Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-07

cnce scheme i very lEuCh itsS sal!Sfactc,-
than the corr esroLding one in Mr.. Crn,cGdsnf',
plan. Each provides for the rayEel., Of n.
full value OF fugitive slaves hy the E.i,,j
States in all cases where the officers, char.
with the duty Of making the arrest is preyeo,
ed lrcm so doing by violence Gr lntin,id3,;..
or when after arrest, the Slaves are rescued
But the former is defective in not provJ;,,.
fnr reimbursement to the intel States g.,
clothing it with power to IMPOSE and c"i.ec.
tax on the county or city where the o!,r,,
was committed, equal 10 the princ;p,I, i:::.;...
and costs, rs is provided III the Cr,lvr!-,
resolutions There is double advar;sy-
this feature. In the first place ii is more H..
and equitable to cast the G,rthrn On lt,.
who committed the wrong than upon tie M,
lie treasury. The South is thus had, by =.
Omission in the Conference scheme. To ptyr.
full proportion of charge resulting iro.;
wrong committed against herself. Bu; b. +.
the most important consideration is. Tia, ,'':
requirement would tend powerfully IN -.
strain such wicked ontragcs by l,.kit. Il r.,
interest of THE offending locality To- ,,,,.r,."
all u.obs and riotous assemb!ages, - ..h -:
piunlvr the citizens OF the South for IL. o,;,.
cause than asserting AZ undonh'cl c,,.,,.
tonal right.
have thus endeavorei to run ra.a',,rt.
tween the two plans Of adlu-tfuca;. IT,. =,
whole. it is clear that the tri;tgI!Jyn IN,
far preferable to that Of the late Pca2e C,,a,
! cnce Il is necessary 10 say has c.:!!e.g;
yet Intellectually, We struggled 10 coue 70 :.
The very letter Of our commission by o!;4..;r.
an adjustment on the basis Of the lor:us! rst
-. ,.ty pF ~.
formly vr,cl down By that memorable r.,q..
". At length, all rival schemes being rr'ec
ed, the naked question came up OF The atob,Itr
or rejection Of the present Conference ScLent
The vote was By sections, and Virginia yo.r.
against the most important Sections, gar;ic,aa:
Is the first md seventh Of the series: and they
| we're all adopted seriat!m. |: was SUP
! losed that. Us matter 81 course, Il.
vote would be taken upon the scl!tlGc ..
an entirety, and | then announced 10 Gle 1:
yuu that after the most anxious tc!!telaIioa
had come 10 the conclusion that. il,
tasteful as The scheme was to :nc. lei:
TO be- rry duty TO cast representative vo,e.
and Sustain the measure a whole. | Wa.
convinced that Western Virgins, which /,
oart rrpIescnted, would have 20 voted b; q.
imrnct.se majority, if her voice couid be !,a:4
within that hall, and, acting under that st,oh.
conviction, would have done 'oi,acc 10 t..
great principle Of representative goSc!l@e.d
which demands that the representative ss,!
his individual sentiments, aiIt give ntie;aase
! 70 those Of his constituents. DI: no Ta;e s,S
taken OF the plan, As L whole, the chair haTin,
ruled that each section being sucessi"e'y adop..
! ed. the entire plan was adopted aud no !ar,hs!
vote was necessary or admissible. under Tx
| parliamentary rule
The most solernnly mouncntouS ISSUE tia;
ever astste.l the Councils y! CIR dear Old Cos.
Eouwcalth is now fairly mace up and 'nG.:
SION iini its solution in The deliberations 0f lie
Convention now assembled to give cxIrc>:io:
t. her sovereign will. My earnest prayer
that true wisdom li;ay Conduct hcr safely o.:
hpnorably out OF this great crisis. Every !o:s!
son of hers awaits the Issue with ln;rt.Se 81.
ci,ude, and for myself will say that M '!r,.
tiny is bound up udissolubly with hers
ala .ehIlcrnen, most cordially.
Your friend,
JouH W. BRocxENB;crGE
The PRESIDENT the gentleman NOV.
that the report be LAID upon the table ~:
printed.
Mr.. SrMMgEs. Perhaps that is the hes, il,
position 10 make Of it ut present AitcT it .
printed, il can, ii deemed advisable 60 beiJfe
the Committee on Federal Relations, | there
fore move to lay the report OH the ,ah!e 81.
print it,
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. TuonSToS--I wish, sir, 10 claim ls:
attention OF the Convention this morning Tor
few minutes, while present TO them som.
views that I entertain rs 10 the policy
which should be adopted by this bo:r
in reference to the question Of COERCION
The views, sir, that | desire 10 present have
grown in my mind from consideration OF tie |
inaugural address of the President Of the Uni
ted States: and wish 10 throw oGt some rt
marks on the seminal principles contained il |
that address, and to denouncc them here rpOs
this floor and before this country, IA principle: |:
that are in violation Of the sights OF ;tc"lar,
all over the world.
We were told, sir, 10y my friend from Hii +
fax, (Mr fLorRSoY.j wlt" has just aGifesse;
YOU, that he has heard IL ~"ld that Mir. L'rc.h
does rot ruean what is ture written down.
Sec sir, from the papers at this morning N. J
abraham Lincoln declared un Yesterday. To-: /
he had ",tndicd all the points" presented
this inaugural, with great anxiety, and F'
scented them with whatever Of ability and seLs'
Of Justice he could bring 10 bear"
What sir are these principles, and in shME
position do they place Virginia: | say. NJ I
President, that the seminal principles q
this inaugural address are-tirst The Diva
right Of the majority to govern: an
9h,l. the duty Of positive obedience al: /
non-reSiStance upon the part Of the minority.
Such doctrines, sir, brought one English Iii:
to the block, and drove another from h. !
throne. Such doctrines could not he enua
ciated ut this day by any English sta'esEa,
and he retain power twelve hours after tie:
ennnciation.
Look nj it, sir. What does this PreSr.ento
ours say? The first proposition TO which d.
sire to call the attention Of the Convention
this. 1t is plainly written dcwn in this d :
dress that ''f by the mere force OF GnmbtE't
clearly written constitutional right, il rhlghi =
in moral point Of view, justify revoluto' {
Certainly it would, If such right were r!ts $
one" But, says Mr. Lincoln, it is Impossible :
that any :ital right thus clearly written Go"
in the Constitution. can be denied to m'n"rE
ty; and he gives two rensons forit. The !r>th I
HAT the human mind is so constituted lia' i. I
party couid reach 20 the audacity Of dong sid
Il thing.
The second is, that "al the 7ital rights
minorities and Of individuals are so plainly .
sure1 to them by athrmations and Eccaiio's
guarantees and prohibits. in the Constitute
that controversies never can arise cOncerna:
lnrnI.'
Therefore ~ the further discussion 0: Il.
questions, We may dismiss what Mr.. L'H'S
calls these VITAL rights clearly written down
! IN: Constitution.
Bat he goes on 10 SAY. tina! all orr ""n>'::
tional controversies spring from 4ucS'.'
arising ont Of the organic law, ::hcii X + .,
50 framed as to have special provision III"
ierer','r 10 the Identical question. .A:'' h'"
/ that 10 br decided?
Mr.. President. in his rur;ry parties ~ s
been divided. One pa,tr has 'nalr;"jn"G Is
! Madison ard jefferson ut Il, hc4i t"ct W.
these rights we're denied 10 !ni,!or:,"S, 'H' -
! should in!crpnSe for ;hn :.UrPo." q -o:<:' 4;
~ 4 ~ ~