The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-04
VIRGINIA STATE CONVENTION
FORTY SECOND DAY.

EOkTl -SftttNn DAY.
WEDNESDAY, April 3, 1861
The Convention assVmhled at 10 O'Clock -
,,,aycr hv yhe Rev. MIR WIILls OF the Bap-
rs; Church.
NsTAIITY or TAXATION.
~, Svr,sT Of Doidridge being eu titled TO
mo a,or on Mr.. Wiiley's resolutions, pro
a3c,l 70 address the Convention. He regret
,od ,hat 50 few OF the Eastern members We're
~, their seats, because Il was to them that he
l..s~ef chiefly 10 direct his remarks. lie had
listened with much pleasure 30 the speech OF
NJ wise on the preceding evening, ard gave
s,qS>ursnCe that his efforts would be met by
tsa Western people in spirit of fraternity
us could not fold his arms and SAY call is
,xslI '' for Were involved III ques tiouS of
rrcs. difficulty and donht. Abiding 10
The charge of uusouadne>s on the slave
- question, n" said that no charge
= .hat nature had been made by any
F,sicgu man - 4 Western member be
long. that honor, for he alone had done it
Wc Nr claimed, that notwithstanding
the drawbacks OF unjust legislation, The West
,,4> truc 10 the Institution OF slavery, and
,-us on principle II the East was true, il was
irge from interest. Why, then. would they
,oi trust this question in the hands Of West
.-a rru He contended that the position of
NirE!1l9 as slave State demanded the pro
fp.tan asked for 10y the West. in order 10 de-
,o,ry us resources and maintain its character
as part OF the Old Dominion. 1t was the
agty Of the East TO extend the olive branch,
iii 0rleE 20 unite the whole State, and bind I'll
ID. people together in defence OF her rights
Ill, Nenp'e We're willing 10 protect the ipstitu-
tfau OF slavery. bat they Insisted that this
property should be taxed as their horses and
trNs were taNed. Unless the demand Were
granted, they would have hut poor excuse
tr 20 before their people and ask them to pro
.-l; ;he East, telling them At the samt time
tlai u 1'as IN the power OF Eastern men TO
project the West. bat they refused il. II this
w1> persisted In, 1t would be as easy 10 move
~ AleGhanies from their base As 10 convince
tae West OF the propricty OF going out of the
lutou for any present grievances.
Iae hour Of half. past II having arrived,
Ny STUART suspended his remarks. and the
Convention went into
ceANlTrEE OF rHF WHOLE
Nr s. rTHAiL taking the chair for the pur-
pose ot considering the report OF the Commit
,-e on Federal Relations.
1l-. N5L>oN, OF Clark, said that. with the
permission Of the gentleman from Fauquier,
who WAS entitled 10 the fioor,) he would
make 4 further CuTrpct tiOn Of the report OF his
remarks IN the Richmond Eaguirer for in
making The first correction, the printers had
lut-- il much worse than II was originally
H. had some regard for the reputa ton Of the
University OF Virginia, and insisted upon his
lain being reported correctly. The quotation
1.1m Virgil which h. usri vas 'TrnfG ne ira
ra'mliS "FisSti5tS, 2" They had priu ted il,
"TiIfGHs ire eajHtuS ctrlesti5" He had in
hls written speech. used Greek quota tion
.-om Honer-the famous advice OF HipoInchus
faii> son, CilauCus, when h went 10 The Trojan
var Aim dristtteiH H'i upeiroclUa en-
u,,.al niipH meds gcn"S aiSchuae,nen''-.
ayeTv glorious act and strife To shine the first
and best, and not 10 disgrace his BIRTH but,
As hey had no Greek type, he authorized
thrm 10 leave that flourish out. lie had,
however, in his first correct ton, insisted that
-h- printers should take the tegs from Trip
.t.euus Nellowiev; but they had still got
Iiia - TTlptoiemus NellowlegS. He hoped
rr wou!d te 3 last set right before the pub
lac.
