Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-07-24
POLITICAL.
s,lom me Pend. ton Mes,sng er. Jaly Is; ;,
To THE PEOPLE or ThE SOUTHERN
STATES.

h;s ia,e snepch delivered in the Capitol OF Mis-
son,; had beeu directed exclusively against me-
The line Of couduc. have prescribed to myself
a. reference 10 him. is 10 have as lille 10 oo vain
him as possible. and |, accordingly, never To-
lice what comes from him, even In his character
a. Senator, when Gao avoid ding SO cousisiehl-
" with my public duties l regard hin IN q
lieh, very different from What he seems 10 feealu
me. if we may Judge from The frequency ano Vlv.
lence of his Attacks on me. He seems to lh,na
stand 10 bis way. and tina, amever engasea ~
some scheme 10 pu, hin down. !, on .ne ra;s.
trary have never for moment thousu. =" -
ing him 10 The level oil a cOmpSs'oi, VI
MOI considered it Of any importance 20 e, ,nink
er he should be put down or no'. a.e NO. -,
he has something 10 gain oY assa'iius my, :, bu
the contrary, tcel that have no,nlns ~ sa m
:.s.S !, escape without some loss OF seii-ies-
80 have another reason for not desiring 70
ppo,;ce him ON The present occasion. All MS
charge, az aicsl me, with lew aud iridius e1cep'
mons are but the reiera,ions OF those oilen niduT
hereIutore BY himself and others, and Wn'eh !
have met and successfully rePelled in my place
10 the Senate. That they made no impression
against me al the lime, either 10 the oend'e VI
community, ,heIe can be NO beltcr proof, man IS
az rded in The laburious and tifesome en- nc
made in his present speech 20 revive ahu give
them circulation.
Under the influence of these reasons, would
have remained silent had alone been concefnec.
Bu, such is net The case. Ills blow 10 aimeo
much more at you, Than me. He strikes a, LIE
for The double purpose oil weakening me IN your
confidence and OF striking al you and your Cause
through me, which he thinks can be done more
sffscluay indirectly, than directly. Thus regard.
iuR his attack, feel il 10 be duty owe you and
your cause 10 repel il.
The effort Of Col. Benton, from the oeglnhing
10 the end OF his speech, is 10 maze out lhat !
have ever been uoiaiihtul 10 your cause anu
true 10 that OF the tree soeTs aoc me aooi'lion-
ist.; while. on The contrary, you had Ia nun an
unknown bnt faithful friend on all occasions.
He assumes, that you and they nave oeeh com
mistaken in reference 10 my COURSE you III re-
eardipp me as q friend and supporter oil your
Cause. and they 10 regarding me as hostile to
theirs. Judged by appearance, his object would
seem 10 be 10 expe this delnsion, while IN truth u
isto give you and your cause what he hopes VIII
prove deadly blows. THIS The aboli,iouists and
free soilers we'll understand. The disguise was
NOT assumed TO deceive hem, but 10 deceive you.
They understand him, and have hailed with &C.
clamalion his speech, and published IL ano cir.
culaled 1t far and near, and glorhtd il ana us
author to the skies. They rejoice in The be-.
lief, that il has demolished me, and this too,
while |, holds me up as The trues' and best friend
10 their cause. Il remains 10 be seen, whether
YOU will uloeIsland HIM as perfectly as they DO,
and will meet the speech, go ,auded by them,
With the reprotation due 10 tfruntery aud de-
sertion. Il is moi The first time tha, descrier
has had the assurance 10 address those he DESERT
ed, and, while protesting regard ior their cause,
denounced those who remained faithful 10 II. The
history Of our revolution furnishes notorious
stance, failed TO deceive those whom ne add es-
sed, or 10 shake their confidence 10 those who
remained faithful 10 Them, and in return Tor bis
effrontery and Gesefion, they have sent his name
down TO posterhy with reprobation. II remain
to be seen, whether such will be the fate oil The
deserler III this instance.
de commenced his speech with attacking the
resolutions ffered To The Senate The 18Th Feb
ruary, 1S47, and charges that they were in'rodu-
ced TOR the purpose OF disanon. That you may
Judge for yourselves. whether they are liable lo
the charge or not, insert them:
"Resolved, That the territories OF the United
States belong 10 the several States comprising
this Uoon, and are held By them as their joint
and common properly.
