Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-17
V!asllll STAT: GoaI: ;;Ti0S.
SECRET SESSION.
cER7EEN7N bdf
TUs$p.r, AKrIL goth, ISL.
iCoSTlSEED.I !

lCESp!f, ARTlL op!.I, iS"i-
icoSrlNTED.I
NJ, WuSo, ~ do not " ish to be understood
Us throwing aoJ obstacle in the way of send
ing arms iu the Valley of the kanawha; but
! c,sim that The section OF country come
I-,u is N :re tx posed than the kauawha Val
av. II il true lnat steamboats, navigate up
:,rn the UA,u river to Charleston; but that
ras,ra,.un can b-. easily cut off la !ny coun.
II, steamboats, come up to Fairnors. Oar
portion el> the State 10 entirely cut tn ir"in
every source whence We onuid procure arms Or
.-s;st.rce We ere within 80 miles of The
PENNSYLVANIA l,ne ui, nne side, and sixty inilrS
o. the Dino on the nther.
cIj-ct to tbs ordlua"ce btcauSe il p:cSi!eS
hr armng The people along the borders of the
E4nawra EeI:.y, ~h,Ie II u,skes Iu provision
.vr II, ,.rr;',. We arc wiling 10 Lake the
.r"., uo.,, ~, sau" terms aS !he ronntv Of
,.ash >un AID i;- n:hrr border c"a'.Ics. II
.is,Iip:,,,nn l. al AT made. | ni,lntaln that
tt.ro Is ~. ;.r,.ol. oi ih:s State mere in ne-d
,i ,hem l:..u .!!.at il, iii winch cotl'e.
trust TIA. ,oEne ac.,oI 9iil be bad to secure
share nf The i;rIus for that soc nH, so tia:
cur per,c to-. have tb. proper uleaEs OF Dc
fence.
Nj. GgoAG. BLOW, Jr, of Nuifu!k ci,y.--lt
seems to me, SIT, that We are discussing quej-
,joas aud progressing 10 system Of action that
= calculated 10 proiuce serlOns injury to the
safe Gi Nn:Iaia.
SIR, We ere discussing . question here In re
gard tG the distribution oi aiinS ~ different
,9rtioEs c. The S:ate, just 40 II We had arse.
mails scatterei sll oser The Commouwe ealth, ard
as if ar,us to ANY number could be command
ID simply b. tie bidding.
Now. The fact is, as yum: Governor kuuws,
We are d. ticeat IN aruls that they caanoI be
procured u any way by any means, aud
that We have but su,all number ot Old Hint
lock muskets IN Our aIsenais, and that the time
is fast approaching when it will be necessary
that wo shall havs LIE full strength Of the State
in The field. Nov, If every exposed portion
Of Virgins is 10 he provided with, out of the
few We hav.. wheu your troops are called
together for tie purl' 81 ot defending the State
wu.re aye ,uur srus ~ coms from The
rue po!icS, in ms hautie rs.imation is that the
a;i.s COW IN POSSESSION Of tho State should be
ru,uaudel with the u.rios: care and caution.
have riyi; 10 pat IN claim for arms, II the
circumstance 81 c. pvSure Is to constitute C
right ~ laeU vr The very tC%n thu: repre-
sen. STOW IA armed camp. But, Sir, say
4, u hold un ~ Our aruSs, aud only distribute
10 coulvrrlii. .si.h the iaw IN restion to the
or;an'zstiun s"d equipment of the volunteers.
Let ;hem be t?s1r trted ~ ccnpan!cs Us fast aS
;arr are Organized AID untu-luen; but It
yol de,art ffv,n thaL ruie, aud distribute them
without any Restraint, sach as that iaT ltn-
,oSes YOU will not have gun WHEN
.cu shall ,i:o,, seed It. | tiust. therefore, :hat
2, u,i, il; On 10 what We have, aud If
.Etle be exp,>ed positions, s. us send :he men
there fully al Gied, if arms cannot be procured
n any other way, rather than SCH ter the arms
we have over the Stale where they csnEot be
available when needed.
Under the pr.seDt regulation, /; Is only ne-
eeSsary for u company to be organized aud uni
:grmed 10 order to gei arms. ialS Is wise
,rrcaGtion, ioasmuch as it secures the possess
s!on Of the arms &c regularly organized comps
aes in whose hands they must necessarily
prove of mnrs advantage to The State than II
scattered among individuals, uncontrolled oy
military rule or ClSc';.l'1e
trust that He w,ll husband these arE.S. aud
ts.ribu:e lhcin .".;y =! accor'iance "itn lae
wise proy!sIonS 2o~ IN existence.
Mr CApERT M understand there Is = law
xhicn requires that there shall be some Ger
tcate as lu the company 5 being organized and
uniformed, before the Governor is authorized
- give ttleu, ordeIs. This ordinance proposes
70 superSe,l- the necessity sor this formula.
aa7e seen Il letter tuis murning from that par
Cular src.iun vi country, stating that there is
very great state OF excitement existing
there.
It is pvrtion Of the country wuero there Is
.!ester reason for apprehending something in
:ne shape Ct rad than any portion oi the
Western border of the State. There is large
amount of negro property in the valley OF the
X H.nnwha, snu that vii present temptations 10
gsr enemies tu make iucursons into that re,
."0.
NV. these gentlemen ~ho a1e here upon
:a,s mission have prepared as earn, msens
.,r TRANSFERRING t: e-e ar,us they wsns them
a,rapidiy sS II is .,,sSlole TO o6tai. tncm.-
luev are in apprehension every Inomvnt o
.ous,Liny in tue shape vi d rald. There ID u
military y.u,le1ua,. there nuw, formerly con-
r.c,e.. viii, ;he array, wlv, understand, IN
y,anectio:, with the rL pre- eutaiifu iroin thnt
Huty in his bt'ly,',S tuaktIg rec cIhnolsaucc
Uy,n the k+uuwtu river, Tor ;he pun l'i'se Of
.acertainipg what deieIc-s they can provide
lie reports that the country Is IN H most de-
!ruceiess Condition; aud that gc:.t' ai' writes
n terms sieoig a;.d .mrlu:lng IT. ino ad:i"ri'
| LES here to send aru,s 10 that t.S""
Now, tic ole ~ il, IA Ill NE aAn C1tli You
| :an communicate Sltn kaLan la for the pur-
pose Of ascertaining whether ;hoss c9mpa"le'
| sTe uniformed or whether you will DO away
/ With tha. arrangement by passing he slmfie
4 ordnance wnch Las beef. reported.
tilirk tie Convention shcu.d nut hesitate
t. pass ,h,s ordinance aud allow this poi ton
/ i Tue Country 10 be provided fvr ss specd;ly
Hpnssible. II ycu wait until you write 10
!ot kanswha Valley, in al! hoTnan probability
lie country may be cper'un LeiG'u you get
'eply.
i ia view Of his state Of thIrgs. The coinmi:.
'9- has very properly reported this ordinance
/ providing 10. ihsee arns, ard DO hope tEat
*i!i be the pleasure Of The Convention at
"ce to pass It, In regard 10 these general
,,foslsions indicated BY the gentleman iron.
Amelia, (&r. llAKvIE,) think the proper
! purse would be t. tl.g them forward in a
i s-psrate ordinance. 'a
4 One word in regard to the position of the
i sehue'nan from Harrison, (Mr. WILSON, There
ia ~. rs'I'oad running through the county of
1 m.'Fs@n, and connecting With Harper's Ferry,
I WEI "hi.h, presume, the people of that Sec