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Show 138 TIIE S'PATE CONVENTIONS. concerning this Constitution, nnl c s I be nrged by the observations of some g-entlemen. Although ibis is not the fir,'t time thai my mind ha. been brought to contemplnt' this awfn l pc•riod, yet I acknowledge it is not rendered less a.wful by familiarity with it. Did I persuade my elf that those fait· days were pre cnt which the honorable gentl men described-could I bringmy mind to believe that there were pence nnrl. trnnquilliLy in this land, and that there was no storm gathering which would burst, and that previous amendments could he retained-! would concur with the honorn.ble g nt.lcman; for nothinrr but the fear of inevitable de ·truction would lead b me to vote for the Constitution in spite of the objc'ctions I have to it. Hnt, sit', what have I heard to-day? I sympalhizcd IHost warmly with what other gentlemen snid yesterday, that, let the contest be what it may, the minority should submit to the majority. With satisfaction and joy I henrd what he then said-that he would submit, nnd that there should be peace if his power could prc.·erve it. \Vhat a sad reverse to-day I Are we not told, by way of counterpart to language that did him honor, that he would secede ? I hope he will pardon, and correct me if 1 misrecite him; but if not conceted, my interpretation is, that secession by him will be the eonsequcnce of adoption without previous amendments. [Here Mr. Henry explained himself, and denied l1aving said any thing of secession; bnt that he Raid, he would have no hand in subsequent amendments; thai he would remain and vote, and afterword he would have no businc. R here.] I sec, continued Iris Excellency, that I am not mistaken in my thoughts. The honorable gentleman says, he will remain and vote on the question, but after that he bas no business here, and THJ~ , ''l'A'l'E CO.NVEN'l'TON~. 139 that he will go home. I hog to make a few remarks on tho subject of secession. If there be in this honsc member:; who have in contcmplution to secede from the majority, let me conjure them, by all the ties of honor and duty, to eonsidcr what thry arc about to do. Some of them have more properly than I have, and all of them are equal to me in personal rights. Such an idea of rcfu ing to submit to the decision of the majority is destructive of every rcpu blican princi pic. It will kindle a civil war, and reduce every thinp; to anarchy and confusion. To avoid a eala.mity so lanH•ntnlJlc, I would submit to it, if it con tain ed greater evils than it docs. \Vhat are they to sny to th eir constitu en ts wh n thry p;o home? "We come here to tell yon thai liberty i 111 danger, and, though the nwjority iH in favor of it, yon ought not to submit." Can any man consider, without shuddering with horror, the awful con, cquences of such desperate conduct? I en trent men to con id cr and ponder what good citizenHhip requires of them. I conjure them to contemplate the consequences as to thcmselve as well n.s other:. 'l'hey themselves will Le overwhelmed in the general disorder. I did not . think that the proposi tion of the honorable gentleman ncar me (Mr. '¥hit e) couhl lmve met with tho treatment it has. 'l'hc honorable gcntlcmn.n says th re nrc only three rights stipnlntcd in it. I th onght this rror might have been acco un ted. for at first; but after he read it, the continu rwcc of the mil:>take has ast.onisht'd me. lie has wandered fro111 the point. [Here he read .Mr. White's proposition.] \\Th ere in tbis pnper (10 you discover that the people of Virginia nrc tenaeil)us of tltn•c rights only? It declares that all power comes from tho people, and whatever is not gmntcrl by them remains with |