The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-28

Mr. WISE replied to Mr. Scott daciartnS
,'a',d, ,saat .ne ss,e OF Virginia was more inde-
Tsnus"t T@a, now than she was when George the
.h,ra recognized her independence The
Union was entered into for the purnose Of
strengthening her independence She had III.
poWer 20 declare war, and TO regulate com.
mrfce, throngh the Federal Government
whenever she thought an emergency req nirea
her 10 declare war. tha Cons tution raye her
the power to make such n declaration The
very amendment which was now moved. he
mad tried TO hare inserted when in committee
IL failed there, and IL might fail here but II
should not fail, If any effort of his could en-
sure its success
MIR. BSrcE, of Halifax, made some remarks
IN iaNor OF the amendment
MIR. RIvks, of Prince George proceeded to
oppose the doctrine which had been main
tanned here, of absolute sovereignty Ifsuch
declaration were to be made, ii would leave
nut a very short step between us and omnipo-
tence. He said there was band of repu-
utttors here, repudiating the action of the
convention OF l1sT The minority report in
iaSor OF immediate secession, was denounced
by the speaker in most emphatic language
He exhorted the friends of the Union 10 stand
Arm.
Mr.. MoSTAarE said it was evident from the
applause that had greeted the gentleman's
gestures, that they constituted the most forci-
ble portion of his argument. When he first
knew the gentleman from Prince George. he
stood with MIN upon the platform of State
sovereignty He had wandered into the sterile
"
back but now in his peculiar manner he
was here asserting that there was a sovereign
nation in this land, and that the States were
mere dependencies npon it. II this doctrine
We're 10 prevail, then farewell 20 Republican
liberty, for Dir. Lincoln and Gen Scott couid
come nero with their armies and disperse this
convention. He intended to EXPRESS his
views fully hereafter but he would say to
the War-horse of Prince George and his
friends, that if they succeeded in carryir 2
their doctrine of consolidation, the people
would repudiate it.
Mr.. CARLfLE, of Harrison took the floor
ana called the atten tion of the gen tleman from
MiddieseN to the language OF the Declaration
OF Independence ; he thought if the doe trines
advocated by the gentleman were true the
authors OF that instrument did not understand a
their own work. He quoted from the debates
OF l'sS, from the opinions OF Madison, the
speeches OF Calhoun, 10 show that the ground
occupied in this Convention was untenable
Mr.. DoRMAS, of Rockbridge. gave reasons
why ne shoutd vote against the amendment
ana wanted It to be known that his course
was not in opposi ition to any well unders TODD
doctrine OF State rights. or in favor of any idea
of consoliil ton.
Mr. BAYLoR, of Augusta, said he was State
Rights man but ii the State of Virginia could
not make a law in conflict with the Consfitu-
uon OF the United States, how couId she he
sovereign and independent? So far as his
vote could go, he was willing to declare that
she was sovereign and independent to the ex-
tent that she had powers delegated TO her bv.
the Federal Constitution. He was opposed
to the amendment
MI Fisher, OF Northampton, after an allu-
sion 10 The state Rights doctrine advanced by
The gentleman from Roc ckbridge, said that the
position occupied by the gentleman from Har-
rlson was as hostile to the report of the COM
m!ttee, rs was the position occupied by the
state Rights party in this Convention
Mr.. CARLTLE hoped the gentleman would
not pronounce him inconsistent until after he
had cast his vote.
Mr.. FISHER asked pardon. He hoped that
when the vote was taken, the gentleman from
Harrison would go with him. against the re-
port. lie then made an argument in favor of
the rights and sovereignty of the States (uuot-
ing freely from Madison's opinions as bearing
upon the present issue,l ana advocated the
amendment.
Mr. SLAUGHTER, of Campbell thought the
amendment OF the gentleman from Middle
sex was out of place, though he agreed with
him in many of his positions. The amend
ment which he preferred would be TO insert
''and did not part with their sovereignty in so
doing, In the appropriate place. He would
not, however, offer any amendment believing
1t would destroy the symmetry of the report
MIR. HoLLADAY, of Portsmouth, briefly op-
posed the amendment and gave reasons why
he should vote for the report
Mr.. hACPARLAND, of Richmond CITY, made
an argument upon the question whether a
State that was in a condition of subordina-
tion IN essential particulars, could be regarded
as absolutely sovereign. He was not aware
the specific subject before the Conven ton
and in the absence thereof he knew of no ru
for his guidance except his own reflections of
right. The term ' sovereign he conceived
was lnapplicab!e to q State which had dele
gated portion of her powers, for time a I
least, to another Government. The report Of
the committee, as it stood, asserted no danger
Gus doctrine, and was acceptable to him with
out amendment.
Mr.. WISE replied to Mr.. Macfarland. He
did not know that any one claimed absolute
sovereignty for State, but contended that
State, like Texas for ms tance, coming into the
Union, became an independent sovereignty
She had the power to lay imposts and TO de-
clare war. State did not part with lis SOW
ereignty by merging it with other sovereign
ties.
Mr.. MAcFARLAND asked whether, when, bF
by the position of Virginia, she might be
dragged into foreign waf, against her will
she should be regarded as sovereign
Mr.. WISE replied that she would He re-
ferred, in support of this position, to the Con-
tederacies of Europe. Prussia, as one of the
German Confederacies, might be dragged in to
a foreign war against her Will; yet no one
would assert that Prussia was not an indie
pendent sovereignty. The right OF secession
as truly stated by the gentleman from Ports
mouth, attaches unequivocally to tue soyer-
eighty and Independence of a State
Pending Mr.. WIsE's remarks, the hour of 2
having arrived, the Committee took q recess
till . clock L. NJ.