Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-06-26
A MOST FEEBLE DEFENCE.

A MOST FEEBLE DEFENCE.
The american Organ, ut Washington, devotes two
and half columns to notice of our structures
upon the organ Editors monstrous proposition in
the Philadelphia Know-Nothing Council, which was
secuted by the Southern mombcrs there, as it will br
secuted by all truo SouthcrnGrs every where. Tho
following ispubshed by tho Organ as its proposition
in tho Philadelphia Council:
ssResolved, That this National Council without ex-
pressing any opinion upon tho cOnsutonallty OF the
Missouri Compromise as IN original proposition, 1nf'
considering the repeal of said compromise impoitlc
and unwsc and there existing doubts rs TO the prac'
tirGbliiy and expediency of restoring said compro-
mise by lap, this National Council hereby Declares
that the American party ought not kocher 7nSiS Hh'
urge or require tie admission Of any 1errtt''y '"0nr
Union Stare ae,rhich lies north 81 INC coP'0,nie
line; and that, the other hand said party VIII M
terpose objections to tho admission of any Iorrlto
ry into the CuiOn slave State, which lies soun "
said compromise line: thus rrt"nHP rcsf0rtng T'IM-
out Legislation, the original compact mHde "e'''""
tie North aud South IN 1920.
''2d Resolved, That Congress has no power 10 re- }.
gulae slavery in the several States ana tiat cum
not to interfere with slavery IN tho Dstrict OF c", M
bia, without tho consent ot the people oi s"'u ~,
trct and of the State of Maryland; and that me rA,
listing legislation Of Congress. as einnracen III mo
Compromise measures OF 1850, should be mann
tuinod."
To the passages italiescd above and to the GROUNDS
of defence set up by the Organ as follow wo ask '"e
serious attention Of Southern men, hnow-NothihgS
and all
The only binding obligation in the Missouri Com
promise act was that of honor and good faith IL was
quasi compact made between the fhen represeh!u,.
tives from the North and SOuth-yet compuci WHICH
neither marty could enforce, aud which succeeding IT,
| presentatlvcs in Congress could legally annul. Inc
only question therefore, was, whether nndcr INC CIT
cumlstauces then existing in 1851 it was p"luc anu
wise to aunu itf The country had just Dcco"e qu'-
eted by IN acQniesccnco i'll the Compromise measures
of 1850 Sectional strife on the slavery question h"'
been hushed. There no demand--no necessity
no occusun iUr any disturbance OF the l"mpfon'sc
line of lS2. Its disturbance as question ol poc!'
(not of right) was the mast reckless dcf q fee'""0"
recorded ~ american h'H0ry. ~
It reupened that agitation which it will take per-
haps wears and wears to alay. 1t gave the Nortl.
not only serious umbrage as an fon of
vence and rctaation which jcopardize tho more re-
cent Compromise OF looo' >.
But we proceed to tho point embraced in tho ex-
tract from the Richmond Enquirer.
On THE point have first to say, that nearly eve
| ry Sou,herR man in the National Council who eH-
pressed his opinions the subject admitted, Tint rs
question Of pO!icy, the repeal Of the Missouri Com
promise in 1851 WAS n MaGder-that II was not then
demanded by the South, and thnt had re-"pcned the
agitation OF n question dangerous tn Ihe peace and
harmony Of the country.
| Nearly all of them took lha ground, that the Com.
fore binding-but the policy OF its repeal sustain
ed but by u few. Again There was not on" Southern
man in the Council so far ns our memory serves ~,
who held the opinion that Kansas "o"It ercr be a
stare State. Judge Gamble of Missouri, Mr.. Burwcll
of Virginia, and many other gentlemen of the South,
maintained that Kansas could not be n slave State
Their arguments this point were unanswered and
are unanswerable We did not hear single MEM
Der of the Council express the rash that Kansas
should be slave State.
