Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-01-25
FIR he EnGuirfr.
EltN ABOLITION ACTION

The disruption Of the existing union may be supposed
VII result in tlc formation oi confcdcraci,s Of the
Solih ANA North, respectively Identical nearly 50. with
thc lisch"hing non-Sl holding States II seems be-
generally the opinion al those who have thought upon the
SUBJECT that thr certain result oi this separation would be-
war between the two parts and that much the evils
prduced by Suchconcts would fall upon the South the
weaker and vulnerable party This opinion j., the
fruit o antiqacd ideas altogether unsuitable 10 present
time and circumstances Hatred oi neghborng people
Is indeed sufficient indeemcnt for poor and ignorant and
tabarous nation 10 make war But enlightened nation
al his day will 10 merely 10 feed il hatrcdwith
prospect OF gain and absolute certainly of
and loss in the Such would be the prospect
o either ri these conedcraccs which would make
IN the othcr and especially disastrous would bc the fortune
Gi whichever the assailant and invader of the
other. Federal Republic j. the strongest o all
"nis 10 resist and rec an invading Zoe, and generally the
offensive war Hence foolish and scisacriiicing would
be an offensive war nsgae merely BY dislike or hatred,
waged by any power it would be douby injurious III the
oi either o these future coniodrracics.
The Southern Republic would certainly not make on
The Northern people because o their separation, upon
any other ground that can now BE- focsccn No one has
imagined that war would proceed from that quarter The
S"lh could not hope to gain any thing by offensive
war IN the North. and therefore improbable continscn-
~ need not hc discussed or feared.
Neither could the North make any profit avoid very
heavy loss in making upon the South The people Of
Tie North are too wise no, Ia know this truth and they are
10 discreet and careful o Their own interests la sacrifice
hundreds o millions OF treasure and many thousands of
lives, glu the hatred of The lboiiinnisis attempt
excite nSccon OF the slaves These results might in
deed hc highly priced luyurcs 10 antic but they would
be much too costly for The most anatica To nc willing
pay for No two nations could do each other more injury
by could gain less by nlcting such INJURY and is
Is The best security that both will truly desire and cherish
peace.
iut il war shonl occur-as il certainly might for other
ihc lwo Republics NAV be supposed by
many thai institution slavery would be element ol
weakness and t absence of slavery element oi strength
or ncighbor On either side there would be no wan
of brave men But the superiority of either party would
not be found IN the greater number o men NJ 10 pear arms
but in the number that b. spared from labor, and still
more in the greater means Tor PAYING the expenses n war
fare The greater ability 10 pay rests upon c greatly more
valuable productions o the South o which more VIM be
said hereafter. In regard soldiers II IS certain mai
community Of Shareholders spare more men than one at
equal population in which all are free. and nearly all are en-
agcd in labor Ii there had been no cloS bli as many
free citizens in their place, Sparta would have had
much less of military strength
ii sudden effort required In rcpc INVASION mere
could be safely furnished from almost any part o me S'u
and al few hours notice body ui men under arms
amounting o hall the number Of all Of the military age ana
half oi these new troops might 10 mounted Oh their own
good orSc and Unnecessary able 10 provide to for
thcir own subsistence for week In country
can military force be more quickly embodied, Of better
materials make GOOD soldiers This advantage, as wei as
many others social intellectual and moral owe Ia our
institutions ni slavery, -,
osl persons also suppose that the peculiar features OF the
Great river Mississippi and il navigabc upper tribtares
and the immense through which they now wonu
render impossible hc peaceful possession by different n
tions The upper and their outlet Ia the ocean Bi
similar oi different poSscSsor> Of great rivers are c'
more numerous in the world than the reverse conditions ana
wars The DANUBE the Rhine the Po, the Elhc the "eS'r
the Vistua, the Dnesler the Nicmcn and me lagnS VII"
some other considerable rivers OF Europe, al nave lI,
posscssoIs o their upper and their outlets ouci 's
hccn the case since the modern governments oi Europe nave
existed Yet their history docs not inform Us lia suc' ~
vision of ownership of itself has ever caused war lhe
cat Austrian Empire does not occupy the outer ol any o
il rivers except the o the lower waters OF when are pare
IL ncndcd in the remote border oi her ltaan comm
ion. olhcr important European powers Swzsrlana, Inc
Kingdoms of Bavaria Saxony Wurtcmhurg, and conncn-
raj Slrdinia and other Independent prncpailics do not
touch the ocean the lower waters OF any one oil nj
their rivers According then 70 the popular doctrine refer
red 10 above there would have existed continual difficulties
and frequent between each Of these powers and e
respective ncighbors 10 the sea- lc numerous as
I'm been the which these have been crg@
ed and trivial most of the causes Tor which nations
haye made war few ii any wars have ever been caused ny
these territorial features and divided properties in the courses
| of rivers. :, , =,
II is true that the great Mississippi valley would present th
largest area and the strongest example OF such divided pos
session of naygabc channels Therefore this would be I'M
case in which the greatest possible amount o INJURY ec
by or by improper restrictions on Haac, ls " & ~
iicted by either party Bur the very facility ior sc nl
RES which would be always suffered as wen as inflicted p
The acting partv would greatly restrain, or entirely proven
their occurrence The great Mississippi when unfortunately
il shall no longer serve bond of unon will at least Dc
on both the Northern and Southern powers bond 10 keel
the peace. Ii promote The gam or ihcIost
the Southern power, owning the great mari OF We" o.is
10 shut out the immense products OF the Norm or TO res
to sell commodities in exchanse-or TO prohibit OF
rho transit trode of the upper waters Still less temptation
would the power the upper waters nave 10 cos VI e
barrass its ONLY channel for foreign trade but shou suc
insane counses prevail the Southern powers WI" I'D
great advantages its antagonist, whethcr IN "a
arms or of tariffs Wherever such divided possession
rrrat water routes would exist (and the chesapeake b
nnd its upper sonreea offer another important eXap h
North will hold the upper and the South the lower paris an
outlets 10 the ocean, The arcr position Is 10y lar he oc
If To be used either for defence offence MS Is iortua
for The better protection and greater strength oi Inc SCUM
II is also fortunate for the sake o peace ana r cause vi W
manly in general that this superior means sia beon 10 VI
otherwise more vulnerable and weaker party can nese
desire or seek war with The other TINS last p"sloh ma
be assumed upon actual universal accord foflh ~. P1'o
tons and authorizations of war between the severed
and Southern Staes-wheher dictated by the icrs nl tl
tuid or uttered in the threats OF the arrogant ana oodsu
and from whatever place proceed9-the ah'
paied offensive movement and attack nave Deeh AWAY
counted upon Ia proceed from tho North-neye even SUI
pcctcd from the South Ny confident belief - IN;
there will be warllkc movement, on accounl vi 'eii
vcrncc hy either The South the North The searato
will be made in peace Great inconvenienccs ana osse
the later consequences of separation will be inflicted
both the severed parts But the share OF these evils 10
During the war of 1872 when British ships often asce'
cl the rivers Virginia, many cases occurred o ever!
of the military age in county being called into me beu
once remaining in service and away rom iiei
for weeks together One n these of services hco'
the whole Of the important operations oi wheat
Yet heavy loss suffered because slaves eit ~ io
made nearly all The aboring force NO uouot uie WI
was slohfuy negligenty executed. bu l Is
not be compared with what IL would nave oeeh t MT
kept in camp had the only aborers on the ars whe
they we're called Not single OF INSTRUMENTATION "i
.,, ri thus without th6 superintendent