Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-01-05
MR.. scoTr's RESOLUTIONS.

The resolutions moved by MI. 9cos'i CO -
.,itute 10 those reported by Mr.. Floyd nIgh' wen
occasion lie utmost surprise and as'ohis"nsn' y
those who have ma: ked the course oil e'en's a.
the South ever since The Wilmo' F'oSiso nv
passed the House OF Representatives; more esPe.
c;aI,v 10 ,nose who were in any manner engaged
IN he late Presidential canvass. That tne' |
should have been offered Tor the serious cohs'Ni-
alton OF the Legislature by prominent auu u'S'
,inpnisbsd MEMBER OF the opposite parry 'nd'
they should have been lai en- the table ana Of
dercd 10 be printed, has been 10 Us source y
the kecnesi modification and Of The deepes' iesie''
That they will be hailed with delight anu eAu'-
,.t,on nv The entire Noun We have no, The slish-
est doub: we have as lille that they will BE-
looked upon as an uuer abandonment ana 'o'a'
surrender OF every claim which Inc people OF 'le
South have heretofore so srenuonsiy ihs'seu
upon in the new territories. We tell OUT wing
friends tha, we can do nothing without 'neif CO.
operation; and t il be better 10 forget the 'each-
ipes of The past-ii We hope 10 sataie The appe-
,;re Of the Tiger by the bare taste OF olooo-h We
should seek TO protect The citadel oil our i'oei''e
by surrenderng all the ouiworks-li we are "
protect our rights 10 our slaves 10 Inc o'd'es :,
surrendering them 10 the District or 10 Tue 'sti
tories then, in Gods name, lei US n" longer iidAe
ourselves The laughing. stock OF the worio oy Fd'
norine" and bluseline' about the Wilno' rio-
yiso. Lei us no longer regard The bdFnourhe's dlo
Free Soil men as our enemies. ABOVE al, y We
are 10 submit 10 oinsul," aud "injuslce," 10
"tvrapuica abuse of power" 10 "eraluilous
outrage on Southern feelings and 10 "sPiih u
hos,,ly 10 Southern rights" lei Us be entirely ex-
nIici,. and lie, US use no halfway, minclns, am-
bieuous, equivocal expressions, but, at least lei
nc abstain. on, of some little self.respecl, u any
he left US. from erarely informing Inc Noi'h Va
the ex,en, OF our degradation. Let US mol say
20 the people Of the North, IN one line, 'hs' 'is
Wilmot Proyiso is IAN insult and an Outrage,
md lyrannical abuse OF power" ana Id INC
next tina, we will not "ihink OF nghuns anu us
solving The Union upon difference OF opin'ou'
upon an abstract question Of constitutional i""'
Let US not expose our weakness oy raining a.
ubat we have neither the spirit nor Inc nFmhesS
n resist Letus not be like the school'ooy, JUST
f,opeed. who flies into passion ana nneis oi-
ter invectives against his master, ~hen 'H' /"
sigat. Let US mol initiate The whipl cur "no
erowls as he runs away. II al the oiaa'ns u
Mr.. Scott we are 10 strike our colors anu souu"
retreat; il he aspiyes 10 head The Sou'hefh army
in This backward movement, it is incumbent upon
him 10 show some skill in the conduct Of thal &C.
treat, 10 save us a, least from an utter rou'
There is much useless verbiage IN MI Scoe'
resolutions. Il does not require ten long tesoiu
zion. 10 inform the North hal there Is an MONIES
difference OF opinion" at the South @ne'het w
trainers Of the Constitution designed mat 'nel
should have all ,he territories, and we nonei ina
they may have them; but if they should ever TAX
nossession OF the District OF COLUMBIA, we VII
draw The sword and throw away Inc scaooaiV
Aswe are upon a new tack Why net come MOI
directly to our object, and adopt The following
suhstii,le to the substitute ......n
R.eles9 Tbs, 10 .iinJ i1a out law prohibit
ing a master from emg atins with his slaves 10
any OF the territories o. this Union, IS mere
absllaction Inc question Vi us cuas;iiu;onalIy !;
one about which men NAV and do honestly dit
fer in opinion; aud we prize the Union too high
ly 10 dissolve il upon difference OF opinion, or
an abstract question OF Constitutional law.
Mr.. Scot is reported 10 have said on inlroduc
ing mis- buttons, that "if any action is 10 be Ia
ken or ne subject, 10 which Mr.. Floyd's resolu.
lions related, il should take shape 10 which al
could unite in no other way is it possible fol
good 10 come OF IT," Mr.. Scott aud the othel
members of The Legislature of lS47, unanimous
ly passed certain resolutions on this slavery ques'
,ion He now turns round and calls upon The
present Legislature, unanimously to DO WHAT 10
tho short space OF less than TWO years 10 ca! theiE
own words 10 sluify themselves; 10 break through
their mos, solemn resolves; 10 violate their most
sacred pledge 10 take firm, united and concerted
action" with her sister States, in resisting the Will
mot Proviso 81 any AMI every hazard. Virginia
has heretofore Deco looked 10 as Z leader and
guide, by Tie rest OF The saee-ho'ding states, on
the slave question. VIVA, sor! Of a leader will
she be regarded VITO 50 quickly changes hef
from; VINO calls upon hem on one cav 10 resist
a measure a. a dangerous and alarming usurpa-
ton and On the next, tells them that it is mat.
ter ot 10 importance whatsoever, indeed G.ere
ahsraciou7
We hope Ia, he Legislature OF this once proud
ton II would Ne burning shame, II they were
10 pu, il in The power OF The fanatics OF The Nofh
to point al her tic lnse: Il and 10 say, See
what have become OF your unanimous resolves, q
the threats the big words which you uttered abon.
the Wmot Provsc, in the short space oi two
years!" The question before the presea' Lcsisla-
ture is no, what position we ought to assume, bn'
-. ~.
already unanimously taken We thnk hat 'he
dignity, he honor, the safety isel' ~ me Com
monuealh, inperatyeiy call on all parties 10
main,aia that position. We therefore again enter
our humble but Nos, solemn protest against the
resolutions OF Mr. Scor.
We protest against the second and the bird
OF his resolutions, tecanse We deem i, wholly
unnecessary and an injury 10 our Cause. for The
Legislature 10 announce that there arc men al
the Souih VIII mink the Wlmo Pfoviso con.
stitutiona., even though hey Gay honestly di,-
fer" in opinion rom other Southern men. VIVA.
question is i, possible 10 conceive about which men
do not "honestly differ in opinon2' We object
still more suenuou>ly TO the resolutions, II hey
were mean, 10 imply that there is anythirg like
ar equal division OF opinion upon the question;
.or they would convey an impression wholly false
and erroneous The Wing parry in Virginia
have been almost as unanimous as the Demo.
cratic, in denying TO Congress the power 10 pro.
hihit slavery in the territories. Almost all men OF
all parties have Indignantly denied such a pow
ar. MIR. Scott himself denied il in lS47, and
shall we now al this late day have TO reiterate
the constitutional argument against The Wilmo,
Provisol Is it necessary here, in the capital Of
Virginia, TO Tell the Legislature that slaves are
property under the Constitution, like all other pro-
perry; that the States are equals in the confedera
CIV; that The public domain is the properly Of the