Southern men, of course, all desired, that the ct
zens of Kansas should do they pleased, on the
question of admitting or excluding slavery-bHt u
body they entertained the opinion, that slavery would
not exist in Kansas. We and others, distinctly OPP
posed the re-cnactment of the Missouri restriction
By Congress- for reasons which may he deduccd from
the positions hereinbcfurc taken. We wished no fur
ther agitation of any question connected with slave
| ~, i'll Congress But we believed, and we still en-
tertain of doubt, that Notwithstanding the
efforts which have been made to force slavery into
Kansas, it can never exist there IN institution OF
the State.
| Wel-the queston at issue between tho North and
| South in the Council was finally narrowed down TO
this, Shall the Missouri Compromise be restored! We
throw of view, the wishes and claims Of Massa-
shees, in hs stating the issue. Her delegates de-
reports sas s from the The above
minority report in favor of tho restoration OF the
Missouri Compromise, by lar, was Defeated ayes
IL, noes %. We voted against sad restoration, by
lar.
But, we saw no difficulty then, and see none now,
we proposed, and which we have herein above
copied. Our proposition required no lcglsation-no
surrender of principle but O SIMPLE, and us we
| think, sensible acquescence, IN what II 10 Almost
universally agreed, 1rW be the destiny OF Kansas -
Our proposition does not propose to bind Kansas oy
any law-it does not propose to yield the principle,
that State has right to admit or exclude slavery
by its constitution- proposes no interference win
the constitutional rights of any portion Of the couh.
try-it proposes oniy that rc shall not ask for that,
phich ,re are not 10 get!
1t has been stated and stated truly that propo-
sition met with favorable reception when first pre-
sened, but that Southern extremists afterwards re:
| fused it their support.
1t would be u breach cf couytcsy, if not of conf
dence to 90 ito doialsr and point out tho causes
which prevented our proposition from being taken Dy
tho South as basis of ad ustment. Suffice it to give
the naodus opcrandi by which its consideration wns
prevented. The minority report--the TiRc.ity re-
port-Mr. Rayners propnsition snG our proposition,
were all presented +: t.e Grand Council. The quc'-
ton irs taken the minority report, which was
not agreed to. The question was next taken on MI
Rayners proposition, which was not eG7esd To-
whereupon delegate from .Sew York moved the
'prcviOas question:" whioa being carried, the Council
was GrGrsht to direct vote on the majority report.
IIy ths means all debate upon our proposition was
excluded, and the majority report being adopted prf
end TO all further efforts at concaticr ahlS Ia all
we have 10 say, IN Rng:ye. 10 the interrogatory
suggested TO 90; i.ivnas by tho Richmond Enquirer
VIC laignt, and perhaps ought to add that we douht
not our party, North dnd South, will hqya Sn ooye,to
the basis Of adjustment Which ,ga presented in its u
ture action 81. t4s yuc.tio which may come up
S6rcaiter ii relation to Kunsas we do not believe
that Kansas will bo admitted a slave STATE nor 90
we believe that her citlcEs 'rl, when ihcy nave INV
requisite Regulation TO 10 cntitled 10 admission pre-
se,t constitution recognising slavery
Now, what does ell lhs Hean, but thnt the Amer
can Organ, which ia held up for its devotion to the
South, was and is willing to surrender ground OF
the most vital importance to the SOUTH A erHcA!
question, now before the country ia The etuissi1h
of Kansas into the un!cn e. 4 Syate Under the iesa
CT douglas and other noble Northern men, the section
al and degrading line oFthe Missouri Compromise was
botted out, and thereby to Southerners was conce-
ded, as net of simple justice, the right to carry
their own property into thctcrritory. IL TIE tr'feea
of time, aud in spite Of tic organised lmmlgr"toh
movements al New England Abolitionsts, the South
! ern men have acquired foothold in Kansas by inc
popular vote, with bright prospect of establishing
their rights under the constitution, which gTca euai
protection to all sorts & property. Just at th'S
important crisis, when tho South is about to have
Justice done to her citizens such friends Of tbs S'uh
: as Kenneth Rayner and the American Organ stcs
forward and denounce the repeal of tho Missouri
Compromise as "a hlSndcs aud 'ho most reckless
act CT legislation recorded in American history Inc
American Organ goes still farther and calls upon lhe
whole American" organization to wipe OCT fT"'S''
rally this awful 'blunder and tc "DrtnnHy restore
without legislation, the original compact made DC
tueeD the North and South in lS2G"-in other words
reoly TO give new life to the degrading Missouri Com
promse and TO restore gross and unqualified aot o
Injustice and degradation to the South And oil TINS
to conciliate the Gboonists and to give peace ano
harmony to the great American" party!
But the reasons given are, if possible moro mon
strous than the proposition itself. They ere tcat the