Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-22

COuSlSlC VI lue huOIc UOClfllG LOW, lDcn
can we accept any stipulation from people
holding the opinions that they do upon
the question Of slavery, and the obl
CATIONS OF government. The proposition
which ! have already adduced for argu
mcnt sake, is infinitely beyond anything
that we have hope OF obtaining Then as
you can get no remedy for this disease in the
Cotton States Of the Union.
The question then is, would separation
from the North be u remedy? say it would
be complete remedy; remedy that would
separated from the North, the will Of the North
on the subject Of slavery would be changed.
Why is it now that the North hates slavery
For the reason that they are, 10 some extent,
responsible for the institution because Of the
Unon and for the reason that by hating slave.
ry they get Office Let thuIc bc il separation,
and this feeling will no longer exist, because
slavery will no longer enter into tile politics Gi
the North. Does slavery IN the South enter
into tho politics Of England or France? Docs
slavery in Brazil or Cuba enter into the politics
Of the North? Not at all; and if We were
separated the subject Of slavery would not
cutter into the politics Of the North. say,
therefore, that this remedy would be sufficient
for this disease in the worst aspect Of it.
Once out of the Union, we would be beyond
the influence Of the yeas and nays Of the North.
Get US out, and we are safe.
i think, then, that this conviction in the
mind Of Georsa-name!y. that the only rene,
dy for this evil is scparatlon-was well.found-
cd. She also was convinced that separation
would be the best, If not the only remedy for
the fugitive slave evil and for the territorial evil
1t may be asked, sir, If The personal liberty
bills, if the election OF Lincoln b. a sectional
majority, had nothing tU do with The acllon Of
Georgia! Sir, they had much lu do with
it. These were most Important facts They
Indicated a deliberate purpose on the part ai
the North, in every case i'll which there vas 4
stipulation in favor OF slavery. to obiterate it
if 1t had the power to do So They are valna-
bic in another respect. These personal liberty
bills wero unconstitutional they were deIibe-
rate infractons Of the Constitution of the Uni
ted States; and being so, they give to US
right to say that we would no longer DC bonnd
by the Constitution Of the United States, if we
choose Tho language OF Webster, IN his
speech at Capon Springs, in your own
State, was, that bargain broken Oh one
side, is broken on all Sides. And in this
! opinion many others have cnincid"d And
these Northern States having broken the Cor
stitutional compac. gives US cause TO violate 1t
also if we choose to do it. The election OF Lin
| coin IN itself is not violation Of the letter Of
the Constitution though it violates it in spirit.
! The Constitution was formed with 4 view 10 ell
sure domestic peace and 70 establish justice
among all and this act of Lincoln's q, ction by n
sectional majority, was calculated TO disregard
all these obligations, aud i!.asmuch as tht. act
utterly ignores our rights in the government,
and in fact disIrapchscs us, We had lulI right
! to take the Steps That we have taken.
Now, ask the question, Georgia feeling this
conviction, what could she have done bur to
! separate from this Union Was she TO stay
and wait for Abolition Sir, that was no; TO
be expected Of her? She did the only thing
that could have been done to c.snre her rights.
! The second branch Of my case is TO lay Uc-
/ fore the Convention some facts to influence
! them, if poSsLla, to accept the invitation Of
| Georgia 20 Join her in the formation Of South
ern Confrderacy.
What ought TO influence a nation to enter
into treaty with another nation? 1t ough;
not be, anl free TO say, any higher considcrn.
ton than increst-msterial, social, political,
religious Interests. ! am free TO say that un-
less il could be made 10 appear that it was TO
And it shall be my endeavor now to show that
it will be 10 the interest of Virginia materially,
socially, politically ard rcglously, 10 accept
the invitation Of Georgia 10 join the Southern
Conlcderacy--and, f:s. will it DC to her mate.
rial interests?
Georgia and the ether cotton States prodtce
four millions of bales Of cotton, annually.
Every one of these bales is worth $50. The
whole crop, therefore, is worth 5000 ,00O.
This crop goes on growing rapidly from year
TO year The increase in tie last decade was
nearly 30 per cent. If the same lncreare should
continue for the next decade we should have,
in 1870, six million bales in 1870. nlnc million
Of bales, and so on. And, surprising that this
rate will not continue yet We have u right TO
| assume that the increase in after years, Will be
very great, because consumption outrunS pro-
ductUn, and so long as that Is the case, pro-
duction will try to ovcrtakc it.
| You perceive, then, that out o! one article
ne have two hundred millions CT dollars
This is surplus and prospect OF an indefinite
increase in the future. Then, we have sugar
worth from fifteen to twenty millions Of dol,
lars, increasing every year at a pretty rapld
rate Then, we have rice, and naval stores
and plank and live oak and varionS other ar
! tices which make few more millions. You
may set down that these States yield surplus
of S2TO, 900, 900 with a prospect OF increase
! These we turn into money and with that We
buy manufactured goods, iron, cotton and
WOODEN manufactures ready made and many
other descriptions Of goods necessary for con.
sumption. linen VIC buy four, and wheat, and
bacon. and pork, and we buy mules and ne
eroes: very little Of this money is consumed al
home; we lay it out in this way.
Now say, why will not Virginia furnish US
these yoods? Why will not she take the
place now held by New England and New
York. and furnish 10 the South these goods
Bear in mind that the manufactures consumed
by the South are manufactures OF the United
States. They have now got the whole market
by virtue of the tariff which we have lald on
foreign importation. Will not Virginia take
this placer ask, is it not TO the interest oI
Virginia and the border States to take TINS
place? Most assuredly it is. Now Fay
it is at her own option whether she VIII TAKE
| it or not dare say She can have the same
sort Of protection against the north that cue
has against Europe. That being SO, ahd mas
| much rs tho same cause must prooucc the
same effect. the same cause that built up man
ufactures u. the north, will operate similarly
| IN Virginia
Then the question is, will you have pro,tc.
ton necessary to accomplish this result! |
saw think you will. do no: como here as
said al the outset, 10 make promises; bnt l
will give my opinion, and that IS That the
South will support itself by dules on imports
| II has certainly begun to do that. We have
merely adopted the revenue system OF the I'm
rod States so far, and are now collecting the
revenue under an old law. Our Constitution has
said that Congress should havo the power 10
lay duties for revenue, to pay det's ana 10
carry on the government, and therefore there
| 10 limit to the extent that this protection
10, ao and within that the South can give
nro,eci;on that will be sufficient to enable you
to con,pcte with the North. We have
rot to have q nary, and an array,
| -. o., rnnla LII HAT army