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

other offence than having siTcn uttcTarcc to
thci- opinions. Need point you to her tenn
ples desecratcl by the expulsion OF the minis,
tors NJ God by the Introduction OF the foul
| ORGIES Of a fostering Indifferent inildehty =
| These sir were the pitiablc, ultimate, results
Of an over awcd and silcnced Senate. Inc
voice Of liberty was drowned, aud the oracIes
Of God were sllcnced by the clamorS oi rev.
oIutionary populace. and liberty herself, de-
suairnr Of relief, fled for refuge, aud found II
oniy in the arms Of an absolute despotlsIn.-
Sir, shall we have these scenes OF Jacobin'''o-
leace renewed in cur land: Shall wc lnau.
surate Il Reign Of Terror here? No. SIR Ana
When this great right has been assailcd here,
for one as one Of the representatives OF iree
| people, stand up to rindca'e II; and 'honGn
! may not utter words that vii! be entitled to
much weight in the consideration oi the mem
! bcrs of His Convention. w;ii nevertheless
utter them in all SINCERITY here.
Mr.. Presidrntias have already said II IS :
not my intention tdIentrT into any process Vi
augmentation in reference I" the main issues
! involved in this debate propose slr' cur.
sorv, running examination OF some of the great
evils brought to the rotice nj this convention
by the gentleman en- the other side, demanding.
rs we are told here, the r%'r"Ine 'enr'! %
breaking up this Government
! Allow HE, sir 10 remark in The outset that
admit the evils IN all the c.tcnt AMI magnitude
! in which they have been presented. AN mol
| here, sir, to apologize Tor them. aIli here 10
! acknowledge, AIN here 10 d:n"'inc' am mere
TO repudiatc these errors; but ain not here 10
consent 10 break up this G"SeFn:nent am
| here for the purpose OF endra'orinE tn correct
H. q
those grievances, and To vInlcate The honor al
Virginia, not by abandoning he;po>ltl"n III tbs
treat Confrderacy, but by bringing her oppreS'
sors to acknowledge those errors AID 10 Ee'reSS
her grievances. w.
And allow ME to enquire just here. Mr..
prcsidrn;-granting that those evils exist
acknowledging them in al their eSteh. ana
magnitude fanlt has there been on The
nsrt of the General Government "t The Cn'tea
States: Wig trcal; up this Union: WI! any
gentleman be SO kind is 10 partIcuiarlze il
siurle instance worthy OF debate. in when Tie
roj-ral Government has been drreiIt IN The
discharge Of its duty, Or tn: llIled I" accom-
plish the purposes Of its organization: u IN
diyj,i.lal States CT this Conicdelacy stall have
been guilty Of maIe:lSanre, as Acknowledge
they have been, what reason, logically con-
sidrred. is there, in consequence Of that tact,
why We should break up The FEDERAL Govern
uent. which must bu ackauH rdSet hy all. 10
have accomplished The design Of those VINO con,
! structed it:
Now, sir, will make another remark III re-
lution to these evils. The remedy proposed by
gentlemen on the other side Is secession. Now,
sir, ii it be true, ~ lnany able gentlemen on
this floor think il to he true, uS many Of The
abIcst iuris,S of this land have decided 1t ~
be true, that there is constitutions! right I"
secession, that If iisciI ought. AMONG law.
loving and law abi.!!n: people like |lrsln'a''s
To bc an argument ii 10 Sina:l consideration
! am not here sir 10 argue tl!c question al he
right Of srces$iua ,v i,ul inlcrd I" weary
the Convention hv entering into = discussion
Of that great question. Slia!! rot even pause,
sir, 10 vlndlcutr tic founders at orr COnSiirl-
ton from the lIn:utatlon. winch seems I" In:
would certainly apply III them 1T most gross
Sclfstultiiicatirn ~ organizing Il great govern
nent, IN establishing :n":c perfect Union, 10y
collecting together Heterogeneous mass 81 20.
