Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-04-20

RICHMOND, w
saturday Morning, April II. 1917.
@ Sound the 'n'Ocsin.

Sixth Congressional District. Since Inc ialai
abolition of the 2lst Rule, The opponents oil The
institution of slavery, gaining confidence from
Southern support, have grown more reckless ana
more violent in their assaults. The Wiimo'
Provso, proposed al,he last session o! Congress-
and voted for By Northern Democrats and Wings,
;s bv far The most dangerous and deadly attack
which has ever been made upon the sacred guar
an,e.s Of The Constitution and the dearest rights
or,be South. What does ii proposel In The clio
ouent and powerful language OF MIR. Seldom
az q, gentlemen ONLY pause and reflect on the
character of The proposed bill. Let them remem-
Der il proposes prospective, permanent, iunda-
mental law for the action Of this Government IN
all time; that its clear aim is 10 direct The iegis.
laton. and eniis the whole influence, moral and
POLITICAL, Of this common Union, 10 d'sconnte-
nance The institutions OF Tue South and To I'M
pair and restrict the rights Of her people 10 their
most valuable properly; that under The pretext OF
seeking. in esuilical phraseologY, 10 "elevae and
d;onity the condition and character OF labor, "
these Northern gentlemen make il one Of The chic!
objects of this Government 10 sligmaise the in
.ilulions and dep!eciale aud impair the labor and
pruper,v OF the people oi onc-hali The States 81
inc Contederacv; that they wholly deny to thai
neone the EQUALITY on which is based The Coost-
tuition itself, and exclude them, with their proper
~, from all participation in The acquisition OF
the common blood and treasure OF The Union; and
that, instead OF making their institutions and pro-
nerly The objects of the equal projection and con-
servalion OF Inc Federal Government, all its prac-
ticable agencies are 10 he invoked 10 dscounie-
nance and iusidiously subyeTt Them.
"Well, sir, has il come now 10 This, (and naugh
else is the meaning or effect OF The provision ]
denounce that Inc whole slaveholding popula-
ton OF The Union, who own one-hali, and that in
soil and cline The fairest and most favored half Of
the Union. who constitute The people OF half the
States, aud amount TO near hall of The whole po-
pulaticr OF The Union, are, with our guaranteed
.aneny and because Of il. 10 be debared and
| exciuIed from all future common acquisitions of
our jnini blood and joint treasure =? Sir, The pro-
posiilion is nonsiious-loo gross and too plain 10
be argued ea,asl We OF The Soulh-l say IL
plainly and frmly-Gerer can and never will
submit, 10 such principle. To do so, would be
TO argue us unworthy Of our ancestry and their
heritage of fame and freedom, and would exhibit
US as but 100 ready 10 be degraded and Cypress
ed meriling richly the dishonor and exactions we
would hy slow degrees but soon inevitably real
ze"
How Is This mad assault upon Southern rights
10 re met by Southern menf As Il has been
mel III the resolutions passed unanimously By The
Virginia Legislature, and which hare been re-
echoed as opponents Of soulhern feeling from the
Potomac to The Rio Grande; as il has been met
BY The resolutions adopted BY The citizens Of
Richmond without distinction Of party as il was
me,aby our able Il. r!esenlalive in Congress, Mr..
Seldom, when he said
"But should the offensive bill Of The gentleman
from New York pass, as from The sentiments oil
Northern representatives seem but 100 likely, We
shall be aroused indeed, and by 'ctdeiy different
spectcele. The combined action OF all the depart
menls ofthis Government-lh Government oil The
Confederation ilseli--with all its agencies VI
moral and political influence will have been en-
li.,.d in direct attempt 10 subveri the iunda-
mental equality oi The CONSTITUTIONAL an in
sdous design 10 undermine the Institutions OF
Cue halt of The Sales and 10 slismalize and depre.
