Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-05-29
RICHMOND Va,
Tuesday Morning, May 20, 'ls4s.


- COLONEL BENTON AND THE WH'0.
The Wing complains that we ha'e oone IL
Justice to its position in regard to Col. Demons
late cou.se. II says:
ave stated as distinctly as we couo' 10 'he
.hor, comment which We made upon The address
Of Col. Be,.on, that we entirely disappro'ed Of
h;s addressing himself TO the people Of Missouri
A. sunnort IN his contemplated de'ign OF disobey'
inc me instructions of the Legislature. we
hero take occasion TO repeat this statement
II is as palpably evident that the Legislature
renresentipg the sovereignty OF the State is
sae constituent of the Senator, as any otner iea-
Au,c in the Constitution can be. 10 suppo'e
that the Senator is The representative y, 'e
people of a State, Immediately, IS 10 travei en-
ti-eIy out Of the Constitution itself. The HOUSE
OF Representatives is tie popular branch, SO We
have always thought; and not the Senate
The Wing did say all this and We Thoroughly
agree with the Wing therein We 60 iuf'nef'
however,, and declare that, in addition 10 ooi'
b. appeal from the Legislature (his only con-
stitueats) TO the people, he was guilty oil 'he
farther improperly of impugniug Inc motives
of the Legislature of Missouri in passing me
anti. Wilmot Proyiso resolutions; intima'.hg 'ns'
they we're engendered By improper ihnue''o'''
and were designed 10 break up the Union ana iur'
ther The ambitious views Of certain portion OIL
the Democracy, whom the Colooei seems 20
hate with "a hoir horror as the Wing docs.
Mr.. A,chison, the other Senator from MISSOURI
does not seem to look upon these resolutions as
pregaan, with the mischief ascribed to them
He obeys their instructions and stands BY them
firmly But, says The Woig:
.The Enquirer represents US as aPprov'ns Of
Colonel Penon's oninions on the Wilmo, Pro-
Yi,o low. nothing that we said on fAat occa-
sion ils,ifies any such representation, while on
others. we have openly said that we did not De-
hevs that Congress had the power to enact It
Nav. here we will 60 farther, and say that We
cannot SEQ whence the power to pass the ordi-
nance of 1857 was derived
Ii the Whis'. language admits OF the coll
.,ruc;icn we put upon it, it is the fauit OF 'na'
paper. 10, oar own. We copy now, as we oio
then, ,vha, the Wing said in introducing Coio'
mel B !. letter. Hero it is:
".y. can however, and we do appreciate the
MODS ssai which the Missouri Senator mani
i,,,, Tor The preservation OF the Union Hs ~
Y,ph, The dissolution ofthe Union IS precisely
such cure for political disease as deasn Is ior
disease Of the natural body"
Now, when Inc Wing says "Hs CCol. b. Is
riyil" what does it, wat can il mean, II not
ina. /, approves Col eenron's opinions on Inc
WiImol Prov.so7n His objections are hurled
aesins, tie Missouri Resolutions which are not
as strong as the Virginia Conway Resolutions
and if "he is right" he Wing FULLY Iuslihes
him in declaring war asains', no. only The Mis-
souri,, Blu, The Virginia Resolutions, too. Can any
sensible construction arrive al different RESULT
To show how Col BIS position was regarded
by the Free Soil interest, We at the same time
quoted, as we found then in the National Intel
,igencer, an article from the ST. Louis Republi-
can, (Whig,) endorsing Ben,on's letter. which il
SAYS, "paces the Barnbuynr, upon high srounc;"
ant slso an article from the Cincinnati, Chroni-
Gle, [wGig TO The following effec:
"Cniaael BENTON is for the Union, aud Scouts
III idea tll,, bees use The privilege It introduce
slaves into free territories may be denied, this
ao,,oas Rr.1tic n,ust be dissolved and tes-
troyed Cors!s,s, ui,acr every Administration,
from Washiastl 10 Polk, has a,certed the poll
cy OF prohibiting slavery 10 territories oil Inc
United S AZ AMI IL i to tate IN The day now
iOr aNysc OF ofanJ &c ia 10 dispute the Ttgh
If il Il: ass.r,ei b. CIcsress in reference 10
California aud New Mexico, we do no doub'
that there will BE- toua! sven in the South men OF
sense, patriotism and influence enough 10 iEcui-
cate and 10 secure an acQniescence IN the law,
and suppression of all reasonable schemes
asaius the Union"
II i'll be observed, by careful comparison
that The Wing and the Cincinnati Chronicle en'
dorse The position OF Benton, for precisely The
same reasnn-viz: that he is Tor the Uaion-and
that he South will acQuiesce in Inc Wimol
Prov;so. NJ, So said Virginia. On two solemn
occasions she has said that, rather than sui NIT to
such an aggression, which would be bu, The en-
tcriog wedge for the abolition OF slavery in the
Stales and the sacrifice OF the properly and every
right of the sou,h, she would resist "at all ha-
yards, and 10 the last extremity"
The Whig makes very good argument 10
show Tie u er unconstitu ionaiy of The Wilmot
Pfoviso--bu, does il show is faith by its works,
when il advoca ,es The election OF Messrs. Pendle-
ION, Scot, &c. who fully admit he constitution
atty Of thar NEE sure, and sco' &c resolutions
.: Virginia on The subject Those gentlemen
were defeated b tie veles OF Wings, because OF
their position on this question, and the Wing, in
lamenupg over their Defeat and 10 great extent
vindc,,ing their course rebels against tbs course
OF Virginia, based upon the almost unanimous
acton o both parties. II is poor way 10
incucate the uncouslilutionalily of the Proviso,
thus 10 sustain The bitteresl advocates of its con-
s,utionaliiy.
We ale for The Unioo-ou, the Union in I'll
its constitutional force and beauty We believe
hal the Union can only DC preserved ~ firm
and uBied stand on he par OF The South. /; is
mol by aSsai!ing The South Tor is "sisunon sem
;imen!s or By surrenderiag The oulpos:s of our
rights, thai we Can save the Union. Yield now,
and We snail lose allo cur properly and rights, the
Constitution, The Union, all. Let the Soulh
stand together, and we shall obtain justice, pro-
tee, the Constitution and preserve the Union
10 the admirable language Of the Mobile Regis
te., which we adopi,
"TAo Soati is n,p tic party Of tls Ustos. To
:. size clines with the utmost devotion. No act
of hers will ever sever il asunaer. The acts OF
the abolion!s;s have this direct and inevitable
tendency By many OF them il rs avowed asa pur-
pose. fhsy not only seek 10 destroy our rights
oi properly, our civil aud political privileges, bu
iney wish 10 e1pel US from the sisteIhuod OF Safes
In heir Pharsaic puritanism, they regard Them
selves toe Immaculate 10 associate, even in a
national conf eceracy, with the slave .holders OF
ibe Se::h. aud they would therefore exclude Us
t!on the Union.
"Ls: ken no r!anderous tongue, in view of any
OF ,hes, move .nls, denounce the people OF ,ie
Saurh as min ,al 10 The coDtedeTacy Such
chsige 10 psseIy false. We are seeking, by
:hese movements, 10 preserve The integrity ot the
Constitution, which is the only bond OF union
Each iniraclio2 u hit instrument is a severance
CT the Gordian kno, ,tat holds US together, and
il is he impious Alexander who wields the sword
o. destruction, who should NEE. with execration,
and nct hos. whose only objec, is 10 resist vic
lence AID aggression"