Nj SCoTr of Fauquer, being entitled to
~. floor. said if the Committee had confined
~ h4 81 ~in nf ia
s.ti7us reported, grea ter progress would have
been made towards Il disposal OF the ques tions
before it. He felt some reluctance to trespass
upon the patience OF the Committee: yet
there Weve some propositions on the table
which had not yet been touched, and 10 those
le intended 10 address himself. This Union,
which We had heretofore regarded perpet-
ua!, was bT0hen up, seven states having with
drawn, ana the entire country was now
Threatened with destruction. 1t was in view
Of ;EIs fact hat the Con Yention WAS assem-
hl-I, to lrglslate. in This emergency, for the
safety and honor of Virginia. 1t was mis-
fortune. that when the interests OF the Com
mon wealth demanded the best eyertIons and
w,,est cuUnsels of her sons that we We're so
ClIlum- Ianced is TO make ii difficult TO agree
upon that course y hiCh ought 10 be followed.
- might the not, by prudence and conclia-
t1n. agree upon something which would meet
the eXlgcucies of the cast? Elected bv Coun-
tts, coming from all parts of This extended
Commonwealth, we necessarily in our own
persons represent the varied III teres Is which
cause is sought for the diversity of opinion
which charaCIerizes this body, We have only
- look abroad 10 The State we represent for
an explanation. He then alluded TO the va
RED interests of the several sections, showing
that IN these was founded the conflict of SEN
tImaut in regard TO the mode OF settling the
question at Issue. lie maintained that il was
our DUTY 70 consult the ia terests of the entire
STATE. and so 10 act as 10 meet the views of
The people of the whole Commonwealth.
us own portion Of the State as deeply
Interested in the settlement OF this question
as any other portion. He lived on the borders
Of the Potomac, and the people there We're
connected commercially with the people of
Maryland aud Pennsyi wanna. Ii cut off from
those advantages, 4 blow would be struck at
their vital existence.
Nr HALL, OF Wetzel desired to inform the
gentleman from Fauq uer that he was mis-
taken as TO the inDor tant points of trade Tor
TIE West. The most important point was
New Orleans The pork, potatoes and other
produce were boated down, and on the route
had 70 meet The competition of the free States,
As we'll as ~ the end Of the route.
Mr.. ScoTT said he had supposed that the
salt coal and oil of the West found its market
IL me States bordering on their terri tory, The
ca'Ie Of the West find Il market in Pennsyl-
'a1Ia and Mary LAND and none If that great
trade has its direction South. Philadelphia
Baltimore, Washington, and even New York
furnish the market which that great staple of
Western Virginia finds prac tica BILE He did
H3' know about the pork and potatoes-they
nigh: he boated down the Ohio, TO find a !
market IN the South, but he spoke from in
formation derived from others in regard to the
sat, coal and oil, and in regard 10 the cattle
trad. he spoke from his own knowledge
lie urged with force the position that this |
Convention ought to look 10 the whole and |
del toT the whole, and shape their measures |
with RESPECT to all interests Where opinions |
conflict, We must yield 10 circumstances, and |
compromise with each other.
h-Tt were various propositions which he !
Hu:pnsed 10 consider, and inquire which was |
lhr best cal iCulattd TO su observe the purpose of
ftc'Ting that safety which the in Lerests OF the |
Commonwealth demand. His mpathes, in /
~I'''', feelings and instincts all attached him /
To- no South, and il the alternative were pre-
s'A''G 10 him OF going with the Northern |
Nta'';, or with the Southern Confedericv, he !
"o'id unhesitatingly say with the latter /
bh' he designed 10 consider whether, by pro- /
P! amendments 10 the Constitution, a plan /
might not DE matured for the reconstruction |
o. the Union upon q basis acceptable TO all !
thr -yUlhern States. In this connection he t
tvvk = the majority report which concedes !
'hdi without the proposed changes in the or |
gam law of the country, IL is unsafe for |
liP MA 10 remain IL member OF the Federal |
'M'h. lie repudiated the idea that any one
VINO advocated that report could be deemed
HIJinis ionist. He went on to Consider the
I''Sl ION Of the Border States whose in teres ts
Gnu opinions were similar to those OF Virginia,
anu Whatever affected one aHec ted vi render
lF T. hec~ssary that they shouid act together
=, "ts only necessary to satisfy onr Western
-'ioW citizens that by any action we might
.-'Pt thty were not 70 be separated forever
4ton lhe border States, 10 bring them TO con-
"l 10 The policy proposed There was an
.HCoiIaging prospect Of united action among
| 'I'e border States, and il seemed i'm possible 10
11Aeeme That Peunsylvanis, Ohio Indiana
,-u -u LIMOS would ever consent to a sepera-
~" iiVih the States with whom their inter
's's We're So Intimately connects The r,tr.
re- ls 10 sec are united action on the part of
"ii ths Border slave States that whom one