Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-28
Of Iuhr l.. ;iI-yr. Ed.

lirH.ari. Of : ohm l.. "iH-Jr. E.-I.
-, have nal, Sir. Prcsidri., NJ ambitious
views 10 serve, havo bcen ';nn,rr, anr'"s 'h'
:c.~!ilI ~ i.:r lily 30 tenH'n q si'r;; itStcAtr
Ii il uue, shat. from time, t. time, ! Though
tial might threw o;it & suggestion t.as "dH.'
avail sumrthil.. :nG sought opportunity t. q:
so, hut being unvcr.sh III the tlctcS o! DC
Lucrative bodies, | always failed to scIZ: ttt
proper occasion, and found myself ia:eStnlled
IL is well that it he's so occurred, Tor IN Tie Sc
1uel | found, when opportunity offered, tina
what g.! proposed 10 say, bad already been i'e;-
TER said by otlle!s.
.hnnld have remained = silent llSt1Mcr Il
the end g the session., hi. events nave crowded
uDon u, and GniminslcG IN a c"lsis, IN winch /:
docs nut comporl with my scnse If what lo"'
to myself, to record ny vote in silence. iaIna
least unwilling II DO 50,
cam. here, SIR, representing ! constituency
Of an entirely different type OF politics, from
;hose uhich / entertain; | fai!, therefore. il oil
its force, tie obligation which deTol:rd upon
INC TO sink ny iEdisldual Prtd:iccn"na Wren
tfi"y tended T." "fpaH.: tie %l!i at those
who seat ne; md su lar as parry po'ItlcS are
concerned, | can sag with truth that am Is.
noTaIt Of the polilca! ~utiinitleS Of ln"St ct the
members Of this holy. am equally isnorHnt
Of the sectional classification ni It's members.
There are, il is true, same whose prominence
If character has forced 2 knowledge Ct thci"
locality upon lie, however s;lh!n'i-ly J sought
10 remain ignorant, and thar knonieIgc, "iied
10 What | haze heard from them ii rl-i'al-. hns
indicted mo 10 the c;nci.::!JI, tIii e"aIE c;H.
sideration founded upon locally tending Ia
influence our deliberations, s|n".a 10: h"'i:c!
out and forever. / have, 40 lar IS knowledge ri
ihe fact cau be gathered from :a.t has lE!G%-
pircri iirrc, IS much is'tli IL The !.giii"!Sin ~
members from the Wc;!, ~ Ia tr,-" FROM inc
Esst. 60 further and Sag t!'at Tie w's'ierr
and statesmsnstip Developed by the debates
10 which [ have ~li:I"fci, src 40, circ@ms:ribed
BIZ locality, and [ truSt 'hat no sentiment o.
feeling, :vrincing from sict;0ta! position ard
tending to produce discotd, will find Judgment
with any member to the extent Of Influencing
bis vote upon the question about to'bc taken.
came hero, sir, rs the representative Of no
section. and whilst | udmit that those who
sent me have the rightl 10 make rue their mouth
piece, it ID os their mouth piece that now
here announce that | know no section-that
| knew no political party, and when, on a late
occasion, at a full meeting Of my cohniFn'en'
/ deemed it proper, because ct Instructions &c
coived lrom n portion Of tbcri, to express my
views upon the question Ct Ec:essi"b, '!SWen
in its thrn EXISTING Surroundings "tEe'
them to relieve Inr, h7 Instructions 'r":' Inc
responsibility, which irit 10 he d bnrdrh, OF
deciding it for them. | stated, az the same
time, that cand0r required me to add that, whilst
for my own relief | sought their Instructions,
I should deem it nnwise in them to grant my
request. With M views fully promnIged they
determined to take no action, but to submit 10
me the decision Of the question as it might
arise and with all the lights then before me-.
Sir, with what views did enter this body :
What interest had ! 10 serve: What was the
Virgins sentiment that dlrtctcd my action 2
The preservation Of the Unlon-yes, the pre-
nf The Union in al! is integrity
What we're the views ! entertained III regard
to the possibility, il not probability, of arhiev.
