Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-07-06

present i!acran action OF Massachusetts, would more
than ever Justify such Il course On the mr., Of the
South. For our suggestions Of policy ut That tiu,e
We were denounced as disunonis,s. But wLat will
be said when such conservative "Cnionr Journals a.
the Louisville Journal and the y. o. Bulletin uf al
entirely different school from our own, NOW favor
similar policy, in view Of the morstrous action of
Mass such,Isctts Their articles we give below. Thsy
ara interesting and iorcibe-and, moreover, they
show that tie ~hoc !SOnT is aroused to the danger
and To the vital necessity of meeting it ut once The
article from the Louisville Journal makes fair md
able statement Of the case and ii there be any pure
patriotism cxiunt in the old Bay State, is well cnlcu
lated TO arouse it-althou.h mus; warmly protest
against the mistaken and illhcray uni ust estimate Of
Mr. WISE its succrs against the MisSourans, and the
false position in which the remarks place Kentucky
and Maryland OH the great Southern question. We
are that whatever the South may determine
on, those two States will be with OF one thing
we feel perfectly I"giaia will do her duty in
the crisis regardless Of consequences
MASSACHUSETTS, AND THE UNION.
From the Louisville tky) journal
The recent nulivn. legislation OF Massachusetts,
requires crave consideration from every friend nj the
Lnon. 1t will lcnl 10 similar rctalIatory Legislation
the part of the Southern States against her and all
other States following her example. She and others
will agaIn rc"liatc c.anst the South, and thus by
separate State legislation all the valuable pur
poses oi this Union will be destroyed and in the opn
ion of none will it be- worth preserving.
When system cf retaliation is carried on between
States it Is ncvur confined to the mere irr H0HIs-
The rctrbuiion prescribed always exceeds the offence
to ho rcdrcsscd. Two recent examples must satisfy
all that, so far regards the South such will be the
nlcsurc ul redress when she commences the work of
retaliation. For countcractIng moneycd combinu
tun at the North 10 control the politics Of Kansas
the peopl. of Missouri promptly and cllrctuHlly re-
sorted to the bowic-knI!c and revolver. a Indy Of
Memphis, Tenn, passing through ONO, was ASSAULT
ed by ruiiian in railrond car with her young ic
male slave who, with III arms around her neck
clinr~ tu her and shIickn. for protection He tore
them a<urlGcr, from their mutual embrace, without
anv legal warrant for doing. His conduct was sus-
iaiucd by the Judicial authorities The little girl was
uuurcntirrd to some who thought he conld make
profit out "f her, and the lay thus robbed of her
PROPERTY. When news of tins outrage reached Mem.
phis there happened to be two Ohio HAT boats lying
at the wharf public sentiment called for vengeance,
and but for the carnes, enreatles OF some of their
most respectable and influential citizens the people
OF Memphis would have pitched the carsoes "t the
two boats into the river. They were pers AIDED TO
content themselves with resolve III town etn. To
cease all commercial intercourse with Cincinnati, the
residence of the ruilaE.
Virginia, the leading Southern State, has put her
self under the guidance ~. the most hot-hcad"G, III
lup, rate lau that could have been called from the
whole South: Il man who no doub; attributes all his
own personal success i'll lie tn pucnaritv and buy
ing. Submission /" nulifylm:: legislation "t Massa'
chusciiS would not be expected from Virginia under
anv circumstances. How lar she will .n under the
lead Of her new Governor in rc;aatnry legislation,
np man can !nrcsr". What she does, the whole
South. with the exception oi Maryland and k"n-
.Ilckv, will also do. ThrS" two States will iorbcar
such legislation. not becau-. they viii not deem 1t
clnincny Jus, and proper. nt because their stake in
In" preservation o the tmIor s so large rs to sink
all other IucsGEs into comparative ln-lgnlhchnce'
and hyGi;;-r they cannot alprd 10 resort 10 my IT,
;slu,ion which tends 10 4 destruction ot the Uninn
The last Legislature of Massachusetts Is said u
hnvr hccn compns,d of very ignorant body oT men
But whatever pluusibiGty there may be in this cN
cse for their folly, they could not have been SD Igno
rant rs not to have known that the trainers o the
Federal Constitution considered n ncgr" slave rs
much a. anything else the legitimate subject OF pro-
;,crtv. The knew that no constitution would lave
bccn proposed or adopted which did not recognise
that principle. They knew the universal sentiment
i'll the South be that ownership OF slave as pro-
perry WAS just as worthy "i pro;rctl"n and that It's
PROTECTION Just % hnpy Gunrhn"c" IN the FEEDER
al Constitution, the ownership :" bale nt goods
ns box ut .hoc-. casi ot goldfish. Ma-Sacu-
.;s cannot, under the plea q" ignarHncc, escape the
.;nputaton of having wiit"l!y rcnounrcd l"r "le'
ranc" the Uninn "r III other words, wI!tu!!v re-
fused ~ perform her duties under the national COM
pact. Rv tie legislative c"Untcnance she has gwen
10 the theft and robbery Of Southern property, by the
immunity she promises IL the thieves and robbers,
and by the official cxhitaon ot the prominent
of the a!dcrs and abetters OF those thieves aud rob-
bcra, slc knowingly violates all sense OF proprcty
aud Justice, md hurls prcSunptuous and rlnd!cve
defiance against the whole South. She C0u!,l never
have done hi, with her eyes entirely open to the
sentences To herself She did not know the extent
Of the rctaliating power Of the South. She was hug.
