Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-28

wish to connect my nalnc, humble rs 1t Is, VIII
the interests and destiny Of Il people 50 grea
rs ours, and Il Union 81, glorious rs thi; was
! No, sir, lorcd il in mr. youth, and that At
tachmcns Sprung from The same source as doe
that which the young man feels Tor tie ohsc
Of his first and earliest affections, when she i
capablc OF inspiring that feeling, which knor
! you and have felt Slr. President, not becaus.
Of any outward attractions so much as RGeauS'
of, her purity, her worth aud virtue. S1cll
! sir, is the attachment which | have had o
this Union.
But sir, the Union is dissolved. Dissolved
mot ono, Two or three, but some six OF
seven States have united themselves togcthc!
to form another Union South, called the Union
Of the Coniederated States Of the South whils
| Virginia yet remains 4 member of the Union
as 1t is. Then, sir, tie question arises here
in this condition Of things what position il
Virginia 10 assuns9 l. she 10 remain in tha;
Union which has been diSmcmbered tia!
Union which is lost, as fear, and lost forever
or is she to unite herself and her dcstinies wiki
the States OF the South in that Union 10 which
have already reierred-or is she to dcclsrc hei
own sovereignty ond stand independent as one
of the nations, net Of The Conf-jerated States
but as IN independent. nation; Virginia, alone
and unconnected with any of tie other States
OF this Unionr
Mr. PREsiDEyr, actuated b. the love and 1t.
lachment which have had Ter The Jnion.
wien saw The evidence before me as il ap.
peared in the political horizon, that The dagger
which now itnpends over US was coming upon
us, looked around me and endcavorcd 10 lind
if there vas my healing balm for sicsc
wounds tha. had necn intictcd upon us, in that
Constitution which You md I, Mr. President,
upon other occasions hive sworn TO support.
nave looked to the Tstrumen; Of the Union
itself-the Consti.u,iou--and find there pro
vision for the amendment Of that Constitution
to remedy any e-lj under which the country
mas ia5cr And, sir, find that the attention Of
lhe people oi the whole country has been called
10 it 10 tee Farewell Address Of Washington.
I will now cali tie attention Of this body tu
that langua;e ana 10 tue rem:dy II which have
referred:
TO The efficacy and portnarcncy Of your
UnioD o Government iJr the whole is :EGis
reusa5le. No alliance, however strict between
the parts, can be al adequate substitute; thcy
must inevitably experience the in!ractons nud
interruptions which ail alliances, in a.! Tine.
have experienced. Sensible Of this inonentous
truth, you have improved upon your frSt cs.
say, BY the adoption Of Constitution CT Gov.
e,nmcnt better calculated than your former for
an intimate Union, and for the t!iicacous
management Of your common concerns. This
Government. the offspring uf cur own chcice,
uninfiuenced ard unawcd, adopted upon fui!
investigation and maiurn deliberations, CON.
pletely free in its principles, in the dia:ri5l
ton OF its powers, uniting security with rner.
gy, and containing within itself 4 provision for
its own amendment, has q just claim 10 your
confidence and your support. Respect for lis
authority, compliance with lis laws, acqu;cs
cence in its measures, are duties cnj3ined by
the fundamental InaximS Of true liberty. Tar
bases Of our political systems, is the right Of
the people to make and TO alter their constIu.
,ions Of Government: but the Constitution
which at any time exists, TIL charged ty M
explicit aud authentic act Of the whole people,
is sscredly obligatory upon ALL The very ldcs
Of the power, and the righ, Of the People TO
establish Government, rre-supposes the duty
Of every individual 10 obey the established!
Government"
That was the doctrine which you and !, Mr.
President, learned when we were Young men,
That was the doctrine which SctGc Of those
around me learned, wiicse venerable appear.
ance give an imposing dignity 10 this assembly.
say, sir that vas the doctrine ra:iG;.t lie 10y
the language OF the Father OF his couniry.-
Pardon mc, then, if suy l rely upon the
teachings Of Washington, rather Than adopt
the teachings Of those Of the present day, who
discard The sentiments that were uttered ty tie
very men who built Up this, the msE,icst f.
brio OF free government that cTtr existed Upon
the face Of the earth.
vii! now submit in connection with the re.
marks intend to n:ake and for the consldera.
lion Of this Convention, some resolutions,
which have prepared as erbodying ms
views:
Resolved, That in view Of the provisions OF
the 9th article Of the Constitution OF tie Uni.
ted States il was crninenlly wise and proper
that tho Southern States should, in concert,
have proposed amendments 10 the same so as
TO have tfcctually secured settlement OF :hc
present unhappy difficulties which disturb tie
peace Of the country.
Resolved, That il is tho duty Of Virginia
row 10 invite the cooperation OF ail the slave
holding States, upon the border, SO as to pro.
vide measures for their concurrent action here.
alter.
Resolved, That Virginia is attached to the
Union as it VAS, but that 1t does not protect
her rights as it is-that it becomes her people
in Convention assembled to look to every RENE.
dy FOR relief, and then TO provide, also. in The
event OF failure. for The future relations she
is to eccupy, having due regard 10 her posi-.
ton as one Of tic States Of the South.
l say, then, III connection with what mare
here read. it was my ardent desire. whcE this
rf,tNt orD Eny n
should have been made by the Legislatures Of
in Congress assembled; and, sir, under the
9th Article OF lhe Constitution (which pre-.
vides for It's cTn amendment, such proceed
ings could have been had rs would have IN
sureG, perhaps, peace, harmony and quiet lo
the resolutions which | have read Us part Of
my remarks, respectfully as': the attention
Of tho Convention 10 the arti,:, itself
"fhe Congress, whenerer t" thirds Of both
Houses shall deem it neccssNrt, shall propose
amendments to this Constitul ID, or, on the
application Of the Legislature OF :wo.thirds
OF the several States. shall cail a Convention
for proposing amendments, Mhich, in either
case, shall be valid 10 aii in,ens and purposes
as part of this Constitution, !. len ratified by
the Legislatures Of three-tourhs Of lhe Several
States, or By Conventions in three.fau.Ihs
thereof, as the one or the c'i : mode Of ratiG
cation may be proposed o. H.; Congress
Here then are those l,;nted directions 10
which the Father .; his conntEy, in his last
moments, called the alt=n;'n OF Tic people
when he laid his hand urri them asid gave
them his parting blessing. Sir, have loyed
lh.s Union, and il co:.ld maiie it as il was
designed 10 be by those rho i:':!ilutcd it, this
day would timg to the h'c:zr the Stars md
STRIPES and let ti'cu float III triumph from the
Arostoos to the Rio Grande, from the Atlantic
to the Pacific.
But, sir, said that the Union was dissci@cti
Dissolved howl Not BY trial Of the rene.
dies which the Father Of his country pre-
scr;bed, in the printed directions 10 which I
have called the attention Of tue Convention.
say that there is no warrant in the c1aS!:!n-
a. al t,,, ,f Il -