Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-17
VIRGINIA STATE CONVENTION.
tSFCRET SESSION.
TUESDAY, APRIL IL, 1861.
FIRST Dl T-CONCLUDFD.

VIII uatc ueen brought OUT Vi uIe'i W N
to vote, and | trust The Convention Will no
adjourn until a vote is taken. call ipr Inc
yeas and nays on the motioA 10 aoJoufh.
The call was sustained. and the question DC
ing taken, resulted-yeas e., nays IS, as lol
lows:
~IEAs-&cssrs. ARMSTRONG, Aston, baldwin, bsyl.r
Berlin, Blow, Jr., i;agsras, Bent, brown, biliert,
Burry ,Eyrne, Campbell, carer, U. u. C"nrad'tI rn u,
Coucl. Cri'cher, Gusts. Bent, Ic.kins, EuIany, r M
mond, Haywood, lloge, ~llollafar, Hubbard, huSnsa, inHt"
Jackson, Peter q. Johns"n, Lewis, Mrc.m"s. M ,rirs T,o.
i!e.cn, Porter, p,ice, Pugh, Riv-s, Robert L. st"li, WI
liam {. Scott, sharp, si,linston, spurIock, A T% W bit TO-
II. Stuart, Chapman !. Stuart, summers, tHiF' '"'o
Wickham, Wiley, Wilson, Mr. Pnks!DENr.-da. ,ux
NAYs-Mcssrs: Amber, Alfred ~. barbour, Ja'nss Ier.
bruce. csIrii, ]caperton, Cecil. thamG!iss: cnapn nan, Glenn lem.
ems, Cofnar, Cunu, James II. Cox, Richard II. Coz p,-
mau, Eehols, Fisher, fIuurnoy, Forbes, GaT.ana' Ti -'"
+. CooIc, Hale, CCyrns 1nlfH. l.. 5. Hall. llarvte, li"ieomle.
lIumton. Isbell, MGrm4luke johnson, Kent, kindred, LAW
son, Le.ke. Maclarland, Narye, sr, Ghas. n, Mallory. o
Mnriun, orriek, PARKS, Preston. Eanl9!ph' Rich
ardson, seawrn, s,eIey, SIaus'isT5, Sonlh"4. srse"'
Robert II. TURNER, Frduhlin Z. Turner, Tyler, h"'ier' I"
field, Williams, wiso, w"Ods, Wysor.-'"
So the Convention refused to adjourn.
Mr.. JuBAl a. EARLY, OF Franklin hope
may be permitted to say a few WORDS. :,
| have sat in my seat all day, AMI lmaSineu
that could see a ball Of flame hanging over
this body. Without meaning 10 reflect upon
the motives and the conduct al gentlemen, l
have felt as if 4 great crime was about pe'hg
pcrl.ttyated against the cause ol liberty ana
civilization.
During the progress of this Convention, ne
have frequently referred to the eSaIHpie OIL our
fathers in the Revolution. They took no pre-.
cipitatc course Of action. They protested and
demonstrated for years. They had their armics
in the field twelve months before they decided
upon the final act Of separation from thu
Rr;tish Government. The State Of Virginia
herself never adopted the Declaration al Indie.
pcndcnce until after our armies had been III
| The field for twelve months. Sine Instructed
her representatives to proposein the Congress
of The United States a Declaration of lndeleIi-
dence.
Sir. | see no reason why we should act more
urecipitately than those men whose. true devo-
ton to country, and whose patriotism is 4 COM
mon theme among all Of us.
cannot permit the occasion TO pass, when
An ordinance Of secession has passed this body,
without expressing my feelings upon it in
addition, to casting M vote against IL.
1t may be that such 4 vote, which feel
bound 10 give, shall draw upon me some CEN
sure. trust | shall have manhood and hrin-
hess enough TO endure, because the course |
propose to pursue feel TO he in the interest
OF NV country, in the interest Of my State, and
in the interest Of the cause Of liberty itself.
