Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-02-17
DOMESTIC.
,,,,. $500 From the Giabe, Feb. IL


ne constitution was al the compromise, and Tie
price agreed 10 be pad by the different sections of TIC
UNION IN hnay adjusting it. But always, after the
Union went INTO operaiion petitions this subject
rom some conscientious individuals chiefly from the
Society OF Friends, continued 10 come into Congress
without opposition from the Southern members until
somer or ) years ago, when the subject assumed
entirely different aspect England, after perpetu.
atng u Tor hges, and forcing il upon this country
put herself forward as the champion of the aboli.
''oh oil African slavery, and in harmony with her
movements, societies began to be orranized in the
Northern States The law of Congress passed in pur.
suance OF the Constitutions whereby fugitive slaves
IN the Northern States could be recovered by their
masters, was thwaried in its operations newspapers
were established; hired lecturers were sent over the
country : influence the minds of The Northern peopc
against ih7;s brethren Of the South inilammaory peti-
IONS were got up and The design oil assunp and
throwing the institution of slavery in the States was
openly avowed, and the right discuss it, for the nc
compl'shmcnt OF This purpose, asserted By mem.
oers OF Congress from the North who presented them
When this new state Of things arose. the members of
Congress from the South also adopted new line OF po.
hey They saw clearly as every body saw-as all the
organs 81 these cnnspratnrs against the Union clearly
so"ed-t'ii il not slavery in The District of Co.
luinba, or in the Territory of Florida where it was
obliged to exist by the treaty with Spain; it was not
the buying selling of slaves their passage from
one State TO another, which the Supreme Court has
lcmn'y adudica:ed Congress has right interfere
with or prevent; but it was slavery in the States and
the abolition ri slavery in the States, which they pro-
posed TO assa'l and overthrow. The friends of the
Union, denying The right cf Congress to accomplish
this end denied also the means. They maintained that
the real object OF all this agitation slavery in the
States and that what Congress had power TO grant
or leglsa'e on, citizen had right 10 petition for and
hence Oh saimple, unde niabe position which
ofany recii'ude Of mind, it would seem, could dispute
Congress, refused to consider receive Abolition pet-
tons or course this did not satisfy the consprators
Being stopped from pursuing the agitation Of this subject
directly on the floor Of Congress- they determined 10 do il
indirectly. The humhug Of the unlimited, unrestricted
right ofpettnn in defiance Of the Constitution and its
limitations, and Of the laws Of God or man, was promu
ged with all the dogmatism of unprnc pied fanaticsin
and all the zeal Of reckless ncendarism In the person
OF John q. Adams they found at hero and high
priest. worthy 10 minister at the altar Of dsunon, and TO
knde those fires OF hatred anarchy and civil war; which
now only burn in their fierce intensity when blown by
the breath of those who have been brethren H.
ustrious from the high public stations he had occupied
protected by age; van ambitious, and sateless still of
notoreiy cold IN heart yet furious in passions; crafty
unprincped and resolved; and above ALL with vindc-
tveness OF temper which never forges orgves lis
undying hate, carrying him on, and on and on as if
life ltsel! would expire without its stimuants and graft
caons, he stands The living embodiment of the fierce,
false, and bloody spirit Of Aboli,ionsm. His long
perience in diplomacy had taught him, that in politics,
the safest and sometimes the surest way 10 accom-
plsh object, is to discaim it. Whilst doing, pro.
Tess not to do it. Lament, deprecate the end, heap
suspicious and cphels others, whilst steadily push
ing on, by acts stronger than words and BY words hot
and CALLING when any pretex affords the opportunity,
To the end proposed lie hastens others on, but is in
no haste himself lie does not take positions himself
until he has made them by others, and then points
10 them things which ,cil be. Surely and dill.
