The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-04


of coercion, and worse, the right of reyoiu-
iton against the State. One member had here
aNoweG a doctrine worse than submissiou and
he believed there We're others Just as bad.
Mr. ScoTT would not undertake to criticise
the resolutions Of the member from Marshall
he was here, and could speak for himself. If
he was an exception, so far as he (Mr. ). was
informed, he consiitu ted a solitary exception.
lie would leave the gentleman from Princess
Anne TO explain his own position, though he
understood that he, like the gentleman from
Bedford, iMr Goggin,l was for Immediate Sc
cessiOn, but did not con template an immediate
conjunction with the Southern Confederacy !;
that he was ono who would wait Tor co opera
lien. Mr.. Scott then went on to urge the
necessity of n consultation with the States
whose co operation WAS desired, before with
dra wing, and leaving them in another Gov
ernmcnt. Immediate secession, so FAR from
being a measure Of peace, he believed would
be measure of war. Within SIXTY days II
wouid bring on a collision-collision with the
| Federal Government. He therefore rejected
| IL a. measure of unnecessary war; unneces-
Sary, because, If we consulted with the Bor-
| der States. such a consultation would lead To
4 peacea6le solution of the dlfflc cultieS.
After ella aborating upon this point, Mr.. SCorT
| proceeded to develop what he conceived TO be
| the hidden motive OF those who opposed the
| presenting OF propositions OF adjustment to
| the orih--Stdiing in effect his apprehension
| that they feared the propositions would be
| accepted by the North.
Mr.. WISE desired to be informed if the gen =
| t!elN3n ctaSSti MIN among lnOSp VINO enter
| tanned this hidden motive.
Mr.. SCuTT said he did not have him in his
| mind.
| AIR WISE thought this was strange when
| he had classed him with the gentleman from
| bedford.
| Mr.. Scorr said he was now speaking of an
| other class.
| Mr. WISE said that so far as he was con l.
! ccrned, he wanted to form better union OF
both the North and the South. What he did
| fear was the effect of the mode OF adjus stment
proposed by others.
Some remarks were made by the CHAIRNAS
| 10 the effect that he did not consider the gem
| tleman from Fauquier rs impugning the mo-
| tive of any particular member: had he done
so, h- would have called him to order.
Mr.. SC0rr dlsclalmed any such purpose; it
was his design 10 attribute the action of diff
lerent members 10 Il motive having in view
| the recons struction of the Union upon one
basis or another, which, though opposite
plainly showed that there were no disunion- :
lists per Sc in this Convention. He then went
on 10 enforce the positions previously ad-
vanced, and subsequently, alluded TO the
mighty progress of the American Republic,
expanding from the Allan tic to the Pacific I'm
III il had reached point III the foremost rank
of uatlons. Its products had grown to such
proportions as to become q necessity 70 the
industry of the world. Might we not lool, with
feelings akin 10 admiration upon its grandeur?
Il was not strange, then, that we should find
| in lrginla Convention, one sentiment OF
| love fer the MON running through the Ell
| tira mind. All admitted this, and yet there
| was q division of opinion which lie feared
would keep us apart to the end. Was there
| no mode by which could avoid the Scvila
on the one side or the Charybdis on the othcr
| no middle passage, through which all could
| arrive at a safe and satisfactory conclusion
Such 4 desirable result might be attained by
an agreement upon the plan proposed, assum-
| ing that the interests of Virginia would be
best pro tected in Southern ConfeIcracy
| when ,he Border States were there with her.
1i.rhf lpy-
! them but choice, never. He took Il position
upon his amendment offered on Saturday last
providing that after the failure of the efforts
of the Border States in primary Conyen-
tons should they fail, a Congress OF such
States shall be called for the purpose of
recommending 4 Constitution upon which
the Union of all the States may be safely
reconstruc ted. This he considered a mid.
stand. 1t was said by some that the PROPOSE
tions would be rejected by the North and that
therefore it would be idle to present them
He, however, could sea 10 reason why they
should not defer 50 much TO the opinions OF
others, as 10 go through the brief space which
these forms and ceremonies would occupy, to
prove the Justice of their conclusions.
He mad left his home for this Convention,
fun of hone for an adjustment of all the pend
ing difficulties bat he was sorry to say that
this hope, if not entirely vanished, had now
become very faint. Two plans had been pro-
posed one through amendments 10 the Con
sttution through the Peace Conference, and
another through a National Convention, call
ed on the demand OF two-thir Is of all the
States. The first had been appealed to and
failed, for the Peace Conference propositions
had been repudia ted by Congress. The other
was impracticabie, for the seeded Sta tes
would not enter into such a consultation,
which would be necessary in order 10 carry
out the plan, since they were not recognized
by the North rs Il separate and independent
Government. Although he had little hope OF
an adjustment now, ne was willing TO appeal
10 il, in Difference TO the opinions of others
for in the event of y failure we should then II
be united.
He did not believe it was practicable now
TO Procure a TeconS truction of the Union
through amendments to the Cons titution n nor
did he believe in the practcabili1y of imme-
diate secession. There would be a. little hope
from one side as from the other. The Border
States had only TO stand firm upon their own
soil, going with neither wing, but bring both
TO their position. If the Border States agreed
TO withdraw from their association with the
Federal Government, he cOntended, thai Gov =
ernmemt would necessarily have to abdcate
the Federal Capital. The Government would
then be ours, and with such prestige OF
greatness, there would be no difficulty III
drawing either section to the common centre.
This plan OF reconstruction and restora ton
he believed was practicable, and looking upon
the others as impracticable, he rejected them
and adopted this because of its practicability
None of the others, i'll his opinion, met the ex-
igencies of the case.
Mr.. SC0TT continued to speak un til 2 O'Clock,
when the Committee took recess until 4
O'Clock L. NJ.