ging herself in conscious security under the belief
that her shipping, her cotton goods, her sAnes and
her Goldfish were panoplicd in proof BY the cosrltu-
ton against all similar legislation ON the part OF tue
South. Ii il high :.inc ;at she and all other states
nclinng to follow her example should be undeccved.
The Suuth has ample power to commend the ingrc-
iicrts Of her poisoned clalicc to her own h2s. and
she should b6 made to know il. She herself has,
hy her example pointed the way 10 simple nppica-
ton Of the hr iGtionS, which shall ,.ctualiy deprive
her. bv laws III strict accnrGEcc with the ritter ot the
constitution Of nj! participation Ill the commercial
benefits OF the Inon,
Suppncse Virginia, acting in the spirit of this lcgs
lat!oE ui Massachusetts. should pass i%W, saying
that nothing of the growth pcuiact OF MasSachl-
setts soil or labor. imported into Virginia after Il
named dav should be deved the subcc; OF larceny or
robbery, md that the stealing or robbery oi no such
thing shon.,; Ge punished within that State. suppose
rtLcr that every Southern SiGe, With The exception
nf MARYLAND md kentucky, should follow her exam
pIc and adopt similar law. the consequence would
be the calling forth Gn accusing into vIsIlant action
the unanimous pibllc sentiment OF The South, to In
erdict I'll commercial intercourse with Massachusetts.
All men, publicly and privately, would aid TO enforc
rho iuterict No lcgi,hiinn under ordinary clrcum
stances could devise c.trciual non-lntercoursc.-
II would be thus cilectHal cvch though the Constu.
tnu expressly n:uilIhited such lc2iSatlon The Fe-
I.ral Goyrrlncn;, even if it had the conceded Con-
sti;rt;cual authority would not have The effective,
practical power to councract such state Of things.
But there is no express prohibition against such lcgs
latiun and Congress has rot even constructive power
70 ward of or alleviate any of its effects.
II belongs exclusively TO the Legislature OF Virgil
mia "a prescribe what shall constitute then robbery
within her borders. There is nothing in the Federal
Constitution to iGstcn any part I'll her penai code up
on her and make il irrcpcaablc. Such law rs the
one indicated ;..akcs discrimination between cti-
zcns of Massachusetts and those of Virginia. Ii gives
nt. more protection tu the things described when IN
the hands of the ihau il does when III the hands
u the other 1t merely declares thai they shall n"t
BIZ considered W protected property wlen III the
hands OF c.thrr. Ii will b9 IN vanto search the Ton.
stut;o Tor eXprcs. prohibition against such e.lsln-
ton: or for ANY power III the government ~ compel
Virginia TO punish us crime what she chooses to say
shall not be crime, nor puniShtd as such within her
borders.
Say tho power in Congress 10 regulate commerce
among the States carries with il, necessary cpnse-
uurucc authority Ia punish theft or robbery OF prop
erty imported into Virginia by czen OF Massachu
scits whilst owned by him. This would DC most
liberal stretch of implied power. but nothing would
he gained thereby !ur It would avail him nothing to
protect it only whilst owned by him, and leave It un-
protected when purchased by citizen of Virginia.
II tic latter cannot hold, he will TO, buy, and the
massachusetts man is no; protected to my valuable
purpose unless he can find buyers. But coucede
that the incidental power (" Congress could extend to
the protection Of such property even IN me hands ot
nurchascrs-rorucs and robbers would laugh at Con-
,rcssora penalties when they had to be enforced by
,ine mnrshul and his few deputies 1t is not at all
probable that Congress woul! create II local police
and n judicial svsicn IL cuch Southern State, ade-
nuatc i the enforcing such penalties, and thereby nf
tnrdinc protection. Besides every attempt 10 enforce
such penale. would be iust as repugnsnt 10 public
sentiment in the South aud would be resisted by pop
uar ielin. there in the same way as the capture and
rendition OF runaway slave Is resisted IN Massaciu,
s.,;. In,c.d puDlic sentiment in the South would
tlc,uuliv nil tie legislatures in carrying out such
policy. b. voluntary association. every evasion Of
il v"uid be prevented. and all traders attempting such
evasion would be- incx1ra5iy prescribed.