Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-19

sh ,uld have felt it my duty to hqv. waited 10
his ;Chrine hi co operation | went hnhe, S'f
ard took these arguments snd esalniacu Then
to the lest Of my abilities and Judgment ; aye
sir, with an invocation to Providence tn at
me in The Investigations; and lhe result was,
conclusion that this was not the policy prcl re
to be pursued al this time and umlcr cXIstin!
circumstances.
feel impressed with the suIrmnily of IN
OCCASION. | feel impressed with tho impoftanc
Of tue decision which this Convention is abou
to make And, sir, I have brought my mlnt
TO tho conclusion that nj Tins hanr, as
matter of prudence, 81 q military question, a'
a question Involving the rosSihl. existence o
our Commonwealth, aud Of nil our interests
the argument on the other side is the best, ant
must entitled to consideration. Under thes'
circumstances, sir, although An representing
a Union constituency, and dnl't know villa,
change has been produced upon their mind;
| By recent erents-nor can | now wait Tor IN
Struc.ion from home--yct | will do what
believe my gallant constituency would have
me to do-record my vote according 10 my
Judgment, with reference to the Interests o.
this State aud that. sir, viii BIZ hal Virginia
shall assume the power which she has granted
to the General Government.
Mr.. President, what is the argument in ia
vor ii Cooperation It is that ne ntay invite
al the slavc States in nne consolidated mas:
Tor the purpose of resisting This horde OF lies.
SLAMS which is soon to he thrnwn upon our
coasts. This will take t;nc; aye, and our ac.
tioa mag lead to miscan5irnction, so far as
those States arc concerned I hold that it is
important that they should knor at once @hat
| mi, hof frin in
those States should have the advantage of the
moral argument Of Ergina's position. Let
them irrl and know That we arc in earnest. -
Lei those who sTe determined upon resistance
know that Virginia has led the van, and then,
| sir, wc can cooperate just ms well Gnt Of the
| Union sa in the Union. We cin cn.aperalc
With greater force and elect when we have Ia
kri our position. We can strengthen MI those
whp are weak We can Confirm all those
who are doubtful; and, sir, bring ahout morc
rapidly that co operation which We all look to.
As understand the arguments which hav"
hern urged, they both lead TO the same end. -
The object is, 10 bring all the slaves States in
solid column, shoulder to shoulder in this con
teal. llo~ is it best 10 accomplish That ?
| | am compelled To come 10 the cDacluSion,
that it will bc more efficiently accomplished
tv Flr:ni2S taking L decided stand now. ,ian
hy waiting for conference with the border States.
| 1t, in acc"r';ancc with the argument presented
BY The gentleman from Fauquicr Mr. S,'rrl.
| son thinT This contest among Your v%H p'r
pie bf offering alternate propositions to bc
submitted 10 the people 10 make 4 choice ht =
tween them, what is the impression Ia be pr'.
ducel upon the Border Sta;r. Will H.; Nh
impression os doubt be produced witt reference
10 NIrsinla'S position And what will lie the
elect produced upon tl.e North RI luGl -
! Why, sir il Virginia presents herself in . con.
dition ot dMlht i'll this emergency. shall wr
not stimulate them IN increased tNerton hy
t':rnwin. uut a false hope Thch our ultimate
purpose does mol justify Wia; is 10 !,r Ihs
effect produced upon your own people L;
| Will paralyIe their efforts and d;splrt them at
| the ontset of Ihis cLntcst. Now is The time
! f,r our column t0 pc closed up In solid n1ss.
Now is the tine for our People 20 s'aad stan'
| Grr to shoulder and fight for the purpose q, re
| ;isting this oppression. We cannot retreat
| The bridge is cut away. W, are com
resist; honor requires ii; selfinrcrest and
sell preservation require IT, ThrIl, sir,
under these circumstances. shall we throw in
|
tested AID canvassed ,!rour hout HE S','r Of
| Virginia for the next two months l:tls'
not, ani nope 1t will he the pleasure ui he
Convention 10 pass the Ordinance Of Secession
proposed by the gentleman from Montgomery
! (Mr pEESToH.)
