Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-15

ment, and to address herself, in Il spirit OF
calm, patriotic craftsmanship, 10 the WORK OF
pacihcation, and tho reconstruction Of tins
government 1t is a position, sir, in which
am proud to think of her, proud TO speak OF
her, proud 10 serve her. She undertook to
settle this matter, aud IN her effort for that
purpose, made through her Legislature, she
declared that believing that unless his con-
troyersy could be settled in the spirit in which
the Constitution was formed, the dissolution OF
this Union was inevitable, and wishing earn
estly to bring about such a settlement, Virginia
desired q conference OF States By commission
crs, 10 meet in tine city Of Washington. do
not know in what spirit they came there, but
| know that they were invited 10 come III the
spirit in which the Constitution vas formed.
I take it that they supposed, III accepting Inc
invitation, that they were coming II that
spirit
That Conference assembled. | don't know
much about It's composition, but | undertake
10 say, that, looking 10 the character OF Tie
delegation seat from Titginis, and what have
heard OF the delegations from other States. ]
am satisfied that this Vas Ole OF The most all
CAST assQIubiagcs ever convened in this coun-
try. IL represented States North ard States
South, tSo Northern IL O:.e Southern; aud,
what is worthy Of note about II, is that all the
Northern Representatives, we're appointed IL
States under the dominion Of the Republicans
party. Tiey were representative rnei Gf the
Republican, party. brought logcthe" IN that
Conference; and ! take il that they we're as
true = representative body As could be gotten
from the politicians Of 10: party. | believe,
sir, that if we were To go down ID toe depths
below the upper crust Of the political leaders,
and appeal 10 the people 10 send true represent
tutire> Of their will and sentiments, We should
got q botteT and 4 more favorable body. Bn',
sir, these representatives caine, such as they
were they were in session Tor n fortnight or
three weeks; they gave us the result Of their
lab0rs aud suggested n plan OF constitutional
amendments, u which ! propose to ask th. at
teniion CT the Committee, not because i ls
likely to be presented hert-yes, | am remind.
ell that il has been prcScnted by the gentle
man fran Harrison and Is ruw Under cOnside-
ration-but, sir, ! propose 70 ask the conslde-
ration Of the Committee IT, that plan i'll an
other point Of view.
1t las been assailcd Ill several ways. tn the
first plucc it is said that it contains nothing
valuable. In the next place it is assaiicd by
saying that what it contains Of "alur has been
fraudulently inserted under double meaning
language for tho purpose Of dcceiTirg Us. 1t
is also assailrd On the ground that whatever
may be its merits, it has failed and have
hrlrd Of persons VINO have thought il Eeccssa-
~ 10 charge their politics because they thought
! the Pcace Conference another failure.
Sir, has il failed: In what has it lailed7 Ii
has bu;n said To have failed because the Con.
Grcsa Of The United States refused to refer i. TO
the action of the States. All, is that The
failure? Why. who expected them 10 dc nTy
thing ciSuf With a Congress in which, by he
! detection that | have already mentioned On the
| part Of the Southern States, the republican
| party is largely in the ascendant, and with but
! three days in Which to consider the subject
and net upon il, what could yol c1prctY Sir,
| never expected them 70 give & two.thirds vote
in favor of any plan Of paci;icatiOn, especially
in SO short J. time, and if | had expected il, |
would no! nave been mich disappointed when
| looked nj The circumstances which surrounded
them.
Sir, it has been frequently said. and said
with great truth, thai there IL & Kinship b.
tween CXiicGrs Of opinion ard CE parry. I
have already referred to the rejoicing in Charles
Ton over the election Of 1 ;.caiu. -arE wering
back 10 the rejoicing in the North over the
! same result. We Ill remember The fact .ha!
in the South Carolina Convention the fugitive
siagr law WAS denounced Is being uncons.itu.
tional, us it has htcn denounced in the North for
! years past. Bat when rsc;i;cation becomes the
, order Of The day, when the plan OF paciiicalion,
inauguraled by Virginia, il, by her authority,
communicated 10 the Congress ct the United
States, we see there liz. hiuAhip Of extremes a;
we see, when it was proEoucdcd in the Senate
Of the United States, thai it was resisted By the
combined ~ci,:ts Of William II. Seward and r.
NJ. Il. Hunter-hoth Of them Gu operating in
their resistance and refI:Sing to submit it 10 the
States. And, sir, one other Senator, MIR. 3fa.
ccn. co-0pcTalcd in this resistance; ard then we
had brought on tho wiaIs Of The w;n,.-cistcr
.liun the wind-ws had it brought on tho pre-
cipitating telegraph, that the Senators FROM Fir.
ginia ard The Black Republican Senators from
! Illinois and New York had refused to let rs
have H. chance at the Peace Conference Set.
+; tiemenc The dcnunciations in regard TO the
conduct oi Mr. Seward ard Mr.. Trurihuil
would have been moro impressive if they
hnd been deal: ont with Il iIltis more i'm.
partially TO Mr.. Hunter and Sir. Mason,
who corcurred in the vote. I think VIC
will hardly make the refusal 10 submi.
lite plea 10 Va, : CAUSE of fresh complaint
against the North until VIZ nave settled with
our own SenatoTS think, as n Necessary Pre-.
l~!minary. we should settle or li't.e matters q:
home before we make tia Mellon Of the Senate
upon this proposition ne toundation Of assault
upon Back Repuhliran S.mators.
But | was considering whether his peace
Conference proposition failed. I say it hiss
not failed. Il has never yet had fair chance;
anu | verify believe, and | expressed that belief
III 1t resolution which l have offered for the
adoption Of lhc CGmmittco-lhat if this Con-
vention Of Virginia hsd accepted tho rrom-
mendation Of the PEACE Conference m.d
sent it 10 the country with our endorsement
npon it ms u satisfactory sd Observation-Disclosures taiis
time YOU would inayz had The Union Inen of
the country. North and Su't:i, East and West,
raligiGg with one voice in !iT0r Of It as the
great measure vi pacifcatioD, which was 10 re-
storo harmony and concord throughout the
land. believe this, sir; but in that opinion |
am o7erruled hy men in whose judgn.nt
lave high confidence. l desire TO carry en-
tho work of paciiication, anJ. SO lar - nay &C.
ton II mine is concerned | wnuld promote
any policy lookin: To = union Of ali Union
men ior that great work. ] havr concrried 10
the report Of The majority Of the Committee
which | thought unnecessary. but which !
think, ns it ID nude, is a decided Improvement
upon the Peace Conference proposition in this,
liiai il stops the mouths Of objecttrs who have
been clviiling about this ''Peace Conference
proposition, and who have been exhibiting Oil
ingenuity Of criticism which seemed 10 nc
wholly unnecessary, ard Which, ! think, does
not tend towards lie great erd either OF sub.
stantial right Or Of harmony.
Let Us look -, tia: proposition. maintain
that it is an Offer Of justice To the South. and
thst having been obtained from l. representa-
tive body, such as I have described. we might
f.iriY expect and confidently hope, that before
ans fair representative body Of the Republican
party Of The cuunily, wo might be able to oh.
tain its equivalent rhers Is olrc circumstance
which I ought 10 msntion hae II confirmation
OF what | have already said ii regard to the dis
memberment al the Government by the with.
trrwnl of tie Southern StaSs. We vii! feel the