Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-16

~ Ia -SCSSt ' l" PttkSSAf NsN
that it is necessary to rendezvous ut that place.
II they attempt to take them from our govern
ment, they do it by going out Of their way 10
pick a quarrel. They do it by going beyond
the necessities of their position to force a
quarrel upon our people. And, sir, with Thai
movement, with that disposition, | have no
sympathy whatever. | want our government,
rs long MS il remaius our government. TO keep
itself within the clear line Of right. want 1t
to maintain a pacific policy towards his peo-
pie. But, sir, ], for one, do not sympathlSe
with any disposition on the part Of tho&c peo'
pie who have set themselves up asa foreign
government to force n quarrel on the govern:
mcnt, which is, as yet, my government, and |
do not look forward with any pleasurable an
ticipations to see the flag, which is our nag,
trail before any assault by any hostile i"rcc
whatever. want our government to pursue
3 pacific policy, and | do not want to see 1t
surrender valuable property ard valuable IN
terestS to any demand which is made Tor the
mere purpose Of picking a quarrel.
Mr.. WlsE-I accept the amendment cltered
by the gentleman from Augusta, tMr. bALp.
VIM
The yeas and nays were demanded and Or
dcred.
The question was then taken on the amend
,nent Of Mr.. WISE, as amended. and it was re-
jected-yeas 60, rays G7-a< follows:
fs.s.-Messrs. Amber, Janice Barbour Elakey,, Boi'seau'
Chapman, Cotmsn, Conn, Z. IL. Cox, Criticize, Echol''
Flournuy, Garland, Graham, Gray, Gregory. Jr, Goggis,
J; GoOdt, J5, 7; +. ooode, Hale, A.; Hall 9; HAL, r I; s.
Lawson, L-aSe, c, K. Mallory, ]. r. Mallory, Mari,
Marye, ST., MOfett, Morris, Morton, N.blett, Parks, Rich
srdson, Seswell, saefey, Sou:ha!, Speed, Strange,
StA No nrytnn raltr Tsl.r llr w
STsEMe,srs. Janney, tpresldent) Armstrong, Aston,
cess, Boyd, Brent. Brown, Burdett, Burnley. CampSriii'
Caperton, Uarlle, Garter, c. l. Conrad, q. L. CGnFau,
French, Fuests, Gillespie, Graiely,. E. Il. iiAl, Ham
mond, Hay noud, Hoge, Hubbard, Hughes; Lsckson: "
Johnson, p. G. Johnston, Lewis, McComas, MeGrew, Mac
dle,on, Porter, Price, Pugh, Rlvrs. K. E. Scott, Sharp,
%si.ing,on, Slaughter, spuiluek, staples, c. J. Stuart,
SUMMERS, rarr, White. wickhan, Wiley, wilsOn-d1.
Mr.. SrMaEKS-I propose to strike out alter
the word "reiniorce," in the Tth line, the fol-
lowing words: The forts now in possession
Of the military forces Of the United States"
and insert in lieu thereof these words: ANY
forts situated upon the mail, land Or within
the borders OF any Of the seeded States" SO
IN It the clause would read: An that he
attempt be made 10 subject them to the Federal
authority nor to reinforce any forts situated
upon the main land OF within the harbors Of
any of the seeded States" &c.
Mr.. Chairman, | offer that amendment as
in accordance with my own views of the decla'
ration that ought to he made. am entirely
satisfied with the language Of this resolution
when it announces THAT d pacific policy shall
he adopted towards tl,e seeded States, and
that no attempt be made to subject them to the
Federal authority. nor to re-capture the forts,
~arsenals or other property Of the United States
within their limits, nor to exact the payment
Of iiuposts upon their commerce; nor any
measure resorted 10, justly calculated to pro
woke hostile collision"
All this will be left, if the Committee shall
think fit to strike cut the words which | have
indicated, and insert in lieu thereof, those words
| named in my amendment. My only object is
to accomplish and carry out the idea which
has already been indicated. II you adopt the
resolution Is it now is, it is virtually q quasi
pledse of secession for this Commonwealth, in
the event of a Reinforcement Of any Of the
forts claimed already within the jurisdictionsl
limits of the seeded States, Or any one OF
them, BY the Government nf the United
States.
Now I wish to restrict them to the reinforce
III VI " - NV bPOh IbS illiibi iA'tN va Abhf''
the harhors Of the seeded States. As 70 this
latter class of Publications. l I'm opposed TO
any reinforcement Of them, and had hoped,
have been evacuated before now. While | am
willing ard anxious that that policy should he
pursued, | am not willing to commit myself to
secession; | am not willing that we should
break loose from nur mornings and drift away,
upon the happening Of events alluded to in
this resolution. If YOU pass this resolution.
and they throw marines into the forts in Key
West and the Tortugas, it breaks the condition.
1t is said that fort Jefferson, at Tortusas. and
fort Taylor, ut Key West, arc both within the
limits Of Florida. Be tSo. lam mt advised
aud I had expected that the gentleman from
Princess Anne. who is familiar with the
sab. ct. would hive stated-l am not ad
.sed whether the United States Govern
ment holds the Tortugas by reservation to
itself, in the law creating Florida, or whether
they hold it by dee'l Of cessIon from
Florida. That I an not prepared to say. But,
be it the one way or the other, am not pre-.
pared to avow that the throwing o! IL handful
Of troops or marines into these forts Is to
break the condition now existing between us
and the Federal Government BY the amend
ment, we do not say that these forts should be
reinforced; we only decline to say that 4 rein
forcenent Of them would he a sufficient cause
10 disturb our effort at settlement. ] AIN sure
the gentleman FROM Princess Anne understood
me, when | used the terms local forts, that
it WAS in contra-distinction to national. In one
sense, all the forts are national. They were
built at the expense of the general government;
and so long MS those States remain with us,
they are forts for n%ationa! defence. BIZ the
amendment which | have sent to the Chair, |
have indicated what | mean by local in contra
distinction to national. mean those forts
upon the main land, and within tie harbors Q!
the seeded States. Now, suppose those troops
were Withdrawn from Key West and the Tor
tugaS, do you not at once perceive that the
whole commerce Of the Gulf would he left at
the mercy Of pirates? We know that the
Confederate States have no naval force, that
they have no military marine. no commercial
marine; they have no means II defend the com
ioerce Of the Gulf: and | believe that it is for
the interest Of the Confederate States, as well
as of the States now remaining in the Union,
that th,se forts in the Gulf should. for the pre-.
sent, at all events, be left in the possession OF
the United States, for the reasons which ! have
assigned. What may be brought about in the
future, is another thing: we are speaking and
acting for the present.
I will take occasion to remark, Mr.. Chair
man, that within the limits Of the ten minutes
rule, q man hardly knows what to leave unsaid
or what to say. I will say, however, that this
proposition is not q new one. \ short time
since, this matter was under discussion in the
Senate of the United States. twas introduced
by a resolution presented by Mr.. Breckenridge,
Of Kentucky, indicating the policy which the
Federal Government ought to pursue in rtla-
ton to the withdrawal of forces from the forts.
In the course Of his remarks ne vas enqnired
of by one of the Senators whether he included
within the scope and purpose OF his resolution
and within the policy he would wish to see
pursued, the withdrawal Of the troops from
those very forts which have been referred to
here-Fort Jefferson and Fort Taylor. In re.
PLY, Mr.. Breckenridge reviewed to some extent,
the ARGUMENTS on both sideS. and came 10 the