn lie single g:ouad g: rxpa
,i.rncy, 10 i0rwart! tire great object n view.
believe ga are all, by the Judgment ce ;hl-
Cur3r.,lic,i, required TO engage IN that work
forthwith bs:eTa. sir, TIM! in taxing til;
position, V Ill serve tbs G9EIGnnTesiii il. i!'a
circumstances by which | ain surruuh',
uthnr.! still believe the Cnnv.lt!on n'culd
better seirn tho Commonwealth 1y another
cuurSc.
Now, sir, III tho spirit End wltu Il te1rt:l III.
lion 20 20 right 20 rac uImk Of placing 'h-
Commonwealth Upon tHs highest possible
ground Of military Ell sinncv. | ask "ha is
the practical benefit ui the Ileaaurr ll,r Iii o.
uoualiedt Sir, if our ordIancc of sorrS..un
amounts to any th;ng, it has performed the
luuciion which is ros proposed by lie rrdi
,,ai;:c ui the gcn.leIEaa from PoGfa;an (Mr.
Scorr.J The oati 10 support the Constitution
ri the United Sti!cs is an oath Thc' applies
duri1e cor;lilanca in Office. Ii man Is -
i:uvr merely his appoiutmtn: changed, "hi.e
his nfti:c remains Inc ssme, It does not ct I'll
effect the 9ueslia.I O! conscience involved. -
The question lies deeper than that. We Ill
rec,sn,ze The right Ct revolution, a1d wa all
recognize that d rev1lution BY STATE IS net a,
ali Ike The right a! . regiment muster; that
Iie Slstn ro nmanii"g TIE s,ldier has right
to carry along With it the unit action OF all her
basi c.;:Zr;,., win view TO the miintrnafIcc o,
SOCIAL order; md as part of this power 20 main,
tain soc Al order, Si,r. In, n right 10 command
her clrz .rlS 10 cease 10 serve ans body else hu,
hryself ~ the holder of social order. r. ~ 4
reyol ull1l,arY rgli., and think shat this is
the uosilion that is nov taken by the State ci
Vlrgin!a: and !hat e7ery citz: is free 10 act and
vote Tor the State Of Virginia without re$a.d
to past associations, VT past oatha "r an! thing
Of the sort But this proposition - c:,ahHe
the commissions Of tha military iii :ers amounts
to nothing If we wlnt AZ efficient military
organzluoIi, as q matter OF course it shon;d
be found III lie volunteers; x bose officers are
selected with more reference to their qua tica
synS ia III uti Gers Of the regiment. oi the linz.
Why is II that more Of the latter are nrt s.-
lc;tcd with reference 20 their qualifications
|, is u cause tho prn>p !ct Of employment has
been always a. Remote, and when they ,'.,Ii'
i..to service they come there @lh:u! a jus
sense Of ll'n responsibility resting upon lf:.n
Bat declare nil the Offices in the line vacant
to-day an! direct them 10 br flied nn1 wiif
reference 81 ll,c emergency that Is npnn Ms
and vcnsnrc to say the deld otncas in tht
milit wrI bc illel Ly as eticient body q
men as ca, We Started anywhera: Oil tho face o
the rar;r III ;l"rr ~ a man within the limits
Of eng !, ant III which regiment Is 10 NJ
mustered. WHO haS military education, ht
viii il v,tw u! the emergency npon us, be re
a,rcd To ill lhc Gcr TINS declared vacant.
As to iEc general oticrls, am satisfied thai
il would he ,:'ie policy 10 take their commits
Sims and to have heIu Il led by the Governul
oi tie Commonwealth, with reitrcncr tG cniTcn
service. Sir, ~r i,avGa gnoH many Of thr gcnrra
oIiiaers OF tue uiiiti:. Gf this cumiDunyTsi Ut
| "lg.ing srEeIi iicnms an the stage;' and il T'
AZ To call upon the sIti:c military f,rcc %! Tia
STATE, .: | bclir:n &C s!'ali have 10 do be'or'
nc cnn.e Dul Of this great enterprise, it be
hoC7rs us. sir, +, hive every military oificr @
importance filled, ard fiife, promptly, With th'
IN ishcst military talent OF tue Siat" II seem:
! to me that this would look more like mllitaTl
efficiency than mere change oi oath, COZ
tinurg u ssins. inefficient men
throw out these Suggestions ior the Con
vcDtiou to actupon as they may think proper
Il is my purpose ,c support whatever in tn
81 xr,,,,, al this I,nguni ion shall ne most et