Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-03-15
RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
=, .o 1c,6oSSs1.Y MoRNINc, MARCH IS. Isoo.
STaTE SOVEREIGNTY - a fE->Di, .,.,o,. Il some

| arr,
We are erat6ed BY the recent c"ee's ourselves
VIM a.o;t;on on the part OF portion Oh 'e r. .
"0'' &c ,he Union forbear the prosecutor
- 'N -, Nth evil and only evil, to themseV. '
aess, democracy of Philadelphia city ana .oIn'
- ..,,ar IN stern rebuke OF abolition 'iois"''' -
euace Of moderation ano Ju'.i vi, ear avitI,out dis
M -, of N. city OF New YORK; 100 VIM
,.,on If sect or purity, have made eea' o"I, and
r,or,h,s demonstration They resolve io ,rS
for compromlse for the sake OF the ohio' .n,, CON-
CIV of New York have also, placed ''e''''''
| sorvative ground e ,hoao ,r;r,arv meetings
o, u ,beIr sovereign capacity, we wouio IAN ie'
-. ,dsnces of the existence OF commencement 10
h and runous course OF action that mas
marked the proceedings OF the constituted dao's Oh s
States in which they have occurred
. f.nda ~ the present Union, hail these symptoms
f reaction We shall rejoice If they prove he beginning
Of The end of the sway OF prejudice and passion over Inc
minds of the Northern people, Violent preuoce anu uni
nasson are the feeders of fanatcism and fanaticsm
10 awsvs and everywhere dangerous to society II 10 an
enemy 10 Liberty is foe order; it the enemy Oh
neace for it s foe compromise Like Fortune II Is
hnd Ike Hone il is false like Despair, it is terrible
When subject 10 i,s influence community can be true 10
,asf Il knows neither country friends- is iaise IN
evervthin1 The halucnatons of false philosophy anu
the rage of madness present true exhibition OF 's p
nles In practice displays the fury and the
mind bere of It's nobest attributes II beglns oy oece's
Itself and ends In the effort to force the decepuoh upo
others In its incipency is despcabe; and IN us au
ty hateful Good men everywhere should shuh % '''
| would treason.
= ia from this baneul disease of the popular mind OF the
Nor,bom this contagious and malignant malady that we
have apprehended danger if not DEATH to the body poc
Ne ~ rejoice more than ourselves these apprehensions
sboud nroye 70 be without foundation We love the Union
bu, e love more the Constitution that formed IT, we
us,,ce 100 and we demand equality. Our Repuolcanism
our love of Liberty will permit US to unte or 70 Ted'
united with those who discard these Indispensable prere
oulsi,es of freedom Our fathers were eemen we were oof
ee our children too shall be Free equal and Independent
free from the of OPPRESSION equal not ou
rnecay equal participants in the benefits OF the GOV
ernment of our choice and independent OF the demands
injustice .-.
contributed more than Virginia to oestow similar privileges
pon others She only asks the right TO participate IN
their enjoyment.
II the majority which the North now has IN Congress
and in tina Union will recognize these indispensable pre-
reonses and present them basis of compromise on
tina Slavery ouestion-in the States in the Territories IN
the District and in the Halls Of Congrsss-Vrgina ana 'e
whole South will accept It, and the present consuu'oh
NAV vet embrace in its ample provisions the VIDE area Vi
free continent To do this, to fulfil this manifest Destiny
the constitution be preserved in its integrity In o'hei
words compromise of the pending issue between the
North and the South mus. be effected without comPTomiS-
ing the Constitution. No theories no new inerpela-
lions mus, be interpolaed upon its wise provisions NO
"extra.constutona" powers no vioens remedies must
be assumed or applied by the Government
We do no, love the present Union well enough to destroy
the Gift of new world escaped from tyranny 10 mankind
= oil f,nre generations Ii lie the embodiment of the wise
,bouohts Of an era OF wisdom 1t is landmark for The
.hn OF State in all countries and in own II should not
bo denarted FROM escape the fury Of temporary tempest
What will Union be worth without Constitution II is
70 be preserved let II be DONE with the constitution unrnu-
,lated and untouched.
Then we can love STILL for 10 the Original compact"
Of our fathers We think John Taylor Of Caroline who
says:
nood maxms are often worshpped with pretended devo-
on and clothed with the splendors of oquence when their
ubverslon medtaed Ike white hefers whose horns are
tipped with gold and adorned with roands, preparatory 10
their being sacrificed"
The course of the National Inegencer in the presen,
crisis of the couns history has suggested theee words to
our memory That paper eloquent In its professions OF
devotion TO the Union Its moving appeals for compromise
its alarming orebodngs Of pending danger seem to be-
sneak that devotion more sincere than "pretended' This
sincerity we willingly accord the "Inelgencer, and re-
greet 10 detect OF other purposes rather "medated
than protested From the adoption OF the Constitution un
III the present day. have existed many individuals,
not an organized party the country who have under every
ureext ngeniously and constantly advocated an en-
larpenent OF the powers Of the Federal Government
Whenever there has been fearful agitation OF the pop
ular mind more especially, if that agitation ong-
mated in rne exercise by the general government,
I'll IN fhc yiNl n
reserved" to the States such persons have always
ay.ed themselves of the p-eoccupton of the peoples at
snon on such occasion fasten their construction OF the
constitution upon the practice the Government II would
be easy 10 the periods in history when this policy
has been exhibited And the fact that such attempts are
made 10 effect change in the OF the powers granted
to the Federal Government by the Constitution should
warn us TO guard we'll that charter Of our Union.
In the present excited of the country, involving as
the origin of tina, excitement does the continuance OF the
present Federal Union had hoped no such effort would
be made These nsdious approaches of designing men
have rarely received with any portion of the Southern
neone of either party They have always looked with dis
rus, upon the undue extension of the powers of every de-
hartman, of the Federal Government. And now their at
,ention cannot diverted from the dangers 10 the Const-
tuition, by dangers which threaten only themselves
They know the object; and the latent extent OF
the means proposed to be used TO exclude them
from the territories is something than the destruction
of the value of their slave property We present.
pose the real design of the by which this unous
purpose is TO be effected the declaration of tho Philadelphia
Democratic meeting, TO which we have already alluded
The sixth resolution adopted by that meeting in these
words:
Resolved That the principle of the Wilmot Proviso is
not harmless political speculation abstraction excused,
if erroneous by its alleged phanhropc intent but Is the
Same ancient a.isocratc perncous and peslent political
heresy lever epudated and denounced by the Democratic
party of the Unon which seeks by means of an implication
OF power by Congress gradually TO undermine STATE sorr-
ey legislation in the respective States consolidate
the Union and establish The ruins Of STATE rights central
sovereignty easily controlled managed by the few at the
expense OF the many"
This startling truth Our Republic of sovereign States
is In imminent peril from consolidation and disunon at
and the same time We do say the passage OF
the Wilnot Provso would result in cancellations while
II would present that alternative, know would lead in
evitaby and at once disunion. This is meaning
besides dangers OF this pcslcn political hcresy there
are Others not apparent indeed but still to be avoided
Unfortunately for the safety of the Constitution there
persons high in the confidence of portion of the people,
whose fghted magnatons have cohed in such spendors
OF eoquence" the msfounes of dsuno that they flee
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