Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-10-17

the Judgment ana tce!lnS Of TIE eo"'''eiH P1'P''
General Cass advances now, for the first time' Il pro-
position still moro antagunistic TO the rights ana inter
esls of the South. This proposition, formally ehuh'
ciatcd in the fourth, fifth and sixth article" OF his con-
fcssiun of faith, nilirm., i'll effect, TINT slavery ~ ou'
the creature OF local Paw, aud can claim hol'hel IT,
cognil!un nor protection in the Constitution. II If
true General Cass cxccptathc provision Tor the recap
ture of fugitive slaves, and this admission Is fatal &c
hs proposition for that provision involves n constr
,utiunal recognition OF slavery IA property, and I'M
ulics the duty of Congress TO protect it.. but we d'
no. moan to discuss the validity Of this novel article
in the Casa creed. We propose only 10 submit it to
| the ,coplc Of tho South, that they may learn to what
an extreme of hostility 10 their rights and interests
General Ca.s bar been driven by his anti-slavcry pre-,
iudi,cs, We ciuim To hold slavery by the tenure by
which all other property is held and we thought our
selves secure in its loTscssion, under the protecting
ar-is of n common Constitution. But Gonornl Cnss
| regulates tho compromises Of the ConHtlluti"h'
annuls its guarantees, limits its operation nnd restricts
its benefits, aud reduces the Shareholder to sullectloh
To the might and majesty of tho sQrArrEK soVE
REIGN. This principle maintained heretofore only oy
the most crazy of abolition fanatics, is boldly pro-
ClallnPil anu uclcuueu DS ono WIN hrnNhi'N"
authority in the Democratic purity; and tho Southern
journal that presumes to r%epudiatc II and lfS c"""''
pion, Is To be iobukcd for tomcrity and ingrati'uuc'-
In our conception il is ns much tho duty of INC 'o!"i
Southern journal, to denounce tho mon WHO n'"'"
tuin principles ininlica! to the interests OF 'ho '""'"'
as it is 10 oppose their lnlsclIievous mc"'"''1, -"
shall the byukum julnI,a Of the Washington O"'0"'
or any other arrogant and presllInptu""s ""s""'
deter us from the discharge ut this imperative
ohIi,otion. Wa know We speak the uniFcrs"'
sentiment Of the South, in reproducing tho condnct
If Goncrul Cass, and in regulating his pretcnsiol'S
10 Southern confidence and support, and 'hi' con-
sciousncss cheers and encourages H. III our reSoIu''o"
TO EXPOSE tho treaclcry Of the p~crtIdlous any IL 'c
nIblic services Of General Cass were as conspicuous
and meritorious as the extravaganza paiegSrlc oi t"F-
rial rr;o,,Js ropresent; il he could boast the zeal anL
,nsr,,v If B,n,on and Van Burcu in the day OF their
fidelity to tho South aud the party, the principles wh'ch
he maintains would impose upon us the oolsn''oh 10
di,owu him rs We prescribe them. II we wou'd
nrcscrvc the health Of tho body, we must Top OH 'c
Lannon's limb. If wo wish tho Democratic party 10
maintain its Greet attitude, aud its sound, hcal'hiul
organization, VIC must inhict appropriate punishment
on lpllC OIlllItH u"t
essential, Indispensable condition Of sympathy and
association, between the Democrat OF the South nnd
the Democrat of the North, is that the one shall main
tain no principle and pursue no policy lniinical to the
rights and interests OF the other.
The declaration Of the writer i'll the Free Press, that
the South had come up almost rs one man, to the
support of the doctrine of sYudtcr sorcr'PntY, il too
ridiculously absurd fay serious re.uta,ion. Will the
Free Press cite the authority of a single journal or
statesman in the South, in Justification of its sweep
ing assertionl But, saws General Cnss, "every nun
who voted for the Nebraska bill, vu,od for the csiab-
lishment OF my principlcs;' and the writer in the
Free Press undertakes to make good his proposition
by that sort Of fallacious logic which So puzzles i'm
minds. But the South cannot DO involved in
an absurdity by Il s~yllugistic artiiicc. The attempt 40
10 cntrap lis is discrcditablc TO the Inst degree. No
man knows better than General Cass, that tho repre-
from the South who supported the Nebras-
ka bill, protested at the time against his construction
nf lis import; and to assert now that they endorsed
his doctrine of sGn0ter sorrrc'gntv, is TO affirm what
the record directly controverts. Not content with
our interests, General Cass insults our feel
by an iusinuation as discreditablc TO our intcli-
.ence, If it we're true. as il is TO his honor, being fulse.
The Hllusiou, in the closing paragraph from the
Free Press, to u controversy in which an editor of
his journal was involved, whilst connected with the
Washington Union, does not carry the sting which
he writer meant it TO convey. 1t is trNc, public opim-
on wus then against lis, but we had TIC tcmcrity 10
the delusion Of tho hour, and now We hive the
satisfaction to know that the "sobcr, second thought"
Of the country approvcs our course. Is is not surprl-
sang tlnt the apolosist Of General Cnss should re-
Druach us with foolish obstinncy, in sacrificing posi-
aud profit to III honest conviction, sincc export
.nce has instructed him that Il ready versatility Of
principle is the surest way 10 fortune.