Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-11-09
From the Boston POST
TIT. DANGER STAND 81 THE CONSTiTi'-

TIE DAN''ER-SIAND ~ III! CbNNlii'
TION,
In" peculiar danger u; the combination cot par'j'
.1rInln" in thu tree States e. that l's prp"~'
with regard I" al t>s,Hai element in our ;'!ty n;
-nch leave no room for compromise ar ac"i!i'n,
'!hi.nn. They are such n anjea! {" nan" huii
can settle. Til. bare condition Ut -uc,r-- Would b
equivalent 10 revolution: revolution III or s"|i'
p"y IL beyond what tool. place at rhr time Ia
thirteen cnipaI.s were severed from E:cn. Egiai-
Thcn I'll" c"iOni-i- took up a:rus 10 hv"!! n raa'iG'
for The British administration determined :" break u
their local governments, while the people drterm.ae
I" na.ntau them.
Now thi- Northern Frees" sectional party ahvu
cate doctrines IL the slave Stnies exactly. sc! a
Great Britain advocated rs 20 the old Colonies: l. T.
n right to rule them, or control them. iHrir nrIl
ucnt i: that fifteen States hold 10 slavery, vii IN i
co.,rary to the law nf Cod and therefore that they
hive a r"ht 10 nftack il and do away with II Ana
when he provision: ut the Constitution ARE pointed t.
r"s"rvn5 this sr:cry question 10 me States a"d
when il Is snid TINT - dcaliu, with II, fnrrt IS q
contract, OF compact or agreement, ar compromise
entered int" by c"-c4ua' Stnc~ which stands bar
fr H. the political actiOn wlIc nOniltlnnsts PROPOSE
the answer given is. that this very compact or ca H.
promise Is IN conflict with higher law IL which tlri
owe "be'iicuce and that they obey Gods divine Ia"
rather thnn mans human law.
This s thu doctrine Ot VIM. H. Seward. HIS utter
ances ARE Law with irees"il.rs Hn abollt!oniS:s Ills
formula IS brief but terrible THERE l. H!"Hik
LAW THAN TIKI coSsTifurioSi' aud he applies the
maxim Ia political action to slavery He cln--iIl'"
the American people into rwn parrs His words ar
'.Ihrsc elements divide and classify The people into
two c.nascs-hs party ui freedom aud The pnrfv {"
slavery HIS eNact wnr!. n f, the Constitution,
are, 1T i written IN III" Constitution NJ the United
states that five slaves shall count equal IL three free
inca, base Oi representation, ana rs wrtie" as"
N r,OlGfbOR ~ diflHr t0r that shall surrender the
fugitive slave" slavery cun be and must be atIo-
isfed and Won and can do it," He then proceeds To
lv down a of political action whereby this
be done. Addressing the free StatrS, he sayS-"E0r
rect yoWr oEea srr0r mat sarCrY has ann C0n.itin-
tn.GJ gna,on'fcs Icah may BE- MT be ,,irn,.d amt
oagM M. to- niinY"',h'd.' II" gives other advice
and sayr--" Uo hs and y0F "sH S0oa GT,ng p'It'c>
.RiD an cDrrl!.t @SsIrSs',n "p,a si"rig.'
These notions hay" been adopted generally by abe
litiumstS, and al! hig!lerlaw men. They have IIl-
lowed liz ADVICE and there il now aggression ne
Ia-t letter oil senator wilson irSrr.hr! what this ny
erosion j.. H.. writes to party Ui Garrison ahnii-
tlnu-r- June 80 lSjJ-adircssing Wendell Phillips
Ms follows
e. hup. my dear SIR that shall Ill strive 10 ante
and combine all the friends =" rrrd"mtlat So shall
forget rach others faults and shortcomings III the past
und all labor secure thH cooperation 6y r"hsct
""ne ne stare 10 b" rIn~Er ygi.d amt IN" d"H,"foI
81 Ia" master brokrg. L"! E I,mrmh,y mat "1yy'
ma" N'' millions ~ b0HinrH, gyoanin2 WHGsr RHn"-
IcS% "0r> DfMhSD ,hnf we shall ccase Ia rcpruarh
enrh other, ana that We labor ,0y thc,y dsiir1nrr
SHcM u III" ol"cr Of them all il Is To- abolish saye
r. hey tradnc" III" fathers ottc republic by term.
ing Their inrIih'"n "t the constitutional compact ~
fatal step Rev. Edward Rrrcher III hi. FREMONT
lc'nplr hhti-shErry discourse, nsdCrrl HAT "rhfn
iherie r0nSrHirt 10 60 tro cogrs0;or ,,tA Sy,s,y
" j0rma rGnsid"'tO" il took ~ JatGi si,p" aud his
object waS 10 show hnw m. IOnasilios tad Ers4
pii''d "t0rr thr'IGa'f0. Hmdhow tn" business should
BE- $40 place fhrNiiGHstg 0hDrr ne Ica>,,'yi.Da. -
We need no: quote lhe,.drrr Parker ar William
Lloyd Garrison, who both regard the Constitution "a
be an agreement with he'll, and rGIl and void ~ {"
slavery limitations and who ,d to the idea al 40
Union with shareholders.
