734 



VIRGINIA. 



ment was rejected yeas 68, nays 71. The res- 

 olution was adopted yeas 92, nays 37. 



Mr. Preston offered a preamble and resolu- 

 tion, which were modified, on the suggestion 

 of Mr. Baldwin, and accepted by Mr. Preston, 

 as follows : 



Whereas, in'the opinion of this Convention, the un- 

 certainty which prevails in the public mind as to the 

 policy the Government intends to pursue towards the 

 seceded States is extremely injurious to the commercial 

 and industrial interests of the country, tends to keep 

 up an excitement which is unfavorable to an adjust- 

 ment of the pending difficulties, and threatens a dis- 

 turbance of the public peace ; therefore 



Be it resolved, That a committee of three delegates 

 be appointed to wait on the President of the United 

 States, and respectfully ask him to communicate to this 

 Convention what course he intends to pursue. 



Mr. Carlisle offered an amendment to include 

 a desire to know what policy the seceded States 

 Intended to pursue towards the General Gov- 

 ernment, which was rejected, and Mr. Pres- 

 ton's resolution, as modified, was adopted. 

 The Commissioners appointed under this res- 

 olution were Messrs. Win. Ballard Preston, A. 

 II. H. Stuart, and Geo. W. Randolph, who 

 waited upon the President. For his reply see 

 UNITED STATES. The tenth resolution was 

 adopted by a vote of 120 against 20. 



The eleventh resolution was then taken up, 

 when Mr. "Wickham offered an amendment, ex- 

 pressing confidence in the justice of the people 

 of the other States ; appealing to them for a 

 satisfactory adjustment by the adoption of the 

 amendments to the Constitution hereto ap- 

 pended ; and declaring that a definite refusal or 

 neglect of the non-slaveholding States to accede 

 to such amendments should and would result 

 in a total and final disruption of the Union. 



Mr. Goode offered an amendment, declaring 

 further that in such event Virginia will feel 

 compelled to resume her powers and throw 

 herself upon her reserved rights. This was 

 rejected 54 against 70, and Mr. Wickham's 

 amendment was also lost 57 against 68. 



Mr. Tarr moved to strike out the last sen- 

 tence in the eleventh resolution, declaring that 

 the State of Virginia will resume her powers in 

 the event of a failure to receive satisfactory 

 responses. Rejected 54 against 70. 



On the 10th, the Convention considered the 

 other resolutions. The twelfth having been 

 taken up, Mr. Carlisle moved to strike out that 

 portion making it an indispensable condition 

 that no attempt shall be made to reeenforce or 

 recapture the forts, &c., This was rejected 

 17 against 104. Mr. Wise moved to add a clause 

 declaring that all forts, &c., in the limits of se- 

 ceded States ought to be evacuated for pur- 

 poses of pacification. Lost 60 against 67. The 

 resolution was adopted. 



On the 13th the debate turned exclusively 

 upon the surrender of Fort Sumter. Messrs. 

 Carlisle and Early deprecated the action of 

 South Carolina in firing upon the fort, and ex- 

 pressed devotion to the flag of their country. 

 Others applauded the gallantry of South Caro- 

 lina and maintained that whatever the Con- 



vention might do, the people would take Vir- 

 ginia out of the Union. 



A communication was received fiohi the Gov- 

 ernor, submitting a dispatch from Gov. Pickens, 

 giving an account of Friday's bombardment. He 

 said : " There was not a man at our batteries 

 hurt. The fort fired furiously upon us. Our iron 

 battery did great damage to the south wall of the 

 fort ; the shells fell freely into the fort, and the 

 effect is supposed to be serious, as they are not 

 firing this morning. Our ' Enfield ' battery dis- 

 mounted three of Ande'rson's largest colum- 

 biads. We will take the fort, and can sink the 

 ships if they attempt to pass the channel. If 

 they land elsewhere, we can whip them. We 

 have now 7,000 of the best troops in the world, 

 and a reserve of 10,000 on the routes to the 

 harbor. The war has commenced, and we will 

 triumph or perish. Please let me know what 

 your State intends to do." 



Governor Letcher replied : " The Convention 

 will determine." 



On the 15th the reply of the President was 

 presented by the Commissioners. A resolution 

 was offered to go into secret session to consider 

 this report. A debate followed. The procla- 

 mation of President Lincoln, calling for sev- 

 enty-five thousand men, constituted the prin- 

 cipal theme. Messrs. Scott and Preston (Union- 

 ists) declared that if the President meant sub- 

 jugation of the South, Virginia had but one 

 course to pursue. A difference of opinion ex- 

 isted as to whether it would be best to secede 

 immediately or await the cooperation of the 

 Border States, and it was believed the alter- 

 native propositions would be submitted to the 

 people.' Some delegates doubted the authen- 

 ticity of the proclamation, and, in deference 

 to their wishes, the Convention adjourned. 



The reply of the Governor to the requisition 

 of the Secretary of War was made on the 16th, 

 as follows : 



EXECTTIVE DEPARTMENT, ) 

 RICHMOND, (VA.,) April 1C, 1861. J 



Hon. Simon Cameron, Secretary of War. 



SIR : I received your telegram of the 15th, the gen- 

 uiness of which I doubted. Since that time I have 

 received your communication, mailed the same day, 

 in which I am requested to detach from the militia of 

 the State of Virginia " the quota designated in a table," 

 which you append, " to serve as infantry or riflemen 

 for the period of three months, unless sooner dis- 

 charged. 



In reply to this communication, I have only to say 

 that the militia of Virginia will not be furnished to the 

 powers at Washington for any such use or purpose as 

 they have in view. Your object is to subjugate the 

 Southern States, and a requisition made upon me for 

 such an object an object, in my judgment, not within 

 the purview of the Constitution or the act of 1795 

 will not be complied with. You have chosen to in- 

 augurate civil war, and, having done so, we will meet 

 it in a spirit as determined as the administration has 

 exhibited towards the South. Respectfully, 



JOHN LETCHEJi. 



On the 16th the Convention assembled in se- 

 cret session. This was immediately after the 

 surrender of Fort Sumter. 



On the 17th an ordinance of secession was 

 passed by the Convention. The vote was 88 in 



