Speech of John C. Rutherfoord, of Goochland : in the House of Delegates of Virginia, 21 February, 1860, in favor of the proposed conference of southern states. Page: 3 of 27
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SPEECH.
fr. RFUTHERFOORD said that the bill before the
House was one of those measures suggested by the wrongs
we had suffered from the North; and the gentleman from
Culpeper (Mr. Barbour), in the able argument by which he
had opened this debate, had expressed his views as to the
general line of policy which Virginia should pursue towards
the Northern States in this important crisis of her history.
it was well that the debate should have been opened in all
this latitude; and that we should, upon earnest deliberation,
with the light of full discussion, decide what scheme or sys-
tem of measures was demanded by the honor and interests
of our State, now, at a trying hour, confided to our keeping.
There were two great objects to be held in view :-first, to
secure our rights in the U nion ; and next, failing in this, to
prepare for the exigencies of an independent existence. The
measure before us looks to both of these objects ; but, as to
both, is greatly dependent for its effect upon auxiliary mea-
sures, and upon the co-operation of other slaveholding States.
I shall vote for it simply as a part of our policy. It is a
denial of State comity, it is true, but to States that have de-
nied it to Virginia. Though against the laws of political
economy, it is justified by the law of retaliation for wrongs.
If it iall heavily at first upon our own State, yet a people
who have just asked for arms in their hands and taxes to
pay for them, will not murmur at sacrifices required for the
vindication of their rights. It is, moreover, one of a class
of measures designed to give us a direct foreign trade, and
to break the bonds of our commercial and financial vassalage
to the people who have wronged and assailed us.
But the gentleman from Culpeper has argued as though
the bill before us would alone accomplish the objects we both
have in view, and has spoken at length against the proposed
Conference of Southern States-a measure, in my judg-
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Rutherfoord, John C. (John Coles), 1825-1866. Speech of John C. Rutherfoord, of Goochland : in the House of Delegates of Virginia, 21 February, 1860, in favor of the proposed conference of southern states., pamphlet, February 21, 1860; Richmond. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth395244/m1/3/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Schreiner University.