ciaIe their property and lneT labor. The pa pablo
exclusion OF Shareholders, with their property,
from the Joint acquisitions oil common treasure
and blood, would alone have sufficed but The in
direct influences and potent moral agencies thus,
by the legislation of The republic, arfayed against
our property and our peace, immeasuraoy e1-
coed even that direct wrong. The people oil the
South never could and never would endure i. -
TIE heritage Of their fathers would be al static
their own honor would be al hazard-the peace
of their homes, the loves and the affections that
cluster around their hearthslones-the security
of their States and their fricnds-he fortunes and
the lives OF their wives and their families, would
all be wrecked in The final issues OF such agen-
cies, unrcsisled and unrepeled by Them. The
Union would and must be first sacrificed. | ni-
Ter this in no spirit OF bravado or menace; |
know the people of The South, and believe il.
uN IA
enreay or suppicalon to The people OF The North,
or their representatives here. have none 10 pre-
SENT and il, in the admirable speech OF my friend
from Alabama, had any, the least fault 10 find,
il was that his tone was somewhat Too deprecato.
ry For the North have warning indeed, while
il is yet iime-remonslrance, too, u II would
avail. and even appeal, il it would be needed
not however, 10 feeling o. sympathy, but 10 their
sense OF justice and equal rights. Sir. as have
said, we plant ourselves on the Constitution. We
demand only equality OF right-iull communion
and participation in The privileges OF our ccm-
mon Union. We rest on that which is NOE i'm.
mulable even than the most sacred instruments
of mans framing-on The eternal principles OF
sheer justice and equality, and then, sir, il disu-
MON be forced upon US. lei il come. Nul on us
OF the South am satisfied, would lis disasters
mainly fall Far from il; and | most heartily
wish my time would allow me, as had in
tended, 10 demonstrate OF how infinitely great
er weight would be the calamites resulting
to the North. | admcnish The representatives Of
that section to be wise in time. II moi, you will
see The sources Of your prosperity drying up al
the fountain heads. The great staples OF sonlh-
ern production, which have fed your commerce,
built up your cities and sustained your trade The
world over, will have been transferred 10 The fleets
and marts o. other nations. The cyer-increasing
demands of The aarcuturisls oil The Souh for the
products Of manufacture and mechanical labor,
The supply Of which, under The peculiar privil
eyes Of the Union, reared your factories and fill
ei your work shops, will have been answered by
rival nation of skill and capital surprising
yours. Your lords Of The loom and shuttle
your merchant princes-your wealthy mechan-
les and thriving aborers-Wii all have ielt The
gloom Of common cloud come athwar the
sunshine OF their prosperity And when half
your ships lie rotting a, the wharfs-your faclo-
res are crumblng stone by slone-your work.
shops resound no longer with The busy hum ofin-
dusirv-and your cities are dwindling 10 halt
their size you will mourn the desolation mat has
overtaken you, and, in sackclolh and ashes, re.
pent the madness that ruled this hour You
may then remember, amid all The bitterness OF
irretrievabe loss, The appeal this day made in
vain 10 your wisdom and justice, and The repre-.
sentative OF the South, who, while avoidance of
tue SouiiIS udDeei ~ds Jet edeJ, Win Cdnuor ana
:ccrlessress told you only the honest truth"
Ii is for all Southern men, without distinction
of party, 10 rally together upon this great ques-
lion. l.. The South present firm and unbroken
front, and the reasonable, rejecting men OF The
North will see he abyss below them they will
pause and retreat while it is time we will then
have party at the North 10 stand BY Us. Let
Tie SoutA unite, and Iss No,n piR d,ridei but lss
the South divide, and tie North ,0ul be 1gstlr,-
II there be five Southern men In Congress-if
there be bu, o.e Soutaron there disposed 10 yield
an inch TO the demands OF Northern fanatics, that
one man will palsy the moral influence Of soulh-
ern opposition.
Why should The South take this stand nouf-
Becaus. it lie apparent that the crisis is incyila
bic, sooner or later. and we should meet 1t while