"Resolved, That Congress, as the joint agent
and representative oil the States OF Ibis Union
has no right 10 make any law, or do any ac'
whatever, that SHALL directly or ty lis effects
make any discrimination between the States d
this Union, by which any OF them shall be de.
"Resolved, That the enactment or any raw
which should, directly or by lis ttt:cs, deprive
the citizens oil any OF the States Ot lh,s Union
from emigratins with their properly into any o.
the territories ol the United STATES, will make
such discrimination, and would, therefore, be a
violation Of the constitution, ami The rieas OF II,
States from which s9ch ciZecs emietae,i, anS
in deroga ion OF that pc iGct equally which he
longs TO them as memters OF the Union, an,
would tend directly to subveu the Union itself.
"Resolyed, That, as Fundamental principle
80 our political creed, people, IN forming {
constitution, have the unconditional right 10 tom
and adopt the goyefnmen, which trey may ,hinl
best calculated 10 secure liberty, prosperity ant
happiness; and that, in conformity thereto, n
other condition is imposed by the federal cnnsliiu
tit on State, in order 10 her admission into hi
Union, except that 8 constitution be republican
and lha, the imposition OF any other by Congress
would mol only be in violation Of The constitution
b 4 in direct con1c, with The principle on which
our political system rests
They are, as you see, confined 10 asserting
principles appe,aioine 10 the nature and cha!ac
ter Of our system Of Government, and making In
serences clearly dsducible from lhem; and which
Are Of vital importance, in the question between
you and the North, in relation 10 The Wilmo
Peoviso. 1.-THE fac;s be. as the resolutions stated
there is no denying The inference; and il both b,
tsue, then yonr right TO emigrae with your slave,
into The territories becomes unQuestionable un
der the constitution. This he felt, and hence hi
bitter dennncaton OF them. But he has coE6
ned himself 10 denunciation without making al
edort 10 refule The resolutions by showing they
contain error, ether as TO the facts asserted, Of
inteIences dcduced. He knew lha, 10 be beyont
his power, and pruden,ly avoided il. Bul, il tn,
resolutions be true, as he IS compelled to admi
thavo hv lie xiie hntu hav taa
brand, as he calls them, or be justly charged BILE
with disunion7 Col. Benton has his own way
OF proving things, which appears To BE salistaclo
~ 10 himself, but 10 no ore who will take The
pains 10 examine his assertions aud reasons.
Deepairing oil finding any thing like oisunion
in the resolutions themselves, he seeks for II in
the motive, which be gra,uously assigns 10 me
for Introducing Them. He fret asserts, tia, they
are the pro oype OF those adopted by The Lees
lature Of Missouri, al their late session, and then
asserts lha, The only difference between them is
iha, mine aim directly at disunion, and theirs
ultimately at the same thing; tor which he offers
no reason, except that theirs pledge The Slaie 10
co-operaIe with The other slavehuiding States.
He thus assumes, that your aim, as well as mine,
10 disuniou; and this, while he is exsr.iny him.
self TO the utmost 10 tiscreGil ME with YOU, as a
discnioois; for it is apparent his speech was in
tended 10 have It's effects On you ecuefaiiy a
well as his own cons'ituens particularly. Ii.
then drags in he Accomac resulutions 10 prove
tina, the object Is Convention o, The Southern
States, aud that he assumes to be proof conclu-
sive, tina, disunion is intended by my resolutions
He 10 quite Mortified a, The idea OF your meeting
In Convention, in order 10 consult on The best
mode Of saving both yourselves and The Union;
II indeed the maduess OF fanatics, and The treache
~ Of deserers should not make The latter limos.
siblc. lie pext asserts, in order TO prove that
disunion is their object, tha, hey render the al.
justment otthe territorial question impraclcaile,
and that that was my motive for introducing
them. He makes this assertion, in The lace OF
facts perfectly we'll known 10 him, that The
Northern members, with very few honorable
exceptions, had rejected every effort a, compro.
mise, aud had declared their fixed determination
moi 10 accept oil any. Il was against this arrogant
and incorporating course thai offered nv
resolutions |, was, then, they, and not me, who
sook ground against compromise OF adjustment.