Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-13

surcs Of Snhjugatiun Of these seeded States
shal! be adopted by our consent. Yet wo hear
that expeditions are being fitted out, that men
are being armed, that light batteries are being
placed on board vessels, and aro being sent
OF. Is it against 4 foreign foe ? Why should
the people OF Virginia be refused that infcrma.
ton Why should they be refused the inorma.
ton as to whether they are to be involved in u
foreign wsr? Is it against our own people p
liavo not We, the people Of Virginia, The RIGHT
to know that such is the purpose of our own
Government at Washington.
Sir, we are deeply, vitally Interested in g
| plain and unequivocal response to the inquiry
proposed by the distinguished gentleman from
Montgomery. We have tho right 10 know
whether, in violation of the ex5ress Will and
! wishes ci the people OF Virginia, through their
Convention, and in contempt of the pacific
course OF policy OF this Commonwealth, we
arc. under these circumstances, and at such .
time, to be committed to Il war Of coercion
against the seeded States in my form.
| We have been told-and that is the only
thing that has broken the seal of silence OH the
| part Of the Executive oi Lhe United States
that the laws shall be executed in ai the States
We have bean told that the forts vii, be held
will be occupied, will be- puSSesst,i; that j., rr.
! captured and re occupied We have been told
that tho revenues will be collected. Nov, sir,
We all hold here that the re.cupture aud &c
occupation Of the forts in the seceed States,
and the collection Of The revenues would be
coercion. Now, sir, ii those lruops, if these
war-like Operations, secretly and silently car
| risd on, are intended to SukjugaLo these seeded
States, either by 4 recapture and re.pOSses.
sion of the tUrts Or the collection of the revenue
We have the right to know it Then, sir, let
us pr, sent, respectfully, through the CommiS
sioncrS appointed by us manly, bold and un.
equiyucal demand To know, "Sir, what is your
policy! What mean these warike prerara.
tlonS? Are We to be involved in w@r against
our consent; And especially. arc we to be in.
volvcd in L civil or fratlcidal war-a war
| against our own inslitutiunS-a war lha! will
end, God only knows where or w:ien?"
The PRESIDENT here Informed the speaker
that his time had expired.
Mr. SPEED In my humble Judgment, this
motion Of the gentleman from Montgomery
| ought 10 prevail regard it as enlinent!y wise
and conservative, and because i, is su, III my
opinion, l approve Of it. II has beet. my for
! tune, or, Us some may suppose, my misfortune,
! to hecou,e disconnected, hy the vote J gave OIL
| the third Of this mouth ior the SubmlS,iGn Of
All ordnance OF secession to the people OF VIZ
giuia, from those with whoul have been here.
tofore politically associated. Whether that vote
WAS wise or unniSe, | snail not now
stop TO inquire. think il had the cp.
p5rtunity, should be at lcast enabled
10 show 70 those moro immediately interested
III my actiou here, that acted With The best
lights before me, and wiia Ill anXHua desire 10
do my duty 10 those who have $ntrr$rD NE,
in part with their Interests. c.tr'u, dir. Pre-.
S!dent, 10 be conservative in ny opinions, and
anxious, always, to support every measure
conservative IN It's tendeucy aud peaceful IN rs
influence. trust no gentleman Oh this tOo:
will suppose that and those wuc urc aSs1clh-
ted with Inc, advocate this measure with F!s6Y
! oil accomplishing. Indirectly, what we cannIt
accomplish directly. 70 the extent that the;
! inpute such motives to me, Certainly beg
/ them to believe they do ms great lrjustice.
| Look, Mr. President, nt the Condition Gl
! things. |, IN part represent I'm agricultural,
manufacturing and conu1 1rcial ctnstitueucy,
aud they have deep and abiding interest in ths
question Of peace or war, ard they oaSire 70 pre-
pare themselves for any fate that awaits them.
| Lock at the means which, WITH any!cus coz.
! Germ, We are endeavoring 70 arrive aI tho truii'
| ir. regard % tnia n,ou."nt.ns question. M-i'
O; wisdom ard experience sly thai all the lignia
rad Indications pOint to the iGc1 that %e are II
have war, aud tina! 1T an ear!y day. ucnilctIci'
upon the other sidc--l WI not call tneu!
s.submissionisls,h because !! Is far jrpn tie ~
| ,rnpute 10 them any such purpose as the use O.
!! that term would !,npute. Il would Ge d.sre
spec,fl; it would sGvo7 OF oIscourte6y; and }
assure gentlemen that there IS no ieci!'g IN my
b,,som Of the slightest disrespect 10 tnclu.
| These gentlemen, or the other naEd, sag,
Seem to entertain 40 fear in regard ~ the action
Of the authorities at Washington. They have
assigned no reason which has reached NY car,
whT they entertain this oplnlen, o:her ihah the
! fact that Up to this tine no warlike step mas
been taken. beg to remind them that steps
hare been taken which ge,nr lave Interpreted
as distinctly warlikc. Others have1ot given
them that interpretation. Steps haVH cerla'niy
been taken OF an equioocnt character. Steps
have been taken which, in the estimation oi
nsny whose opinions are entitled u weight
csa mean nothing except to set on i'ot nos:
tile expedition against lis sreeded SIItcs. II
there be such movement, ought We not 10
know itf If these Steps are not designed Tor
such purpose, ought We not 10 kno" .ne Tact
| Have not the reasons set torth oy Inc oissiA.
guished gentleman fro!a Richmond city, lAr.
! MAcraELAxD affecting the commercial inter
; ests of this city aud this Commonwealth, cecn
sufficient to show that in regard 10 tins matter
wr ouyht to be Informed, and that 1t is our
solemn duty to be correctly inlorucdG
But it is suggested, that perhaps We have
no authority to make this application at
Washington. The gentleman from Augusta,
(Mr. BALDwlS,) inquiries if you arc to send
delegates there to cross .eHamlne tho FTssl-
dent Of the United States Sir, | presume
when this body sends delegates on SUCH
mission. reptleinen Of intelligence vii! be ap-
pointed, who will understand The proprletles
Of their posiiion and Of the oScas!p". II lof
no other consideration, respect lor tue o4tce
OF President Of the United States would tic
tate to them that they should proponnd no
other than proper and respectful questions
If in reply TO such questions the lsfeS'd+ht
| does not give answers that are satisfactory,
because hot understood, IS 1t the expectation
Of any gentleman here that those 70 whom
We have assigned the dsiy OF making tneSc
enquiries of the President, will dsslse l!on
their enquiry, simply because the answers
given ere not clear aud Satisfactory III tac
| FIRST instance! If the President OF ihe Uhi-
ted States, in regard to rnat.ars &: sucn trdh9
! ccndent importance, W.! IL! coi;aeseelu
to give satisfactory ai:STsTs - II ns viii
plsce himself in the category in TMch
= cross examination would hs necessary,
and. therefore, proper, hope it viii be nd,
dressed to him. 70 suppose that ls "onid
DIVE evasive answers is to show, iii anotrer
form, the necessity Of Il ctoss e&au'''.aliVh'
which is to extract from lnm that which We
desre 70 know take IL however, il'aL pro;
mar answers would be given 10 proper quss'
TONS propourded by the Committee, and that
r. thav failed to secure such answers in the
rrst ;oslsucc, 10 consequence Of tne questions
not being such as TO elicit tileth, they would
in the second instance so frame their interro-
ea,ories as to draw forth proper responses.
1t is suggested bv friend near n,e, that ths
rsso,mt;nns do not contemplate that any quts.