Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-02-14
SATURDAY. MORNING, FEE. IA.

SATURDAY MORNING. FEE. Ia.
CyThe new Editors ofthe Times offertheir sal
utations to its readers In assuming the editorial
control of this paper, they are not unmlndful OF
the arduous duties and weighty responsibilities
of such position. But, animated by firm de-
termination to devote all their energies, phys-
cal and intellectual to the accomplishment of
the task which lies before them, and trusting to
receive that share of indulgence, which he that
undertakes the laborious and difficult office of
Catering to the public taste, may not unreason-
ably ask at the hands of intelligent men, they
do not altogether despair of rendering the Times
worthy the continued support of its friends and
patrons. They deem it wholly unnecessary, in
this connection, to lay before their readers a
formal and detailed confession of their political
faith inasmuch as it will be their province to
discuss fully and without reserve, all topics of
public interest as time and occasion shall require
Suffice it for the present to say, that it will be
our endeavor to uphold and defend the cherished
principles of the Wing party, with unfaggng
zeal, zeal inspired by an earnest and profound
convictions that they are the principles of truth,
of Justice and of constitutional liberty.
In regard to that great question which, for
some time past has lowered above all party is
sues. and by which our political edifice was re-
Gently shaken as by an earthquake, we take this
occasion to declare, that the Times, under our
charge, shall be, as it has ever been, true alike
to Southern institutions and to our Federal I'm
ion We do not believe the time has come
when we must make our election between the
two; when to be Union men, must be trail
tors to the South when to be loyal to the South,
we must be false to the Union. We here plant
ourselves upon the firm, constitutional and le-
Gal ground,' so fearlessly taken and so nobly
maintained by our present patriotic Wing Adj
nlinistration, to wit: the slavery Compromise of
the last Congress. We do not acquiesce in that
Compromise on the contrary, we heartily en-
brace it as fair and equitable adjustmentof the
questions in issue between the North and South,
aud as a compact scarcely less sacred in its char
acter than the Federal Constitution ITSELF Up
on the preservation of this Compromise, we We
rily believe the destinies of this nation are
stakeCl and it shall be our aim todefend it on al
proper OCCdSlOuS tlO opOH dSoduito VI It's
avowed enemies, and the insidious attacks of
pretended friends We hold, that not one of its
features takenseven as an isolated measure, fur
nishes the South with any Just cause todissolve
the Union, and that he who, upon such pre-
text counsels the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of this great
confederaey, is traitor to the cause of human
liberty and human happiness. We yield to no
man in devotion to Southern institutions, but
not until the last hope of maintaining them IN
the Union shall have died away, will we be pre-
pared to sunder the bonds which unite these 81
States as one people-to embark upon the shore
less sea of anarchy and revolution-extinguish
forever our nationality and bring down shame
and disaster upon the last great experiment of
republican government.
As respects State policy, the Times, under its
present editors. WILL as heretofore, zeaously
maintain the cause of internal Improvements,
but such is the multiplicity of schemes of this
character, now engrossing public attention, that
we must content ourselves with this general in
dication of our position with reference to the
subject We shall endeavor to conduct the dis
cussson of public affairs in a spirit of candor and
fairness towards our political opponents, free
from the influences of persona! malevoence and
rancor. We shall be studious to preserve to-
wards our cotempories of the opposition press,
those courtesies which should ever prevail
among members of the same brotherhood, how
everwidely separated in political sentiment, and
trust that their bearing towards us may never
impose the necessity Of oyerstepping the legiti-
mate bounds of editorial controversy.
C. FL. IRVING,
John SCOTT