Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-27

! tue southern States, which now pTuless ~
be Conicdeiacy, there can be no doubt
about their being recognized by all the
European powers; and by England with
the utmost certainty and distinctncsS-but
the case has not Yet reached this stage;
and il is very far from reaching It.
lmerel V read that, rs being I forciblc state
mcnt from hostile quarter Of what every
gentleman knows is the established rule OF
national intercourse at this day, viz: that
you do not LOOK to the de .jHre, but to the
ID Jec'o Government. All the powers Of
the earth, unless this Convention shall
make the State OF Virginia al exception,
MUS: recognize the Government at Mont
goIcry as de .fac:o Government III actual
existence, to be recognized as such, and
| dealt with as national existence. We,
who Of sill people on the face Of the globe,
are the most Interested, and who should
: last quickly notice and avail ourselves OF
the fact, propose to adjourn over for six
months, in the mids. OF the great events
by which VIC arc surrounded. You, gentle
men Vi this Convention, composed, Us 1t Is
said to be, Of the picked men Of the State
Of Virginia, and invested with the powers
Of this Commonwealth, charged with the
high responsibility Of looking after the in
tercstS Of Virginia, at this time, when all
the Governments Of Europe arc watching,
with eager eye, the progress OF events here,
propose to close your eyes. retire to your
| chambers and decline TO have anything to
do with the great events that may trans
! pire for six months 10 come. Let us rccoS-
nzc this Government. a!u making re-
spccIlul appeal to gentlemen here-and /
ask them 10 calmly look around them and
sec what other people are doing. Let Us
recognize this Government as III existence
and dc Jdcto Government. Cau not you,
! the representatives Of the savchold!ng
State Of Virginia. recognize it as ds .facf"
Government, with all your interests bound
up it. VIII you decline to deal with the
Great Fact Of this age, the existence OF
Government: at Montgomery? And will
YOU decline to deal with it in consequence
of y3ur great, aiIrctionate attachment TO
the Government az Washington? Dare you
| close your eyes To the abolition influences
that control the Government at Washing
ton: The Washington Government has
not issued its pronunciamcnto and declared
the Independence of the Republic at Mont
gomerv; but arc not all of its acts based
Does it exercise now within those seven
Confoderatcd States Of the South one Of
the powers Of Government? Docs it at
! tempt 20 DO it i, will be compelled to
withdraw its forces from their borders and
decline TO collect the revenue there. Il
must withdraw the whole machinery Of its
power from within the limits Of that Con-
redcracy, and thus by this act make 4
practical de ,jtcto acknowledgment Of the
independence Of that Republic at moment
when the Virginia Convention, trtnulous
in lie presence Of stirring events, will
not see il, and are SO uncertain whether it
is there or not, that they must adjourn for
! six months and wait for further develop
mcntS. In the midst OF 4 great Revolution
YOU sit hers picking straws and whiting
! sticks. When we thus behold Virginia
craftsmanship will not your coun,rymcn.
wrung as by the agency OF pTlvate griei,
cxclail.:. low arc Ike might j'i!Is'i, (utEen
! from their high estatc!'
It is q fact, Mr.. Chairman, that there is
a separate national exist. ace at Montgomc-
ry; and are we performing our duties TO the
people Of Virginia, when we decline
| 10 deal with that Government and di-
rect our efforts to an alliance with the
Government at Washington Sir. we are
| bound to acknowledged the fact that here
i arc two Governments. Which shall We
Join ; Where is it safe to put the interest
Of this Commonwealth Is not this the
question think it is. Here are two
Governments, one imploring you to take
part with it, the other, 10 say the least
manifcsting considerable amount Of indf-
| ference as to where rou may go. Can We
hesitate, sir : Let Us see, in looking to the
interest Of our people, where ought VIC TO
| look row
This shiny Of sentimental politics, this
thing Of arranging the affairs Of nations
upon sentiment, is thing that no man, 1T
| TO touch the machinery Of Government,
ought ever 10 acknowledge as a controlling
| influence over his action. No great ruler Of
| mankind ever yet conducted the affairs Of
his people by mere sentimental attach
| mcut.
Sir, it was the remark Of a distinguished
Frenchman, quoted with appreciation by
| Edmund Burke, that Craftsmanship is the
science Of circum, ,tanccs;," 'he who ruled
| nvc mankind," as Mr.. Burke said, ''has a
| different part to play from him who is 4
! Professor in College. The Professor may
deal with abstract principles, the states
| man has to look at the circumstances by
which he is surrounded, and 10 cndeavor to
shape the action Of his people in accordance
with the circumstances that surround him. !"
| And, sir, what are our circumstances Are
You going 10 guide the action of this Com
monwcalth according to her interests under
existing circumstances Or, are you going
to look in cold scli-concct to the cards
which you sent out VIXEN you were
candidates for seats in this Convention
Is each man to say, 81 cannot do this until
see whether said in my card that was
going TO do it 90 You would not conduct
Government long if you should conduct
it according to the chart laid down in
the cards Of candidates; and say that
that man who stands here to-day, and says
that the action Of Virginia now should be
what he would say it ought TO have been on
the first Of January last, is man who closes
his eyes TO the great duties rising UP before
him. You are living in the midst OF a rev.
ulution, and you are bound to shape your
action so as to promote the best interests Of
vour constituents in the midst Of this great
revolution.
And it is just at this point would say, Mr..
Chairman, that, for one, when you come to
miiimctnns, | cannot touch any OF them my
self. was willing. on the 18th Of Janua-
~, as one Of the representatives Of the
people Of Virginia, to place upon record
the expression Of the belief OF the Virginia
Legislature, that prompt tender ofthc Crit
tendcn propositions, would, in our judg-
mcnt, be accepted by the people of the Com
monwealth OF Virginia. Thought so then
believed so then. have no doubtif they
had rendered to US with promptitude the
Crittcndcn resolutions. rs amended by our
Legislature, that they would have been ac-
ccptrd by the people Of Virginia. At that
time this Government Of the Southern Con-
federacr down yondcr. was in its crysalis
state. and we then heard the declarations
Of all their representatives that, rather
than to tempt the trial Of new experiment
in the formation OF O new Government,
thnsn 'ncoD1e would accept those Crlttenden