Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-10-29
Friday Morning. October 20. 1871.

II can hardly be necessary 10 waste m"") "
,,o,d. b, refute The paradox OF The Times, tha1
MIR Webster, who boasts cfhis offs prins, the VIII
mo-, proyiso, should be regarded by The South as
uno, much less orthodox" than Messrs. Buchanan
and Dallas, who emphalicaliy and in The pam
e, language r~epudiale the odious Princ'ple'-
Blu, since Yesterdays Times spins out a lone :
eumept 10 show that these last nameo seu0e''e"
deserve mn credit a, the hands OF The SCUM, anu
are really no, 10 be as highly appreciated as WI
weh,,er. whose "frankness" Is commenaeu' We
shall saw a few words, 10 put The matter oeyoho
controversy.
The Times quotes Mr.. Buchanan's argument
tina, The existence of slavery in The lerriloiy ac-
ouired from Mexico could never become a pfac-
,;ca, question. as shelving his apparent adherence
N The South. when in reality his aclua! motives
,vare hostile 10 the interests OF The South. we
have not denied that Mr.. B. has expressed inc
oninion ,ha, slavery cannot exist in The teff1o'y
~ 10 aconired. and that therefore The ITO
viso will be not a practical question: A"s' W.
have said. was a mere opinion, the error oi CUT
r.c,ne.s of which Time will demonstrate. put We
have moreover said, that, should ms opinioh NC
;rcor,ec,-sbould slavery be fonud TO exist IN SAID
,.ri,ory-Mr. Buchanan was fully
against the Wilmot Proviso and IN favor oi me
M;ssour; Compromise; Tor The same letter contains
. ssn,cnce which upsels the whole OF the wire
drawn theory of the Times. MIR. buchahah'ai ID
ter urging with zeal The Northern Democracy
10 cling fast TO their lime-honored principies-'o
cherish ia sacred regard for The Federal Consul
m,ion and for the reserved rights OF the States;
10 "abide by The compromises oil inc Oo"S'3u-
lion - and 10 adhere 10 the Missouri COMPROMISE
line which slhe harmony OF The States and even
the security of the Union itself require Should oe
extended to any new territory which we may nov
ACQUIRE from Mckee," MIR. Buchanan, we say,
after thus taking ground upon which the SCUM
will rally, unequivocally declares, u sh0nA en-
trrfain The same opinion, ercn If IL rcIe certain mat
mi, ,rould become a serious practical question:
This language, which The Times has most un'
Justly overlooked, fully meets the allegations oil
that paper and vindicates the motives" oil MI.
Buchanan aga inst his captious assailan's. In a
word, MIR. Buchanan avows that, come irhat tctA,
he will stand uih The South upon the Missouri
COMPROMISE line, and yet a Southern Wing pa
a.
per denounces him as showing 'ihe cloven loot, :"
as deserving no credit from The South and as
lille 10 be applauded Tor his course sthe "iranR"
Daniel Webster, who dehes the South ana ihso-
lently hurls into her face the odious Wilmot Pro-
visol
Then, again, as 10 Mr.. Dallas, whose "mc-
,ives" are similarly impeached by the Times,
basiue its arsumen, on The following passage in
Mr.. Dallas's Pit.sburg speech:
The best thing which can be done, when
all is said upon The subject that may he said, VIII
he N let il alone entirely-leavi to The people
OF The territory To be acquired, The business OF SET
ding the matter for themselves"
The Times asks:
"And who are these people that are 10 settle the
matter for ,hemselves2 Interpreting Mr.. Dallas
obscurity with the aid OF the light impaired by
his official rival, we must believe ,hatthe people
in question are, in large proportion, 9 cotored Pc
p~ulation.' cuaong ,vt9m Tie nrgro d9es not socially
belong 10 d DEGRADED race Must lhe South re-
turn thanks Tor the boon which Mir. Dallas prot
fers il, through The hands OF such Gelcc'aDle go
vernors?"
If there he "obsculity' in Mr.. Dallas's Lam
suage, il is The same "obscurity" which We find
in the language employed by Mr.. Calhoun and
the most Jealous advocates Of Southern rights
Indeed, Mr.. Dallas has here laid down extreme
Southern ground. |, is strange, indeed, that ne
should be assailed b. a Southern print Tor taxing
a position entirely southern
Ii The Sou h should net "rc;urn thanks ter Inc
bo,n"in Mr.. r., neither should it return thanks
10 Mr. Calhoun or any other Southern man ior
the identical boom presented by them. The al
snment of the Times shows The weakness Of us
attack upon Mr.. Dallas. It sets out 10 show lhat
he is guilty OF improper "motivcs, and odo THIS
ii quotes moi his own speech, but The opinions oil
Mr.. Buchanan in regard TO the prospective non-
slaveholdiug character Of the Mexican territory
10 be acquired. With equal justice, ii nigh
a.sail MIR. Calhoun for holding the same doc
irines as Mr.. Dallas.
Ii is evident, from what we have shown, thai
Messrs. Dallas and Buchanan arc, in any c7e'f
opposed on priac,ptc TO The WilInot Proviso, and
in favor Of the constitutional rights Of The South
and We, a Southern Wing paper holds them uF
as mo, much less orthodox" than Daniel Web
s,er. the boosted father Of The Wilmot Proviso
principle. This principle vitality afec,slhe rights
and safety Of the South, whose people cannot TAI
TO mark the singular spectacle presented before
them.