Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-06

! Legislature, or ofthe Executive (when the Leg.
isature caHaot u2 conveneG) against domestic
! violence"
Suppose we should accept the attributes Of
! sovereignty for which the gentleman from,
: Princess Anne, (Mr. WtsE,) contends, we could
| establish monarchy in Virginia for the gov
ernlnent of the people Could such govern.
; mcEt hr {, reed upon them No, sir, this pro.
securrs to them Republican form of Govern
| ment; and the Father q our Country, whose
monument gracca yon Capitol Square, ard who
presented that Constitution TO w., would arise
| from his grave and tell the people CT Virgins.
thos The people Of the other Stats had pledged
themselves ~ that instrument that tEey should
have 1 publ can 'oru Of governm mt.
Mr. Chairman, k.i supposed th:t the cs-
rccial friends nf these Cotton Stal,s would
have reserved al! this fire which they have ex.
pended, sp that they might have !; to use when.
ever the question Of secession is presented in a
tangible form before this Convention. Have
they forgotten what distinguishes tho present
position of Virginia from South Carolina 2
Look at her Declaration Of Independence, il
you phase; look at her whole proceeding
lock at her ordinance annuling and resembling
all connection with the Federal Government,
anil aS,um'n5 to herself ihe powers which she
had when sh. was an independent Colony, be-
fore she became connected with the Federal
Government Look at that sir. All! all that
is necessary 10 be acne before you can take
your stand among The powers Of the earth.-
And Virginia, not having taken any such ac.
tinn, weshould pursue the course recommend
ed this minority repor', which is signed by the
gentleman from Middlesex, (Mr. MONTAGUE
We would be placing Virginia in n very iul>e
position. 1t would be placing her on the same
platform with South Carolina, and Mississippi,
and Alabama, and Louisiana, and the other
States that have seeded from the Union
Those States had to annul the action that they
took 80 the formation Of tho General Govern.
ment, and trust 10 God Virginia never will
annul that action which male her part OF the
Federal Union, until every Constitutional means
is exhausted to redress her wrongs.
Wien !l.i; at the Constitution find that
every state il 10 hare Republican :orm of gov.
erntnent and is bound 70 be protected by the
whole thirty four States Of this Union All this IS
to be done sir. The Constitution guarantees tna;
we are tc he guarded and yet we are to lay
down the doctrine in Virginia, that Vermont,
70" instance if she wants 10 90 out OF the
Union tomorrow, with q thousand negroes
wilicl, she may have s.olen from Virginia, all
she has To do nnhrr this new tangled doctrine,
is to say ''tlat do not believe ua1 can hold
property in man, and will secedc" This is
the practical working oil the doctrine. Estab-
liSh it and ron lose the protection given by the
Fedora! Constitution, snd warn my friend to
shake nn, his CORY locks at me, he can not
say did it.'
vow b:f0rc God and man that | believe the
rcla,iac between the Federal Government ard
The Stale Of Virginia. the Constitution Of each
Of which every officer takes an oath Ia sup.
nort, is As binding rs the marriage voT itself.
When made VOW at the lIymenial altar, as
70 what worl,d do, vowed before Col, with
all the snlemni,v and obligations of all oath ;
but | tell these gentlemen, that if their logic
holds good. you have bit one step farther to
20 and thar is to repudiate these solemn obi
.!tions and you can get new wives as well as
ticstray your existing Constitution, just as often
as you please L.ughter. The ole is not
any more simple than the other 10 O man who
has any regard whatever for hs oath.
have detained the Committee longer Than
I intended in the beginning, hcc:ase oa!y
.7iShed tn refer 10 the prominent features, and
t. call the attention o! this bot!r to what cor.
si,ier-l xiii not say the absurd " Of the ideas
aisanrci-but 70 "a: folly ard Inconsistency
0i State comforting OF the FEDERAL Govern
men: attributes Of sovereignty, and imposing
obligations ca her citizens TO support the Ca!.
sti;ut:on of each, and yet, With the compact
yei standing in all lis binding force, to say slch
4 State is entirely spctreign and indeptndcnt.
Farther, Sir-ali the States, when the Fede'
raj Constitution was formed, we're independent
States. These State, formed the Federal Con.
stitution. S5u.h Carolina was one Of the
States 2hich composed tho United Sla,cs Of
Am RIA when tie F d -ral Constitution was
formed SIe was an independent State before
she gave her consent to the compact. Is South
Carolina one Of the States of this Union now 7
Shall ne state that South Carolina is an indie
pendent State in the Union? You undertake,
by that amendment to say that she is one Of
the States Of this Union, and yet in The exc
else Of her independence she has declared her
sell out Of it,
have but one more remark 10 make, ard
that is. that it wos expressly declared that this
cDrd ten should he binding upon the people
o; Virginia
Mr.. Chairman, must apologize to my
friend, the Chairman Of the Committee on F.
deral Relations, for taking the part that have
taken. THE ability, the zeal, the thorough in
restigation which wera displayed by hun and
others Oil that Committee, and include my
distinguished from Richmond, (Nr MAcFAR.
LASp) and my equally distinguished friend
from fauquier, OR. Scorr,) entitled the Report
to careful consideration. Every point was
guarded. and every concilatrry measure taken
that COULD he taken consistently, to bring about
I. satisfactory adjustment of our difficulties and
protect the rights Of the people Of Virginia.
By the adoption Of conservative, constitu
tiona means OF redress, guarantees and amend
mcEts 10 the Constitution, such as those re-
commended by the Committee on Federal Re.
latons, and Virginia and the whole South will
be secured in their rights under the Consttu.
ton. and the Union preserved. If this IS de-
nic,t lis. and We urc not allowed to separate in
peace, let us take our stand like men, sword in
han'i, and not rely upon the miserable prcttxt
OF peacel5le recession. Let the friends of the
Union stand firm, and detend the report Of the
committee, that our country, the best govern.
rient on earth, may be saved and become an
abode for the oppressed Of al nations, TO wor
ship God n their own way under theiT own
vine a"d zig tree, without any to m1lest them
or mako them afraid. LApplause.
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Adjournment OF tiIe Legislature
Tic General assembly adjourned last ever