Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-30
SATURDAY MORNING, mARCrI e0 -
The Virginia State Convention.
Speech of Ex-Presi(lent TYLER.

The Virginia State Convention.
Speech of Ex-President Tyler.
ln.the Convention, March lSh, 1861.
Ex-PREslDEST TYLER.--I am about to make
Mr.. President, avery bofTand daring adventure
The condition Of my health might very well
justify ME to this Convention in withholdinr
from it any remarks upon the interesting sub.
Jects which were discussed yesterday. But.
sir, am acting under an impulse of duty-Ean,
impulse which always obey, and which shall
attempt to carry OUT on the present occasion.
Mr. President, an aged man who had retired
from thepursuits of busy life, surrounded5by
those comforts which should most properly
surround one whoseilife had been spent irlEfhe
public service-with prattlers at his knee and a
light illuminating his household, forever beam.
ing aroundihim-was Startled from his oIliie.
tude andTrepose, bya voice which came. from
the legislative halls Of his native State ad-
monishing him Of dungcr to the country, and
making requisition for all of energy that still
remained with him, either physically or men.
tally, III the eifort to rescue that country from
the Imminent peril that threatened it. 1t was
the voice OF Virginia, appealing. sir, to son,
who, from the early morning Of manhood, she
had nurtured and petted, even as fond mother
does her first born infant. A. the age OF twen-
ty-one, having scarcely put on the toya pirilis,
he entered the public service OF the State,
cheered on his way by the approving SMILES
OF those who had elected him member of the
Legislature and his presence there vas greeted
by his brother members with an almost atfec-
tionate cordiality. The pathway Of his life was
lighted up by gracious smiles which nc was
continually receiving. Without anything Of the
spirit OF boastfuness which would i'll become
me, might say that that aged man had sounded
in the language of Cardinal WolSey, ''all the
shoals and depths of honor" The highest public
stations which the State of Virginia held in her
gift, she had conferred upon him. When I left
the government sixteen years ago, sir, it had not
entered into my contemplation that should
ever afterwards appear i'll public assembly.
lett that government prosperous and happy.
The voice which startled Inc in my retirement,
told me of feud, and discomfort, and discord-
OF tearing in twain Of that beautiful flag
which had hoated so triumphantly over us in
the days that had gone by, which bad never
looked upon but my heart had thrubbed with
On emotion it is impossible for me to give ut.
terance to. The Father of his Country had
left behind an admontion to his children to
avoid sectional feuds, but those fcudS had arisen
and had progressed until they had eliminated
into disunion. | had seen their beginning,
sir, thirty years before. when the dark cloud
which now overspreads the hemisphere just
rose above the horizon, no bigger than mans
hand. 1t was the cloud OF Abolitonsn.-
Washington, looking to the probable contin-
gency that has now arisen, warned us
against sectionalsn and sectional parties.
With the tongue and the pen of an in.
spired prophet, he ioretold what has be-
fallen us. From ths School-room where the
youthful mind was Impressed with doctrines
III one section, inimical 10 those of another
from the pulpit where traduction and abuse
have been Ieveled at the very memories Of the
great dead who assisted to build up what was
but yesterday glorious government desc
Grating the very altar itself and pronouncng
against Us anathema and violent vitupcraLiun,
bidding US go forth from the cnrnmu-
nion table, you are miserable shareholders and
we cannot partake with you in the feast OF
peace and religion" Such tn. ----.-on'-- a.'u
when all is made ready-the masses excited
and stirred up with an undefinnble love OF hu-
man liberty-the politician, regardless oi his
country and intent only upon his own elevation,
steps forth upon the stage to control those
masses and lead them to the disastrous point OF
sectionalistn aud separation.
Where is that Union now which We once so
much lovedg Where its beautiful flag which
waved over land OF wealth, OF grandeur, and
of beauty Wrong, abuse, contulnely, uncon-
stitutional acts, looking to higher law than
the Constitution, thus setting luen free from
their obligations to society, have cut the ship
Of state Loose from her noornss, and here she
is, drifting without helm or compass, amid rocks
and wbirpools, her fragments floating in every
direction-one part has gone South, while other
parts moored for this moment, will probably at
the next, break loose from their insecure an
chorage. grieve over this state Of things by
day and by night When think Of the manner
in which all this has been brought about by o
race of hungry, artful Catalines, who have mis-
led the Northorn mind solely for their own ag-
crandizement, my blood becomes so heated IN
nv veins as to scald and burn them in its
rapid fow.
~ was told, that in this hour Of the country
danger, my services were needed; and under
the resolutions Of the Legislature Of Virginia,
which will very briefly advert to, as contain
ing my letter of instructions, / resolved, at
peril to III yselfand at everypossible personal IN
convenience, to venture upon the task whlch
INV native State had imposed upon me. have
not felt myself at liberty to wander or deparl
from those instructions. One OF them VIII
read:
"Whereas, it is the deliberate opinion OF the
General Assembly Of Virginia, that unless the
unhappy controversy which now divides the
States OF this Confederacy, shall be salisiac
torily adjusted, permanent dissolution OF the
Union is inevitable; and the General Assem-
bly. representing the wishes of the people ol the
Commonwealth, IS desirous OF employing every
reasonable means to avert 80 dire calamity
and determined to make final effort to restore
the Union and the Constitution, in the splri
in which they were established oy the 'a'he'S
Of the Republic"
An effort was to be made to restore the
Union; not to enter into sort OF bargain, eu'
bracing only the border States; not merely u
enter into o covenant with those VINO h"V'
brought about this state OF things throuRt
misleading the public mind Of the North no'
vet to consult the interests Of Virginia exciu
s,vely in any arrangement which might hf
made 10 restore the Constitution and the Un'ol
of the States; but to bring back, If possible
the cotton States, thereby TO restore the Onioi
to what it was; to have. the glorious oio lias
nouting over one and ull :, to MAKE the name o
an American citizen, which had won respect II
.very part of the world, again word OF pass
yort and of honor as it has been before.
What could have carried me to Washington
but the debt of gratitude which felt owed my
State and my fellow. countrymen, and the deeE
so,icitude which experienced in this hou
Of the nations peril : | confess to an aud'
tional motive of personal character. II eve
there lived man ambitious of winning tina
true glory which can alone arise from the iull
/ 6lment of the whole duty Of patriot-tha
man now addresses you. aspired to tn
ylory of aiding to settle this controversy.
SS,J Sorn the honors Of Office through eacs
rrade to the highest had been surrounde'
ny lI,. vci.yvs Of applause in the course OF III.