Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-06-17

their agency and our power under the in.
sfrument; that thisi act which thev ne.
samed to doisin violation of authority CON.
ferred upon them bg the instrument estab.
lishing them as the agent, and therefore
void and that such power can only be ns-
sumgd by the principal himself, the sover.
eign people of Yirgipjn.
Mr.. Dorsey Win the gentleman from
Harrison permit me TO ask n question I?
What "relationsn are meant in the clause :?
or how Change the relations of the Com
nlonwealth2"
Mr. CARLlLE l apI coming TO that. If
the Constitution Of The United States, pro-
ytding as II does for Its own amendment
and change, should bs by the constitution.
al number OF States % changed as to affect
Il, and give If another and different reia.
lion, and the people bf Virginia shall rat
ify that amendment 10 convention. as they
ratified the copstituklpn Itself, or through
the Legislature in the manner prescribed BY
the Constitution, | would like to know If
they have not the right to do it? Sir, /
hope to see the felatious of Virginia
changed before many years. II peace shall
once more be restored to this once happy
land, trust that among the first acts ofthe
people of the States Will be to convene 4
National Convention, which shall, il it do
nothing else, change our relations SO far as
treason is concerned. / want to see lit
tie more stringent provision on that subject.
want that which goGs to destroy the per.
petuity OF our government, whether it be
an overt act or not, to be punished ns trea-
son. That is all, Sir, this declaration
means. 1t may be meant to cover the
great right never deuied-the right which
IL dnnVs n E.an
olutton-the right which our fathers exer-
cised and inserted Successfully upon The
fields of Yorktown apd Bunker Hill. But
was never intended-and it cannot be
made to appear by fair construction-
that the convention assembled for the pur-
pose of putting its foot upon this heresy oE
constitutional rightto withdraw from the
Union and destroy . government, could
or does express a recognition of that very
right which it holds does not exist. It
never can be supposed that convention
assembled for that purpose could or would
by any inference in any line that it
might adopt, recognize the right of seces-
sion.
Now, if gentlemen will address them
selves to the task of employing better
language, less Objectionable or open to
criticism than that which is employed in
VIC 0S(tAENLlOut " G3NEGbS LuB lucas which
we all desire to enforce, the Committee, /
am authorized to say, will feel gratified
to this Convention if they will do it.. But
sir, in the limited time that was given to
us from the ADJOURNMENT on Tuesday to
the meeting on Wednesday, after nights
reflection, after careful revision, writing
and rewriting by different hands-the
language lhatis found Ia the declaration
was employed; and believe II TO be not
only happy, but the best that can be en-
ployed in any. reasonable saime, by tEis body.
The relations Of this State to the Fe,ler-
al Government can be constitutiouully
changed-will be, trust, constitutionally.
changed, and will result in saving to ages
that are to come after us, trust, from the
destruction that now threatens, our beau
tiful system of government. g7a
Mn, DoRsEY, of Monongalia. The re-
marks explanatory of the clause in this
Declaration, are to my mind sufficiently
clear; and perhaps as they will go forth
with this declaration, they may be sutfi-
cient explanation of it. shall not there
fore urge my objections. In fact it was
mere passing remark made. .
The remarks, however, Mr.. President that
purpose to make are more in reference to
the relation that this document sustains 10
the other documents which have already
come before the Convention, and others
which they indicate viii come before it,
than in reference to the language of the
declaration itself This is part Of plan,
part of a systematic arrangement that is
to he proposed for the action of this BODY;
and in making reference TO it, it may per-
haPs be well to put it In comparison with
another plan that has been spoken of fire.
quently, and by some members at least
earnestly.
The plan proposed by the Committee is,
if understand it, first to declare that the
Offices in the State of Virginia are vacant,
then to proceed to make arrangements for
filling those Offices; then to proceed step
by step to the other arrangements ncces-
sary for the reconstruction of the Govern.
tnent of Virginia.
The other plan alluded to, and which
WAS indicated, rather thun drawn out in
full in my resolutions submitted on Tues
day is to go as fnr in this other plan MS is
necessary; to call together the legislature
of the State of Virginia, and then to sub
nit to that legislature the PROPOSITION Of
separating Western Virginia from Eastern
Virginia and establishing new State Gov-'
ernmeut.
Now the principle, you will observe, Mr..
President, in each of these cases is the
' sAtue' !ue PIlHCiPtS upon wh1ch this
Convention will act IN either case is the
same. The principle upon which the COM
mittee propose to act is this: All power is
vested in the people. They are the SOW
ereigns in this Government; they have dele
gated their power, however Temporarily,
tie certain servants. Those servants have
proven to be Improbable servants, and
now the people propose through the me-
dium of their Convention TO call other
servants to attend to their interests. The
Legislature that may be convened for the
purPos. of attending to those interests,
may be convened during the sitting OF this
Conyention-cOnsis OF those SERVANTS
The people propose now that the interests
belonging to them shan be put Into the
hands of that Legislature. The same