Mr SAMUEL McDnNfri Moogg, of E'ck-
bridSe.--Mr. President. did not intend to say
a word npon the question row before the Con
ven,ion but on reflection, feel that il is '!u:
TO myself that should take his occ son 10 "a
:cw words in explanation OF the position
which nos occupy aad design Ii occupy.
| ! Hil. a;9"rl lDr Il lea minllle: to the cause
which has brought tis 10 our present coutl;-
| ton | prr>u.ne il will he admitted on ali
hands, li!at the immediate cause = the attack
which Was made upon Fort Sumter. presume
it will not be denied that when proposition
was made to Mij IF Anderson 10 surrender hat
fort, he informed the authorities Of SurtlI
Carolina, that he mad no more provisions than
wonld last him iur twn or ihrrs days Il Is
equally well asceriaincd that nu provisions
could b.. :;enL 20 hiin-lhe foriiicatioDs which
we're *rccled in the hgrbor being such as to
preclude the possibility Of SEEDING hitn rrin
iorcements or supplies
Why, then, was thai attack m1dc II reg cl
| that the attack had bcrn made If tbs TACT
sxlsrs that S,uiE Carolina was guilty CT ihc
inhuman a.. OF attacking, with her hrs rT',
! i;rL in which there Was but q force If :.iXtY
or seventy men, the pnbiic will be Il! no !n;'
TO decide where tho responsibility ~ t!I: ry,s;
ing : ate Of things lies. .tnd st' y" it "a
This a;lRci; was made upon 4 hantl!n Dt half.
starred soldiers, and 4 war thus inangI'rared.
rcpla', that the responsibility CJr what i,
now likely to occur, srIer"rdiy rests upon
those whn made the attack and II, rS.: wir., I'll
visr.i tic attack L. he midl | un.;ir-i .Dl
that an s'yce was publicly given t" nI:k.. :lit
attuci ,anI with V!rS a! drawing Irsi"ia
ont of thr l.nior.
Tn ;!i3 nliIer hand, ~ lndI c'.I. sr,a t!Ia
conduct Of tie present Administration with
tnnra ntcmpt and indignation than d..
regard The Giiole course of I.inculn rs markc
by tluplicity and m utter want nl cln'lnr and
honesty. H. mas pretended l|ia. hr wa, lor
peace ;rra nothing was farther, ia my npin-
ion, from hi; purpose tnan that pcacc s:lurid
be preserved He pretended that hrnnr re-
qlifci a'm l.. ha!'i itair fn'is, lnl rn~ pre-.
tends thar II r.qniIrs tina l!t sho:i!a rcpoSSeis
lns.lf -. thrrn fDr ",i,a, ,urp -. hn,;s he
WANT t.. hold these irrL.Y | apprr!rnd. air.
l'i"' lr las Hh p'' INfHi' w ihaiil'ah''it 'he
upacc. bat that he means 10 tiGld uH r,niri lie
make: preparations for { r'nqneTing the :5'Iith
rrn Sta'r:. have reason Iu suspect that The
Intentions Ct tnis RlacH; Republican party look
to The conquest OF the whole South and 1t !:
this fac a'nnc, which, in my opinion, j'Isti'i,>
the Steps likely IL he taken hy Virginia nnw
prefer tn. proposition submitted bJ lht
gentlemen frun i4uquer (Mr, Sc3TT,J because
rrgarl this ,hirg Of immediate SECESSION Is
an open declaration of Har The other pro
position wlIl give sofsa time to prepare l''r
war which conceive is inevitable | lo,k upor
:,"naasnn too as unqncstinnahle, anil the only
difference therefore is, that nur declaration il
:ruinetiac se:csSinn is a declaration OF war a
once, which will bring upon us the forces
TIC NorthrrnStatcs On the other hand, " ";
a.lopt the proposition Of the gentleman from