What must he the result, the inevitable re-
suit Of this procerdinSr War, sir-suc!l a
war MS this country has never seen, or, until
recentiy. has never dreamed OF. | should
like to know, il we arc engaged in war, what
arc the means Of transportation Of arms
FROM this portion Of The State to Northwestern
Virginia: How will mcn and arms come from
Northwestern Virginia to this portion Of the
Commonwealth As | understand, there are
but Two ways Of transportation from Eastern
10 Northwestern Virginia. Olc way is
through the Federal Capital, and thcf,ce by way
of the Relay House near Baltimore, over the
I;aliimpr. and Ohio Railroad. \ gentleman
on this floor has told You that North. western
Virginia is almost entirety destitute Ola!rls. 1t
may I've necessary to send them; it may be ucces.
sary for us to call upon them for men to defend
us IN the West, and llVw Cali we 10 SO with
propric;y without furnishing thcm the means
of defence?
Am | going by my v"te to place the c"In.
try in such Il position As t:iis? c~ertaltiiy AIN
NOT. have opinions or my own upon this
subject, aud mean to act upon them. Asre.
CARDS my Gwn county, 1t is 50 situated, a. that
1t must experience very few Of the shocks OF
war. Ii is perhaps as far removed from what
will be the scene of operations as any portion
of the Commonwealth. But | cannot forget
;tat .hc wl,alc State 81 Virginia is my country.
! am here To look after The interests Of all por.
lions Of Inc State.
don't cnmc here to l,,ok merely 20
my own section. There Is not Il portion VI The
State, from the Eastern Shore 10 the Pan Han.
die, that is not dra" To inc. d cannoi, by my
vote, adopt . course oi action which will bring
upon a part If the State the evils which | b.
lirve SECESSION and var in It's footsteps will
bring up0n the Western and North Western
parts Of this State.
| trust, therefore, it may not be- the drci$;nn
of this Convention to hurry us into a vote up
en- this question this evening.
Mr.. SAMUEL G. STAPLES, oi Montgomery
Mr.. President, ! claim the Indulgence I'll the
Convention while | submit q few remarks to
its consideration upon the propositinhs nos
pending before it
The gentleman from Montgomery (Mr. Pies
Tos} has proposed that a simple ordinance of
secession be adopted by the Convention ard
Submitted TO the people fur ratification or re-
lection. TO this proposition the gcntlrman
from Fauquicr (Alr. scnrT) offers an amend
,aent, By which it is proposed to submit to the
decision Of the people the question Of scccS.
sion or Il conference of the border slave States.
[ shall vote against the proposition Of the gen.
tIernan from Faugaier, because can see no
good result 10 be obtained BY a border slave
State conference. am unwilling to submit
toe destiny of Virginia, in this great contest,
to the hands Of any body oil men but those
by her to represent her sovereignty
in Convention. She alone must be the arbitcr
of her own destiny.
Besides, Mr.. President, the rapidly shifting
scenes of the day admonish lis of the imperi.
ouS necessity for instant action and, in my
Judgment, the time has now arrived when Eir.
yinia should resume the sovereign powers she
upon the General Government and
form such alliances, offensive and defensive, as
her honor and her interest may demand. /
shall, therefore, vote ior the ordinance of Sc
cessirn submitted by the gentleman from
Montgomery (Mr. PREsToS.)
1t is quite obvious TO all of lis that the %nccessi-
sity for debate has passed, and that the time for
ac:ion has arrived. We are nOw in the midst
OF rcvo'Itioll, anu Lne apphiilnS circumstances
under which We are surrounded admcpiSh US
of the necessity Of firmncss, %promptncSs and
decision. Ten days ago, ] was known rs a
Union man-attached to the Union Of these |
States by the hallowcd memories Of the past,
and by the glorious hopes Of n brilliant future,
in which its unexampled career warranted US
in induIging. I was elected under a pledge TO
resort to all honorable, constitutional means
to preserve it in its integrity and purity just
as our fathers formed it. 1t was formed by
them 'to establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common defence,
promote the general welfare, and secure the
blessings Of liberty to ourselves and our POS.
teritv." The Revolutionary war was wased
in the defence of the great principle Of self:
government, and in the maintenance Of the
doctrines, that among the rights with which
the Greater has endowed us 'are life, liberty