Ing tina, result | nm OF sanguine tcmpera-
mcnt. did not realize it as an lnsnrm0nntable
difficulty for this body to carve out such inca
sures Of compromise Us would result in iurnl>h-
ing III :ient guarantees upon Al! those questions,
the settlement Ct which cauSer lis inalgnrs
ton. participated il::t The trouble with regard
TO the acceptance Of the guarantees We might
would be With t:!e Soulh, not the
North; md what was the basis Of nv c~slcuia-
ton =? In the absence OF any personal know.
ledge Of the extent of that finsticisin and FOLLY
at the North which have wrc.E ht r suits so
to the country, l concluded that the
magnitude Of her interest in preserving her
with the South, was too controlling
to Weld to the dominion Of prejudice.
With the South, the trouble sprang from the
,pl no.pHnpf nncitior Than 1nnnpia5 wv co,,,
or three of the States, and the difficulty in
our way consisted in 80 shaping the measures
proposed by us rs to satisfy those States that
if accepted they would be adequate 10. vind-
cate their rights and protect their fnteres,-.--
now the number Of the seeded States is
not three bnt seveE-wi:h q government fully
.inaugurated, and with ability 10 sustain them
selves. All my foEG ard ssrguine calculations
Of Reconstruction have tailed. and tho conc'u-
sion has been forced upon me that n officially,
great in itself as it existed at thn time | cane
here, has become ilSup.rablo. After tho Sc
Of the seven States, what remained 10
be accomplished by this brdy? Why so to
shape our measures as would retain the balance
of the ccn'ed.racy in its Integrity, anl ado
quately to defend all the interests Of Our own
Stale. This vas rendered i matter Of neccs-
sity by the course pursued a. Washington;
but now it is not u matter Of option with Tir-
GINA whether che vii! r-main IN the Eaipn.-
70 my lnlrd, the NECESSITY Of sevcr.ng her
connection is manifest. She has no middle
ground ,n"ccapy. 1t is nGw Il m"r. natter Of
title, and The question presents itcii' 10 us after
inns InOde Shall We, before VIC ~. yus. sucare
G" operation Oh the par; q; I:ibnr ri or border
Sla!eS whose "a Operation ~ c~aScnila. 20 The
rhainla'nancU o; Gur Position ur shall We take
the chance "l their Cu.operntnG with NJ after
we stall have gone or, al'l. prootbiy. IN the
InI'ist OF a var waycl aE,ii:st.uS by The North:
Sir, unprrtsrcl az ne are, haze no hesita.
ton on that qnaslon. Purpose is power when
coupled with high inursi Influence sucn 81 We
POSSESS. Il Is ln1re poteat than ADJ thing thGt
could noH be accomplished b. negotiations,
under the circumsta!!ccs in which that neg0.
tlatlon would 10 conducted. ! therefore have
no hesitation US to tho Course Ii be pursued.
But my main object ia rls!ng hrre. after de-
clar!hs Iuy nSa position, WIS lu say, that when
| entered this body, | took it for granted that
the results 81 our deliberations, tho Fever mrci
we Nigh: d!tttr III the progress az The inyes-t-
gallon which led 10 them would receive the
undivided support Of all the members. [
THOUGHT .tEal however nucn We maT !!nTe been
divided IN The PTS: i.to sectional Parties; row.
ever uiuch We MAY have been dIviacd IL poIIti-
cal views; huSe7cr much We may have been
s4b-dlSId=d Into local associations, growing cut
oi dlvcrs!.ics Of iE,crest-ail wo2!" sink into
utter insigniicanCe il y!ew d tie greet i%sae
loT upon US, whose DECISION involves 50 much
that is dear to US ali. Discord IN this body
will pro7e aprol fc source OF diScord eur of it /;
and i, brno7es US to guard sgainstit h5 all the
means in our power. Sir, can All occasion
arise, is it possible for one to be coTce!yed, IN
which the practical effect Of that great truth
'in concord there is strength" ceuli be mere
fully illustrated or bencticiaily applied 'han
the present. will not at this time Of trial,
when the whole C%onfederacy is coD7ulsed to
its centre, refer to the causes which have pro-
duced the sad results now upon US. They are