The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-23

ty on earth
The idea seemed to be- now a days, to pre-.
e,pitate people into revolution. On this
idea, oar Southern brethren seem to have
acted. lie went on to speak of the assertion
that they Were justified in not comforting with
Virginia, because she refused a year ago to
10 into a conference on the subject. He as ked
II the cases were similar. She declined con
ference because, she saiG, the time had not
come. 1t was very different thing to decline
a conference then, To declining it As the South
ern States had done, and TO go into reyolu-
,ion. South Carolina had under taken the
task, with determination TO confer with no
body. II was common to hear that the en-
barras sments of business req uired the secession
of Virginia How further disruption was to
restore confidence TO the people in this respect
he was unable to see. Seven States had Sc
ceded de fdcto, and 1t was now for us to deter
mine whether we would follow them or not.
He denied that il was Il commercial or politi
cal necessity for Virginia TO follow them. He
thought he couid see that time in the uture
when they would find that no Gov Nernment
could be formed on this continent which
would satisfy people who had lived under the
stars and stripes. II might suit the fancy OF
some people to wander among the ruins of
lesoiated cities and To admire the proportion
of broken arches and columns; but he pre-
ferred the walks of industry and the honor Of
busy life. He then drew a picture of the
great Union, unbroken and undisturbed,
contrasting 1t with the shattered Republic,
and small Confederacies formed out of the diff
ferent States.
In arguing the question of how Virginia WAS
to get out of the Union he illustrated by re-
peaiing an anecdote of boy who was inter
rogated on the subject his reply was that he
guessed she would have to go by water, in +
dug out" II had been said that North Caro-
| lima would follow Virginia, that her voice
was so potential that the people of North
| Carolina would reverse their solemn decision,
and go where Virginia led. Would it not be
at least respectful, he asked, TO consult her on
! the subject? With this remark Mr.. Baldwin
gn nyYavy pnpp N ry N a
| State Conference. He repudiated the idea of
| submitting 70 any oppressive measures from
| the North. 1t was his determination and the
| determination of those who thought with
| him, to demand and to have full and sufficient
guarantees for the future, or they would have
| "row" They meant to present to the n orth
the alternative, of submitting to their de-
| mand, or peaceable separation.
| The irrepressible conflict doctrine of VIM
| II. Seward was considered, and the speaker
| denied that the institution OF slavery was on
| tho retreat; on the contrary he maintained
| with pride and pleasure that it was on the in
crease, and at this moment stood higher and
/ more powerful than at any previous history
| of the world. He could remember when
| slavery was looked upon by Southern people
as moral incubus, but now it was regarded
| as a beneficent and advan tageous institu ton.
| He also maintained that there were now at
| the North more pro- slavery people than there
| were in the South and in the whole world be-
| side thirty years ago. He believed that if
| slavery had been let alone by the fanatics of
| the North there would not to day have been
| Il slave in all the broad limits of this Com
| mon wealth. He alluded to An address deliY-
| cred years ago in the city of Petersburg by the
gentleman from Albemarle, as an illustration
| of the great change that had been wrought
| in public sentiment. He thanked God that
| slavery now s.ood firmer than even before
| He then went on with history of the Aboli-
| ton movement at the North, commencing
with few fanatcal old women and weak
minded preachers, singing Psalms and hynles
and spiritual songs; then spreading among the
uLeducated masses and finally the politicians
| got hold of it and used it as an element To Sc
| cure the spoils of office He did not believe
that there existed at the present time such a
| fanaticai feeling upon the subject at the North
| as had been represented on this floor. III he
| thought the disruption of this Union would be
| the means of restoring public sentiment, and
| drawing the sections together again, he would
| be willing 10 make the experiment. But he
| did not believe any such result would follow.
| Public sentiment at the North would no more
| be reached and operated upon then than now.
| Slavery, he charged, had been made the toy OF
| politicians, North and South; and in the great
| day of final account there would be fearful
! reckoning for the political gamblers of both
sections, who had used it rs the counter in the
| game they were playing.
| In speaking of making a bargain with the
| North, he said he would consent TO no plan
| which did not involve a direct appeal to the
| people of all the States. 1t had SO happened
| that the North had got the majority, and the
| time had come for Il solution of the uestion
the rights of majority. The administrative
| power must be entrusted to the will of the
| majority, for this principle lay at the very
foundation of Republican government The
idea had been advanced by the gen tleman from
Albemarle, that the minority must have the
power of expansion-the power of acquiring
territory. He could not conceive how this
was TO be done. The proposition of the Peace
Conference proposes to settle the question as
| to all the present territory but as to future
acqusi tions, which it could not settle, it pro-
| posed a guarantee of power, and to that ex-
tent he favored it. But while this was
/ not acceptable to some, those who made
objections had other propositions to bar
gain with the North. As it seemed to
be admitted, then, as the sentiment OF
| Virginia that some bargain should be en-
tered into with the North, he begged gentle
men to come up and join in an honorable effort
in that direction He gave history of the Peace
Conference, which he called a most august as
| semblage. and in which the Northern States
| We're represented in the proportion OF two to
| ono. The Northern Commissioners represent ted
Black Republican States, and might therefore
| be regarded AS fair eXponents of Northern
sentiment. They agreed upon proposition,
| to which he called the attention of the Con-
| vention. He did not look upon it as a failure.
| II had never yet had a fair chance and fair
| trial. He believed that if this Convention
had sent it forth as the expression of its own
sentiment, the Union men would have rallied
| around it, and it would have ere this been re-
| ceiyed as the great measure of pacification.- -
| A resolution which he had offered with that
object in view had failed, and he now sub
| scribed to the report of the majority of the
| committee. 1t was, in some degree, i'm
provement upon the former, because 1t
| estopped the mouths of all cavilers against
the Peace Conference propositions. lie be-
| lieved that there was no subject in regard to
| which the South had complained, that was
| not covered by the Peace Conference PROPOSE
| tions He main ntained that they were better
than the Crittenden proposit tions, and ar
gued upon the point at some length
| With regard to territorial expansion and pro-
| lection, he assumed that we had no territory
| now in possession which was adapted TO slave
| labor and ever if we had, there We're no sur
! plus slaves to take there. He alluded 10 the
| importation OF Africans by the South, TO show
| that there was really a deficiency In slave Ia
Dor. TO disrupt the Union upon question
so devoid of policy or reason, was ablect in
| fatuaton. The Missouri Compromise was
the great line of peace, and he looked upon 1t
as a happy omen that every measure OF ad-
! justment proposed, maintained this line OF SO
80. He thought it indicated a disposition to
return to the spirit and principles which ac
| tuated the fathers in the formation of the
| Government.
At this point, Mr.. BALDWIN, who had
! spoken three hours, yielded the floor, and,
| On motion of Mr.. GRAY, of Rockingham,
the Committee rose and reported progress.
| On motion of Mr.. HALL, OF Lancaster, the
Conven ton adjourned.
THE EVACUATION OF FORT SUaTER.-The
| Charleston Courier of Thursday morning has
| the following announcement
On Wednesday rumors were rife in this city
| that Major Hutto, Paymaster of the U. 5.
| ARMY, had made arrangements with the agent
| of the New York steamers for the transport
on the steamship Columbia, TO leave Satur-