Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-12

!
| dcnce.
"od. That in our opinion the Virginia Con-
syention should no longer occupy It's time, OF
spend its energies in making ovcrtures to Inc
Northern States to grant to Virginia Cohstitu-
'tional guarantees OF her rights, but We ceein
:. it to be- the obvious duty Of that body III we"
of all the necessities and eSisences when IN
vest the condition Of Virginia, TO devote It's
I. efforts without delay, to the work ol scttins
son foot arrangements adequate TO the eStao,
.lisbmrnt of Il new government, IN which Siiail
| he embraced and united all the sarchoidiho
States Of the South.
"3d. That il the Convention snail deelu II
q the most cticacious mode Of securing the Is.
Establishment of Confederate Government Of
all the s!aveholding States, to advise Tue I'M
mediate Withdrawal Of Virginia from the cd
eral Union, this community will cordially ap-
prove and sustain that action "ur desire De-
.np'to sever, rs soon rs possible, our connection
viii, the present Federal Union. and to secure
a Union of all thc savclolding States.
18th. That Our delegate in said Convention
8 is renuestcd 10 present to that body the pro-
sceelinys of this meeting it being in substance
4 petitor to that body, ana that fie IS desired
ito use his efforts 10 rileciuac these Tlews ~
: S;slu COu'
Wh.r.unon after addresses From Messss.
Vim, S, Gilman, Charles IIrrndon, }. Horace
T,,cv Geo. II. G.. Rowe william ). Barton.
Elliott NJ rraxton and John L. Mnrye Jr, the
resolutions ware adopted with but one dissent
mo voice in q Injecting Of three hundred ana
fifty citizens. .,..,.,.,. ..
JAMES Z. SENEE, Secretary
~. ~, " I.rp all.
the chair TO convey the within resolutions t"
their delegate in Richmond. viz:
Messrs. Seth B. French, E. NJ. Brax;on, :Iuo.
| NJ, Wallace i. A. Maryc, Jas. j. Sencr. Wm.
S. Gilman, Robert 5. Chez.
Mr.. MAnYr-If the grntlemaa from Louisa
will further indulge me, will submit lew re-
marks in explanation Of these resolutions
They elnanate from that portion Of My conSti-
tuents who reside in the town Of Frcdcricks
burg Those who adopted them, cannot be
presumed to have viewed the grave matters
therein referred to, in the precise aspect in which
they present themselves To this bod:. We are
here, sir, acting nur part, rs best we may, in
the shifting scenes Of this disastrous drama.
If should take Discriminate step in the d.
rection which these resolutions seem to con-
TEMPLATE, woull |, or r;ot, sir act with just the
|
circumstances which surrounded these const-
tuents of mine from whoIu the resolutions TO
which am avcr;ing, proceeded: | am one
of those sir. who value and nave ever valued,
as beyond the measure Of any price, save that
Of honor the pcrpetuity Of tic Union. was
elected TO this assembly, having never been en-.
gagged in political elected, contrary TO my
ncIsonal preference in the premises, but be.
! Il III Ia, tnf}
fact that did 80 viIic the Union. and could
never consent to Sundrr the tits which! bound
tins State to it, until al honorable Efforts Tor
the conservation of or rights within the Union
shoulif fail it was however, my op!n'Dn when
elected, as i, is nv opinion nov, that no adjust
ment Of the pending difficulties should BIZ ac'
ceuted. which was UL based upon such perull.
nent constitutional guaranlics;ls wol.l'l compose,
for ell time to cGn., that sectional agitation
which has for years past disturbed ,ir public
mind and inperi!!rd the public lb~riies. Eat
those yho sent me here agreed 10 commit tn
this Convention, vito which, Il ei |: t" bean no
nor to he connected, an unrestricted discretion
in respect 10 the method by which such an al
justlnent might be con>um;natcd.
am of a Sanguire disposition sir very
sanguine but, If have been too hopeful Us
respects the Ecrpetuity Of the Union, It is be-
cause it has always seemed to me that the value
Of tho stake which the Northern States held
in the integrity of this conitdcracy was So
great as to have induced them To yield those
guarantees without whirii tie Union canEot
continue.
Sir, according tn NY humble apprehension,
much OF the trouble in which We are now in
volvcd, NAV be referred to the violent and III.
| l., -
Observation-Disclosures enacted by the Legislatures
Of our own and other Srrlhcrri States in regard
to this slavery controversy. Such treatment
Of the subject has mi>lcl the Northern people
touching the temper Ct tie Southern mind
upon this question, and has created tie belief
with them that our whole resistance 10 the
wrongs We have endured would expcHd itself
in Understanding resolutions. But when trOu.
bles seemed to have eliminated in the election
Of the present incumbent Of tue Executive
Chair, and when this election furnished ground
10 believe that unless the Nnrthern mind could,
in some way, be- disnbused OF its pre- JUDGES
upon this question. the constitutional rights oil
the South were endangered; when. | say, sir,
this took place, the Southern or Cotton States
did net resort fp mere resolves, bat to action
as exhibited in the secession o! six-now seven
of these States, from the Federal Union
The Question is thus presented in form cal
culatcd to reach the Northern mind, if i. can
be reached at all ami unless tina! mind is
under the ,lcuiripn OF prejudice ard fol-
" 10 IN cxtent that | cannot compre
bend, il did appear to m- impossible that when
one.half Of the States from which the North
mainly derived its resources, had taken this
stand, and when the question was presented,
whether the North would guarantee to US pro.
lection to our property IND our political rights,
or would drive off tho remaining 1noiety Of
Southern States by her persistence in this theo-
nv Of m irrepressible conflict between the sys-
teuis Of Labor prevailing in the respective sec.
tions--t did appear [" Iii: impossible, repeat,
that when the question vas thus presented, the
| North would refuse 10 accord to US the full
measure Of our just demands. Holding these
views, sir. CAME to this Uody for the declared
purpose OF inaugurating, as lar as could, the
agency By which tn bring about this adjust
ment Of cur difficulties within the Union. But
! in the event rf lalnTe to procure such
settlement 10 alternating seemed to me, to
he left but SeccsSon-l'uI, sir as right I'M
der the Constitution, but Il right para
mount 10 the COaStitution--SeccsSlOn which
presented itself not as right Of which
we might avail ourselves, but rs duty to
which we should resort in resistance Of OPP
preston Ny purpose was, il this duty should
be forced upon lis, 10 advocate 4 Union with
our sister States who had, for like causes, sun.
dered their connection with the Federal Coy
eminent.
When the inaugural came, sir. / felt that the
elements upon which my hope 81 ;.n adjustment
had rcposcd, we're in great degree diminished.
But still, sir, thought it might he that this En-
ccutve, who had been elected when very differ
ent state Of things prevailed, from those which
now obtain, was lulIed into the belief that there
would he submission on the part Of the re-
naming saveholding States. 1t struck Inc that
the true policy for lis to pursue WIS to put an
end to this del,!siou in the most l,eremptory
manner possible. | thought that a single day
should not pass alter thu reception Of This in
nnrural wiIhnlii such acIinn rs Is indicate In