gently lie thus digs at the foundation Of the Union and
prepares the dark mine for its overthrow. The least
abstract people in the world who boast Of their practical
sense, oneveT acting without purpose, and never up
mere ideas, he lashes into affected fury upon mere
right which, i'll existed, be of no Imaginable use,
excepting To dissolve the Union. In this, however
isis value never 10 be surrendered. The internal
work Of sowing suspicion and hatred amongst the DIFF
erent sections of The Confederacy, in the meantime,
goes busy on. The people of the South, where FIVE
millions Of white men exist, are irrtacd and inamed
by Of abuse, lying and insult if paraeled
tainly exceeded, The history of the press and
the other hand the people Of the North alarmed by
assertions that The people of the South-he weakest
ton ofthe Union, but numerically twice as strong
fathers, in our Revolution, for the purposes Of defence
are plotting ocnorccon hcmthcinsulion olA fricanst-
very IfCongicSS passes law that incenda;y writings
calculated Ia wake up instruction amongst the slaves
OF the South shall not he scattered throughout the South
by the U. s. mail il is outrage on The North 1.-THE
Southern States prohibit inccGdarcS from preaching
instruction 10 their slaves il is violation OF the liberty
of speech to Northern citizens. If they forbid the print
ing or circulation Of writings and papers calculated 10
produce The same end within their own limits and
amongst their people the liberty Of the press is in
vadcd 10 the Northern people. u they protest against
The passage of laws by the Northern States by which
The law of Congress- passed in pursuance OF the Consii-
tuition is nuIlied and their fugitive slaves arc tafen
from them il is asserted that they wish TO take from the
Northern people the rights of habeas corpus and trial b.
iury Thus the different sections Of the Union IN
situated to hate each other. In the time, steal
thy and cautiously they approach their object--a dis
solution Of the Union AT first the Declaration OF In
dependence, not the Constitution is relied on to sup
port their dngmas Then, if the Constitution protects
and authorizes slavery il is anti Christian and the lava
of God are TO be obcyed before those of men. Then,
as an alternative between Abotonists and the Union,
ulet the Union go" At length, emboldcned by pro-
selytes, and encouraged by timd unprincpled Po-
li.cians they take political position, and openly
declare their object and nnur tie banner oil dssoiu.
ton Of the Union The lIayerhill petition, presented
BY Mr. A., was The first open avo~a before the coun-
trv cf their designs although the two other petitions,
sent TO him simultaneously from New York and Penn
sylyana, show that it was not without concert At The
same time convention of these ncendiaries assemble
at New York. They put out address to the slaves
of the Southern States, exciting them against their
masters aud nominate their candidate for President
of the L. S, the notorious BiTney Birney replies 10
them, accepts the nomination, and proclams 10 them
in his address that they must make the issue Of The abo
l,on Of slavery in the States The dissolution OF The
Union MIR Adams at this very iuncinre is nrrnigned IN
the Capitol for presenting the petition TO dissolve Ire
Il non and does all lie can with air nov OF concern,
then Of defiance, which only veteran cunning and n.y.
pocrisy could assume by long enumeration oil hctl
tous wrongs, pepetrated by the Southern States he
objects of his relentless persecuton) on the Northern
States, {the causeiess and furious aggrcssor5) 10
strengthen and fire the spirit of disunion In the midst
of his defence, as he called it, but in reality of assault
and aggression, some thousand people OF boston assem-
bile in Faneuil Hall to sustain him in presenting the Pc
t,on for dissolution of the Union, and they pass,
amongst Others the following resolutions The issue
is last boldly made. Cunning has dropped its mask
and now seizes the sword-force The Union or Adolf,
,ion-that is the issue Let the people ofthe United
States now meet, Let all good and true men now
take their stand and separate themselves forever from
those who to the disturbance Of the Union, would
wrap the South in flames and blood. For ourselves,
we rejoice that the issue is made. Let the secre. trai
tor be turned into enemy, and The people nave
nothing to fear The Union will endure, and move on
Wills, their fostering carcases viii be crushed beneath
IFS wheels--the adherence and scorn of the mighty
and free people whose destiny 1t bears.
DeJate on the neo Principle Of Distribution proposed
BIZ Br (1d-We invite perusal ofthe interesting dis
cusson the phass Of the distribution question