Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-01-05
iyiJQURaL OF GOVERNOR SMITH.

8 ht!tSE uEiCiaia, HL'! iI!ahi!i!S Ni5 Way 'uipued
the dense crGvl 10 :he Sreal,e:'s Chair
seated himself therein. a few mirmts:
were spsrt IN preliminary preparation
when he arose aHi delivered the following al
| dress, oi the merits 81 w:1::h our readers a:c
left 10 he their own judges :;
Seventeen yrnra agp. apr.arcl in TIN.
! Capitol I" take Tie oaths Vi 1tiice: as the Hover
! nor elect o. ;!e Cui:;;nny Geall, Of Virginia
! i}y the permission q. L-o'i, and the election u;
, tic people. | a,.l row licrc to repeat tEom--
; Entrusted by my roUa;r7:ncn, under tic peril
! ruS circumstances which surr0U1d G>, wit:
| the Important duties wh:rl. am about "a as
! sur,e, think it "ltH.eii"- Il i:tir;; occasion.
! - hereby 90, t" express my nest r.O!0un1
! a"knnw sneErs iuf Dis .grntifyin: and dis
! ;ineuishins mark uf their confidence. hope
! | may deserve il: certain it is. il my best ef-
jarts to accomplish ~! ihat may he expected
III rle, within my cursti:'!-icna powers, VII
| r+ice, ] shall not he Disappointed
! On tha Eth day Of September l7SS11, the
4 r,natiuiion Of the United States was :,dobte'i
! iy the Convention, uad transmitted iy tE,:
President thereof General Washington, 70 the
! Congress Of TIC confederation. In hi letter
! hs SAYS, among o;iicr ,hings "and thus ;nc
! Constitution wrh we row prevent is the re-
! alt pl Il spirit Of aIrity an,! ID tl!lt mu-uai
! 'icie, enee and concession which the peculiar
! itT Of cur toitical situation rendered iirln-
J ;enSalic" In The concluding part Of bis ie:
! Ter le also says: That it will mcct the iull
and entire aprrol,;,tion Of every State. is no5,
. perhaps, u DC expected hut cash viii, dOGht-
| ! rs, recollent tl,:,., lad har interests beer;
alone consulted, ;he consequences nigh, have
i iccn particularly disaGree;;b'u or Injurious 70
! rihers."
| Tic Constitution, thus constructed, wa.S
adopted by the States at different periods.
, .ut eleven Of them having ratified H. 90 tn
;:.7iielc thereof declaring that, Tie catiica-
/ Ion OF TIC Conventions % nine States skall
! l,a sufficient for the establishment. Ur this
Constitution between the States 10 ta;ifyins
s the same" Tie government authorized there
! .,y was fail-,orcarizeA by the instalasian nf
7 President Washington, or the Goth Of -tpri!,
;7S9. lie was elected unanimously, hnt ten
states on.y united in his election. North
t;aroli1a rcraa;rtl cri GT this Union until tEf.
a,ist Of November. lisa, as RhoIc Island did
until The 90. o. Mag, 1870. I: is Obvious
shat they were fov: reign States, comp!ete rev
,:oaal;ties, auG might have remained separate.
rec and INDEPENDENT States Lndeniabiy.
yhe old U,:sc, under the first Constitution,
wl,fh to9S Us tricmphantly through the rer0-
lutouary war and to which North Carolina
and Rhodc island seemed 50 aux!ers 10 ad-
i.erc. was dissolved b.. the withdrawal OF
u,sior;tY q The mcm5aIs ;he-erf, and ano'heT
substituted .aec.C.. Wa: this secession =
L., the facts sta:c,; give ihc reply. Was IT
:; rht for II portion ol tie States 70 disregard
r DESTROY. a compact with these OF their as
soc;a.rs Who withheld or refused their con-
sent! Allow me to give Sh0rs time TO the
consideration =; this inquiry.
