Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-27

I nT0HLHUle ~ tllCtIl, 10 a GOui ~ " thshae'S''
You are interested in enhancing the value 0
this kind Of property as every good citizen o
this Commonwta lth is interested in erharcIn!
the general prosperity Of the Commonwealth
We are all citizens Of one Commonwealth. ant
whatever Injuries one member Of the family IN
lures the whole. VIVA. is your condition ant
where do you stand Are not your 500, OBJ
slaves in danger2 Where IS there u man upor
the other SHE who dare rise upon this llJol
and say that the property in these 500, 0OC
slaves is not this day in danger? Who is will
ing to leave these slaves under the government
Of Mr. Lincoln Us il Is, without q new conStl
tution? No man has yet lifted up his voice in
TINS Convention and declared his willingness
to do so. And yet, leaving them in danger,
you propose to adjourn over for six months
and then conclude what you propose to do
With this much Of the property Of Virginia.
Of Western Virginia as much rs EASTERN Fir'
sinla-in danger, hot from foreign countries
or outside fJes, but iroIu that government
which, according To the opinions Of these
gentlemen, is instituted for the benefit Of
those over whom it rulcs-yuu propose
this policy Of delay and i~naction. shall moi
again occupy the INT IF the Convention, aud
! 9il'!HIl tSN'lC, III SViiStaoIS'th S" W tsU -
gentlemen assembled here Whether they arc
prepared 10 leave the Commonwealth Of fr.
! 3inia without 6 government; whether :hcy
have ihc naniiness tId the nerve with their
owG hands 10 bu,ii up u go"ern:nent and pro-
vide security Tor u people who, as you have
announced 10 tho world, are utterly abandoned
by their own existing institutions? You your.
selves announced TINT the existing government
is utterly worthless, and you yourselves CT.
bounced that if proper guarantees were
not granted you, you would resums your
original rightful powers. Nov, the only dis.
"tinctiun between gentlemen hc!e Is, that one
ciass 90 for secession, because they find their
people Oppressed; the ether class 30 for scces.
sion, because the North viii not give TIC nu-
thuntic answer to unauthorized questions.
When you 80 before the pe"i'lr, Which will
atInt the best chauce u. success: They say,
IN the majority report, That, If the North
do not Answer these questions satislaeiori
~, that it Is their determined purpose 10
resntlie their sovereignty. That Is Tie Only
distinction between the two classes IN this
Hall. One says | am for secession, because !!
Is for the Interests OF my constituents 70 Dc
for secession. The other SAYS We expect IN 4
SHIRT t,uIe to DC for secession, If We ca:inot get
.hc North to give good answers TO scrle very
wise questions Which we have propoundcd.-
They are going 10 secedc, not because they are
injured, but because tie North will not all
~ er the questions which they pu, 10 them
Your Legislature declared thar this Peace Con
ference should be your final etlJrt. That Peace
Conference has adjourned and gone. Nothing
has cone out of It. | see one grea: fact staring
,,o -, Inn 60. tlot tbn D.sc.. INcnf.rp pra 1i,i
not secure amendments to the Constitution.
There IS no man here who will deny that fact
Did taut Peace Conference get Any amend.
Iueir; 10 the Constitution? | do rot care
whether they wanted Il good Or bad one
What | say Is, that they dld not do it, There
is orc other fuct: that, down yonder at Mont
tDrnury is The establishment Of Il prosperous,
powerful ard successful government These arc
the Two facts that starr NE III the face. The Peace
Conference hi Washington did fail, and the
government at the South did not fail. These
are facts, and any gentleman who will inTeStl.
.ata The sui ct Us | have, Tlll arrive c; the
same result that | have. | ca;not ciose my
e., es 10 these facts. The Peace Conference DID
inil 70 secure amendments 10 the Constitution
q The Cniled States. but the Southern Con
frderGcy did not !a!i 10 establish one Ct the
bsst governments on earth. Now you propose
i" Gi.cI edit the declaration Of the representa-
lives VI the people Of Virginia: However fee
DE they may have been, however incompetent
they may have been, If they we're 10: sufficient
iyr The crisis, whose fault was It II was The
!a;:; u: tie people that they had not sent bet
ter representatives 10 the Legislature ot V'rg'-
n!,. That Legislature, chosen by toe people
of Yirginin, DECLARED for the Cotn,:onw eaIli'.
''H here 10 EIrIin!as last tinal e!turt 20 restore
this Union" tO% comes this Gran-new Sc, O.!
Virginia re representatives., und tit frs. thing you
do is 70 declare that tho representatives CT Viz
.;nia don't express the VOICE ana the will
:: the re,ple; and therefore CHA: you say
must De listened II. You declare that the
people Of Virginia Did a very foolish thing
wi:en .hey seat such i rayamuain set over here
10 the Capitol. 10 mako ANY siicn celebration
Tor them; but here ure the n,rnon pnres here
arc the picked mcn-anG ye! We follow the
example OF The Legislature Of Virslil, and
declare that this is to be our vcry last. Il IS
very nuch ike tho play. bills, when some
~favorite perlurwer is engaged. They an
nourcv for one nigh! his last appearance.
tho next night positively his last appeaFsncr,'
G!i,i the third night cones the bcr,Gt- | sup.
pose aa old Virginia has pcrinrinrc her last ~.
pcar.Ec: you waat now Z better set u men 70
tussc trr appear on poalti"cly her last appear.
ance, and alter both Of these are over, sup
pose SIC will have d benefit night. Laughter
Who is going 10 believe u Virginia declaration
about your determined purpose, WHEN you dis.
credit what two months ago Virginia procIaim:!
that the Peace Conference was her final ef
fnrt for the UEion. You coiue forwar! nov and
declare lha. ull you have got to do is TO play
= li;tlc longer. Every time the play bill comes
out, you arc going to plsy thunder The next
lime. Rolling up ycur sleeves End splitting On
Your hands, yuu gre goirg to knock somebody
down, bye and bye, and when the time comes
you will postpone n little longer, md then. III
plucc Of 4 fight wind up with . foot race. For
one, my judgment is, Ih2t the effect, whatever
Ire design Of the action recommended by your
committee, is 10 bring ~liscreilt or this Com.
monwealth. |, therefore, give !: my earnest Up
position.