Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-15
discomfort and disruption shall BIO forced upon
lis and OH honorable adjustment cannOt be had,

TINS IN the front rams to Vlnuicatc heE loIpo
sad to assert our rights; and i! war follows,
their stout hearts and strong arms will wage
and prosecute it as did their fathers wage and
the wars Of our early history.
Sir, there is no part Of Virginia that can
boast of its record as can the Northwest; from
the time when the ring Of the woodman's axe
broke upon the stiffness of the forest, its dero-
ton to The Union and loyalty 10 Virginia have
been unauestionaoie. In the days Of the rev.
olution my county was embraced in West
Augusta; and when, during that war, the dark
and lowering clouds of despair hung over the
country, when the Continental Congress ta:lsd
to furnish men and money 10 prosecute that
war, when hope had fed and despondency had
seized the nation, it was the bravery ana
chivalry und courage of tho men of those
mountains that culled forth from the father oil
MS country the daring declaration OF: strip
: Inc Of the objected and suffering remnant OF
my army; take from me ell thst | have lett;
: leave me but q banner; give me bur the means
to plant II upon the mountains Of west A3
gusta; and | will Yet draw around me the
meE who will lift their bleeding country from
the dust and set her free" And in the war
Of 1872 it was my county that sent her soldiers
to fight the battles of Richmond and Norfolk.
Not only this, sir, but ever since Thai
country has been populated, whenever and
however, ard by whomsoever, the country
has been assailed. the men Of that section
have been ready md willing to respond to her
call, and rush to her rescue.
Mr.. Chairman, | thought it not improper to
>tcp aside from the line Of ny argument, TO
say this much of my section of the State, US
c,her gentlemen had manifested some dlstruSt
of it.
Whilst the hope Of an adjustment OF our
national troubles is entertained by !nang, anu
the plans for its accomplishment seem teaSl'
BILE, It is actually aud indispensablJ necessary
that the peace Of the country should be pre-
served. And yet we are told tnat the
administration will enforce the collection OF
the revenue in the seeded States, and cstao.
fish 4 system Of coercion.
Tho word coercion is very comprehensive
and repulsive to every American patriot IT
implies war. Aye, SIR, it viii inausIrate war,
AID if resorted 10 there will bs 2 different issue
p~:opoun6ed to Virginia. The question will
then be propounde,i directly to her whether
She will tatnely submit or whether She Will
rise up in the power 0! strength. and throw OFT
the oppression, come from whence 1t may.
Tuat coercion was contemplated and intended
ny the administrator ! have no doubt. 1t
was indicated BY The inaugural. and demanded
5y the most prominent Of the Republican
Journals and leaders, and indeed BY one or
more Of the Cabinet. Ccrtain it Is we have
had no disclaimer from the President o! his IN
t:ntiols to coercc. In these tunes OF excite.
ment on the subject, when the whole nation is
aroused and looking TO him for rcpose, II ne did
not intend 10 coerce 1t is natural TO suppose he
you'd say 50, and thereby put the country to
rest Let the policy Of the Administration be
what it may, it is certain the people OF virgil
MIA never will te coerced. L pom the subject Of
resistance to oppression and coercion, Mr.. Chair.
man, our forelathers left Us a glorious record.
In the year 1925, Sir John Harvey, the
Kings Governor OF the colony of Virginia was
d ivea from place and power, was thrust ont
of the colony and Sent to England for trial, by
The people, for betraying their interest and
a policy Of oppression towards them.
AIter Charles the FIRST had been executed
and the commonwealth Of England estab.
iished, it sought to Impulse upon The people OF
the colony, restrictions to which they were not
willing to submit. Other colonies had submit
led, and Massachusetts, went so lar by her Own
enactment, rs to prohibl. all intercourse with
until the supremacy of the cornlnon-
wealth of England shoaid BE- established. Not.
outstanding The demand BY England, and the
course pursued By Massachusetts,, Virginia,
Jealous OF the rights OF her people, repudiated
he one and disreglrGed the other, until she
agreed with that Commonwealth upon terms
acceptable to herself. | read the following
from the articles Of adjustment to
which | refer, and | an sure they will BIZ read
with pleasure by every FIrginian:
First, 1t is agreed and cons ted that the
plantation Of Virginia, and all the inhabitants
thereof, shall be and remain in due obedience
and subsection TO the commonwealth of Eng-
and, according to The laws there established.
And that this submission and subscription be
acknowledged q voluntary act not forced or
constrained by q conquest upon the country.
And that they shall hare and erjoy such free.
lo,u aud privileges as belong to the free born
people of England, and that the former govern
,nent 5y the commissions and Instructions be
void and null"
.,sthly. That Virginia shall be free from all
axes, customs and imposl:ions whatsoever,
Ind none 10 be imposed on them without con
Of the Grand Assembly, and 80 that nei-
her forts nor castles be erected or garr:sons
without thcir consent"
Thus it will be seen that at that early day
spirit of independence and cilivalry charac-
the people OF Virginia. That patriot
,and had the courage to r~epudiate force and
aonstraint from naughty and powerful Eig.
and. Mt only this, sir, but their submission
o the laws of England was made dependent
lpon their right to erjoy such freedoms and
privileges rs belonged to the free born people
England. and dependent upon the further
condition, that neither forts nor castles should
DC erected, nor garIisons maintained within
Ter limits without her Consent.
Will the sons Of Virginia ut this day ask
ess or submit to more than did their fathe's?
lave they so fur degeaerated as TO be branded
With inferioiity, and become the subjects Of in.
trust not. ! car never believe it.
There is another incident in the history
If the colony, that speaks volumes for the chi
,alry of that day. In 1868, after the House
# Burgesses had elected their Governor, ne
sought to usurp powers he did not possess, and
o control the action Of the Grand Assembly.
Let history speak:
THE Governor and Council had ordered the
dissolution of the Assembly; the Burgcsses
decreed the former election OF Governor
md Council to be void. Having thus exer.
Used, not merely the right Of election, but the
uore extraordinary right OF removal, they re
elected Matthews, who by u.s. they added,
shall be Invested with all the just rights and
privileges belonging to the Governor and Cap.
ain eneral of Virginia The Governor sub.
uitted, and acknowleds ed the validity Of his
lection by taking the new oath, which had
ust been prescribed. The Council was crga-
anew and the spirit Of popular liberty
established all its claims"
When the necessity arises, if it should ever
arise, | hope, We all nope, we know, that the
brave sons Of Virginia will dare to do ns their
did-denounce ,rcachery and resist OPP
If coercion shall be compenced, let the sons
If Virginia, as one uian, resist, resist TO the
They will
Strike slll the last araed foe eIpre,.
Strike for their Rltars AND their trtS.
Strike for ;hs green SrRTea OF thei: slrss-
God, and their native laud."