/, NAV be conceded lhas ibe Government
rnrmej by The 81 t!ces ri Confederation was
! wholly iaadequate iGr rs essential purposes
tia. it could neither secure us the IhsF"ct o'
| ,Crcicn PJT; ora, nor prCrG0te our prosperity
at hNg.c. True, it he'd taken w through the
| Revolution. islt the stern necessities ol Cur
condition fred the hearts q the people. ard
,:,ey g., ehurc 20 question power when It VIZ
| exercised for the purpose oi !i'!ins Cur ranks
:.od icedins and ciathing orr gallant soldiers
| ;'he Declaration o.! independence had sTu"-
ciated 10 the World the riCht O; {. ''ns"p!' to
Liasol7a Tie pei:ica! han@5 'shi,i; connected
,Js.., will, ala.:,c;." and 't0 altHr q: 10 ab"l,
iissr' the cGistiug :0rm .0f government, ard
,D Institute EAw EoSrTuifeft' laying Ns
foundation On .uci. principles and organizing
| IT. lower; IN snG!I tDTm "a 10 ihem shaii seem
! ,uos; likely 20 ef,.at their safety and happl
ness" And, in that daT, TO olo doubted Inc
7:eh, to rejnru. tho exiszi!tg ::9Ternment ano
..nlacc il with another. wheilv"r any ol the
! parties 10 i, sl.ouli sec 81 10 dn s,'.
| j.. ,1aS rcnfd:.HfiY cGmciud@.' By these VINO
heller. in ,hc progressive civ:.'zs't;om al "ai
I,ac.. that our revolution had firmly established
this great rig.f 1t haH heen disimct!y pr claim
| ed 10 tho :vurId, as he ground upou which the
| shis1een dependent colonies Of GrnM EntaiT
| just;ijad their sargratnn from the m"t?or soun
iry, and the assumption Art tho rights. rower'
aud duties of independent States. The grca
l struggle had been successfully fought npo,r u
The DECLARATION containing i. had passad t:''t
every civilized language, Our HAets:os W..
acted upon it after their independence EaL oe:i
| recognized President Buch&ran, H. .Hcdo
cessor Of The present Ch!:s Magistrate. o
the United SiRtss, bad declared ihn. thc Fed
| sral CayOrnmcn Mt had no right 10 rnnk" vi Wn
upon seeding Stale. Nor was this al! =! n
celebrated paper, to which have s" ne'
! referred. rot only distinctly asserted 'h'
right Of separation. but boldly procia,me'
| ,t TO he tie dmy, OF the States, whom
!; might cOreern, 70 exercise il. whenever, II
| their Judgment, it ,ras nccessary. 1t was c's'
idcntiy believed th.. this great philosophical
, right which msy, very rappar!y. ljc called ID
, ri9ht Of secession. would preserve tho reac
/, between the parties % the compact, under al
circumstances, asd throughout all time.
know there arc rcany 1clsGns who Geny TIL
, right. aad vet admit that Of revolution. No"
cannot tao earnestly irsis: that the right 9
, secession, practically recognized and adm,t'e'
- the guaranty & pcSro; while the Tiyh:
revolution necessarily leads to civil war on
h aonlics to n Confederation Of States. ard can
9 no. 10 politically wrong; the other acts Eitf
:, in Nation, ard is rarely right. IL - tEI'
the power of the paris is r,ot rqTHi 10 IL
II mower of the whole but what oC that? Go
ernmcnts are nos instituted for aggression. b'
e for tue security 81 the rights IL 'iii", !;,ers
and thc pursuit OF happiness.
have heretofore remarked upon the l'ec'
= liar language Of Gen. Washington. n hia iS
J. ter communicating the Cops.itt!cn. as :lsre'
;. uuon in Convention, 10 the old Cnngrcis. :.
Il was. he saEs, "tie iesm! IF spirit Of Gmtf
Il md of hat mniuut dcieyrncc and cohcrS@i'
"a rhirL The peculinriy ct' ""r political stt''a,'
l. rsudercd ind:spoaseb'e" Without the inf
Of ence of such considerations, It wonld not las
been adopted hy the Convention. Wide al
u deep rooted opposition to twas found to pr,
: wade the public ulind throughout The Con1ro
al racy. Three cf the most powerful minds
es the day, in series .i numbers, now know
49, as tic Federaiist, undertook the task o.
VI con ling the people 10 its adoption Many
es the States Welded their assent TO It with
be tire ne relnoinDce Virginia, otter j"rmidat
es opposition, headed by Patrick Henry, SEM