litical elements that might Dissolve ana TAI
asunder any dag. | never snail be made 10
believe that Washington, and Madison, and
Franklin, and the other great >aScs who CON
siruccd the Guiuu in Tie frs. place, and nisA-
niZcd our Federal Gr:cifllnent. brought their
!aLorS 10 10 grcolcr result than this; that Is to
say To bring the States of the Federal Union
together, give rhctn :; simple introduction 4"
each other, and place tiIcIH side BY side under
The fag OF the country, without any legal bond
to bind the Union. Sir, believe in no snch
voluntary association In my opinion. II This
he the correct construction ~ tie Fedora! Con
| StituliOn, We have nrluI ...." :. Union ~ AL !;
| these States have ncT,. been united but thcv
have been living together in Il kind nt unla"I uI
Capitalization and when tie gentlemen air
able to establish that principle, then ! will lie
more wiling 10 criabie them 10 destroy thai
illicit intercourse.
said, Mr.. President, that it was not my I',ir
pose to argue the question al constitutional
law involved N this proposition, but tras.
that it may not bc considered improper 10 ad-
vert for Il moment to the operation ii that
principle, il granted 10 b. true Many times
the proper construction Of law may te best
ascertalred by following it out into rs practi
cal results Well. sir, never c.rtd conceive
that when the Federal ti"velrnent was pur-
chasing the territory Of Louisiana. and the
freedom Of the mouth Of the Mississippi, and
Of the Gulf, ior tile purpose .; Protecting ard
encouraging the great trade I" the int@l lor en-
pire Of States which by the >;.yacity Of orr
wise men Was io:csccn $prinsiug up in The
| Vest say could not conceive that this GOV.
eminent would have male !l;, t,urclr1se at the
expense OF great deal U! money, and 81 L
great deal Of tr3rtic, upon Tie contingency
! that the little State oi lnui:ian: might u. iI,r
! own pleasure lo' ec!nsc these great advantages
! II COMMERCE. agIrsI ali LlIcsc interior States.
! Again. sir, | cannot suppose that the rur-
chase Of Florila-unotcr it'll. Stasc--wi;ch
cost us in the first race. ! believe, some FIVE
| millions, and great many moe millions il! c:;
tablishing forts and ;r>cnaiS, All in driving III.
| Indians out Of her marshes, until tie SUN tina,
that little Stale has cost IL will amount perhaps
! to tfty miIlions-I say ucvcr can Sujp".c tiiat
our government made thar purchase. and lX-
peI.drd all that money. ua,cr the contingency
tina, this little State, icr Ill these services bad
been rcnic'.i. after ter territory had Lcen
made Tree. ai.Gr the SlvageS hes Drcn driven
! from her domain, night Turi:y walk our ut
the onion ana leave Us tile bills 10 paT.
Again. sir, there is Texas. al empire in itself,
which cost souc itu or fifteen millions ~
acquire, in the first place; which cost ~, b.
the war brought upon this cus::r;:y, l.lu'fc'is
| Of millions. inu, sir, rriigu:Icr, and ir.
member myself, that lir very effort t. acguiry
| this great State hal wei! nigh dissolved tic
Union, tuat |! 'tlicu u from centre - ciicn'
! fercnce-and we encountered all that for Whs,:
| Is it that now, when she has scarcely more
than been admitted into the Union, when we
| have paid ali this money on account Of her
whvn scarcely the agitation occrsinnc'l ~ her
acquisition III; subsidized, She may pass ont OF
the Union, and leave US in this preGcamcrt:
1t seems to me that 70 adm: suci- solccisu
in the Fundamental iaw Of the Government
would be. was going 10 say, ridiculous.
BIT, Mr. President. let us look at few more
consequences II the doctrine of the right Of
i State 10 stccic at her own coed will and
pleasure be true. then, sir, We may engage in
Il war, the cnrHy may Le pressing Us hard
and yet. in the very hour OF orr trial in the
very crisis Of the cuuntry'S extremity. State
| may retire from the Union. and out Of Danger
and If she he i:idccd independent and sovereign