Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-05-24
RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
THURSDAY MORNING. NAY 23. 1880.
THE COMPROMISE.


rhat then he Union! becomes another question NJ
less important than The first All will be gloom and nncc
ainy. Nothing, perhaps short of new coinioih.S
could the Union And what would that bc!-can ma
divine!
Should the compromise be rejected still California, VII
her Wilnot Proviso lrW be brought in hear from
quarters. Once flushed with victory, the enemies oi III
South will carry their conquess the territories and s
ic Of Columbia and then overthrow the fugitive slave bll
And, have invited such catastrophy by oir lbt
cile and old womunsh in reference 10 the Southern
Convention WELL the compromise rejected and our right
swept away, will our Democratic and Wing brothers lwh
gaany stad at home when public meetings called
OF, if attending so solemny promised fight when TN
time comes rally the and help get mp means
oi defence ? or will they another time
But suppose California should be refused adnance of
of the nn-Savery proviso in her Constitution,
would lead, probably, 10 direct Declaration Of lndepen
lence her part! While on the other hand, if Congress
admit her State excluding the an-Slavery provision
from the Constitution she would be bound by it; and
could the day. by law etecualy exclude slavery;
she could amend her Constitution and the rovisor
will To impose upon a coming in State any condition
not imposed upon Of the original States, in principle
would be violation of the spirit the Constitution which
could be tolerated Hence the distinction between ad
hitting State with the Wilmot Proyiso already in lis Can
sulion, and admitting having such provision and
Congress attempting impose it, in and by The net OF adj
mission. Thus il will be SEEN the mischief has already been
done. The President has stocked the cards upon the South
by causing Constitution 10 be gotten up in hot haste and
submitting 10 Congress before the will o the nation could
possibly be known consulted in H. II may
be- that the old is aboonsi but, ii So he has
proved himself 10 be sufficiently rtrdm tod i"r them VIA
they could have done for themselves. None can now
doub, this fact Ii California had before Congress
pf -
one could not have forced the Wimot rroyiso upon il -
What better then the South do lhhn accept the coE
promise, 81 far as California is concerned!
As the residue Of the territories, the compromise serves
TO quiet the question: AT least for the present Congress- ana
before another shall intervene il is hoped that public opinion
and the balobox will drive some o the Nandnis from The
cpitu and the nation he permitted |" ENJOY peace 1t ~
however hoping against probability. For people who Ill
not maintain the Constitution which hcy have to
support abide by compromise OF thirty years standing,
caa hardly be expected long regard promise Of to-day.
Still; however il they will to-day de-ist from aggression wc
must admit $50 far good
In regard the Fugitive bl if Il provision can BE- So
framed "a require the Marshal Of The FedcI Court 10
cary the slr. the State from whence lie came, at tile
public uxpense and deliver him his owner, Mar
slal other officer in that State where fair tri can be
ha would he sufficient. Bur any thing short os
such provision would be Of but little avail What rdict-
ous figure would vginan exhibit in New York. after re-
ceving his slave, and attempting Ia hG 10 Virginia
be by band OF mlans and have the slave rescued
again and agan And he should assault wound .:
the ruians in defence himself property he would be
arrested and imprisoned ior te offence This would be thr
he il "Sp5Y UPON iii ccay5ns o bns about this very
state of things The most important point in The conpro-
mise to be attained it does seem is the return u the gl've
by the officers of the Federal Government, by which the
Aboltonis,s may made responsible 10 power which can
and will restrain them II such provision can bc 7cc'red the
South NAV well probably accept this much oi the con"
promise.
But when we the abolition OF the slave trade III
the District of Columbia do how Southern mer
,yrginans at least give il their sanction ltmsh moi
he attended with much direct practical evil 10 the people
the District but in open violation Of principle 10 h'
maintenance of which the honor Of the State stands pledge,
by solemn resolution of the Legislature. On the 2oih
January ls49 after reafming the resolutions oi the sth
| March, l647, the General Assembly OF Virginia
f2esolred That regard the passage o law by the
Congress of the United States, abolishng slavery the
slave trade in the District of Coumbia as direct attacN
upon the institutions OF the Southern states 10 De fes'e'
| at every hazard.
RsSolred That in the Of the passage by Congress
If the Wimot Proviso any law aboishing slavery or s
slave trade in the District of Columbia the Governor o this
Commonwealth is requested Immediately to convene the Lee
gisaue of this State G SHALL have adoufned 10 consider
nf the mode and manner OF redress
By the resolutions of February II, 1850 the Legislature
further
ID Resolred That in the OF the passage Of the VII
mot Provso of any law aboish!ng slavery IN The DIsc
Of Columbia, in any interfering with the tigt'
of shareholders therein, abolshng sfrefy in, or th
slave trade between the States Virginia Will be prepared IL
unite with her sister savehodng States III Convention
otherwise in the adoption of any that may be ne
ccssay provide for their mutual defence or to secure ie
common safety.
Upon the happening of either Of the contingencies men
Toned in the said I'd resolution the Governor is authorized
and requested call convention by procamaton to 'iak
into consideration the mode and measure OF redress &c
md the decgres urc to be chosen according 10 the prc
senntion in the House Of Delegates and to receive the
pay and mileage as members Of the General Assembly"
In this connection ask attention Ia the folio" ing arti
Gle from the Washington Union, which, though long, vii
amply repay for the time spent in its perusal Whateve
serves TO throw light upon the important question which nov
agitacs the public mind and threatens the existence OF on
Federal Union cannot be otherwise than interesting
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
The Columbus (Georgia) Times has devoted long nrtcl
TO the senior editor of this paper The first part OF is u
of extravagan compliment or the past and Vi unjust cru
sn on his present We deny that there Is the slight
est inconsistency between the strict Sstcghs doctrine
which have uniformly advocated and the measure wlc
on which il pleased 10 assign We know that we har
difficulties encounter in our vocation But we do no
see how our being 1.-The of national democratic Par
W. has prevented the editor from carrying out III
strict Stateshs principles of the Jeiiersonan school,
We contend strongly for them the editor OF the Coiun
bus Times himself for who has been opposed to III
Wilmol Proviso than the editors OF the Washington Union
Who has held more 'sacred the constitution o! the lnt
Sa,es Who conended with greater zeal for the ris
If the "Soutcrn States be let alone manage their ow
domestic affairs and Tor the common interests in common
Territories to be scrululonsy respected y Who Tia
more faithfully caiined for the Southern States particpa
lion in the common Territorcslst By the Missouri com
promise which would be adopt; and 2dly
y asserting the doctrine o nonnioyenton, and enyl
10 Congress any right NEEDLE with slavery in Inc Ierro
lies oi Utah and New Mexico
The Times asserts .tlat The Democracy OF the Soul
will never consent stand any national platform maj
not securely based the constitutional and the Just Igh'
Of the States Have assumed any other We conten
that the citizens the Southern States have much nan
10 10 10 these Territories those ot the Norm; an
hence we have struggled against the Wilm)t Provso, whc
ems them oil that privilege These Territories sh"i'
m free from any such restrictions ami should be oii Ire
rlr lie majority Of the inhabitants when they form a''
Constitution for themselves decide upon tho chaFac
true spirit of the Stae-righIs school, which the senior cd
tor has always been devoted The Times lays down the n"
with all the authority OF oracle in the following dlcat'
terms
"Thcrc no compromise that they will listen to but one
The Missouri compromise Of lSl9'20 In that they nav
Welded their las, inch If the South and North cannot e'
Joy territory in comon the only ltst ana equitable a'eh
lN