The Gnc;rinr then incnlra,d in abolition siIr"cl.-
Oh the l"or o! the United STATES Senate, in caucus
and pulpit, ana cvcrywrfr l., that What is contrary
To the divine law should HOT be ubcycI, AMI that
sc! is the with the slavery compromises of the
Constitutions This IT, the rule nculratcd for mans
dealings with mau for the Individual ~ n member
OF political syStcln-a system ~ necessary 10 his
political well being us il the air he brcahc- 10 his
physical wcll.bcinG. All this can have other
meaning than that each lnir dunl If hc'thr ud.r
whether provision contrary 10 the law of Guj.-
Now, when men pretend to be loyal anl true Ia the
Constitution. and obey II in what they think righ;.
but regard II n ii nuIl,tv III what they think IS no.
right. il l. cl"nr that they but follow their own ud-
mrnt. or incna'iri-, or passions, or convenience,
an! not the Constitution. Wien such happen 10 60
with The Constitution they do not ojry the C"nafiiG-
ton hat they 20 according 10 the higher las" "caed
III TIE third heavens. Such nnti"n> sap
thr foundations OF all iaw-"t MI contracts. WlIGt
would he the state o! contracts OF men who, after
mud signature, should shy, thar much Of such w.
they deemed right they would yield Ia, aud much
~ seemed tn be rxtort"n, 0r wrong, they would re-
fuse To abide by! And suppose judges 10 act upon
this rule How long would society keep together =
How long would our priceless stare Of peace be
tinu.r How long would it BE- before private
would br ~ co.a:nnn II, il was IN the dark ayes
Such the tendencies ii thl- w.:"r abolition sys
ten. They are radical, revolutionary, nnarchira',
sriLiu-, M the foundations of prosperity. TIE
+lirr principle thu: strikes obcdisac- obi
CATION I" the constitution, strikes 0u "hr,cEcc ~ all
the obligations 0i this Instrument. Ii one prov
can be- nuiicI by S'a'. a"'t;cr"nn he ""':tto'i
in nnOlhr State aud thus the bn. viii bI triitcrri
awnv. 'rhrr. can be, with thcs- higher law men,
no such guide Tor their acon comi
tu.I"ria guide there bc no such thing NJ It cD'-
stt0a0i 60rrier between them aud tie slavrhUidrr
lh,y, Gnu be- no such thing ne S'0's FL"hkS.
'TLr.,. PURPOSES nf the ah"litionis's,"f Seward.
Visor, aud their coaiiut"rs nj all ,tr pes cannot b"
carried out without radIcaiiy ciansn- our p"!i'y-
without break M over the barrier ~ State rights
without ASSUMING ~ control The domestic institutions
NJ tn. Snt.s They canuu; attain thri: rnGS-Inc /
,n Inclination of three millions II Doln"n "'ii lcIf
l.I;y, rance from ;l.r dominion "f hrs master, ~ .
wilson has put it-witlout dr;n.; t-i and their pi".
r.rr work - t. nu!i;y The compromises at the con
,i;tutnr: to cor-irr ts guarantees IL null! Ia reach
over them one hy oae, I" IN attn"k "n s'av'ly /
and tiieu 10 abolish it. I.rsc are the ends ui tins
party.
fll!tt nitcrH Stats III lIIlS
nr To this control. tnis change. this rrNuutun. IL
wvuI turn our system. from one OF independent ard
.nyryciru localities, int Ut complete cen:rnlIzu-
ion: Il crntrlliza;iun governed b? minority vote OF
IA. hole, people. THIS would be change far more !
revolutionary than what inuk pace when the COLO
ME-. wore severed from Great Britnln. lhcu each !
State REFINED il. local pocy and each went an III its
ocal Governments as il had claimed the right - do
iom the first.
II i. This unmentu,;s issue. at bottom. Of revolution
t lnnu,S M 50 i,ar.ulIy in the political h"rIapm.
rEr claui of old made by the British parliament !
y. th,t !; haI ,icrt 70 form and contro. III. local
INST iiuti,us of tie isrl. thirteen coluuesu the ay
-rnt, ucpul o! ,ii- country The claim made by the
,,rth.rn pnrty-for have stated what IL the
ann shines will be the muster element OF this pnrty-
j. substantially the snnr. his IA demand that |
rc,.cr will he submitted t.. Ii Is this that constitutes
the inheritance oi the isaUc. II Is Ia be deeply re-
tiri that this importance il not, IA yr appreciated
/ Ihr rop!e a. il should be. Our political mach
,,ry works So sruniiy, has moved =" beautifully, md
/. nov; i.ji-iug il. unparalleled und invaluable bless
mo-, 81 Guilty every hearth stone hnd I" rnri III
l,yiuul ;yho gathers about Il; that II - diltcnlt I"
mike men h..v" the cloud Is in the SKY from winch
ill .sur the rcndins ho But the sooner II is seen,
IN. better It it will be for the republic.
This is the question that will present itself Ia each
,i,izru at tn. next Presidential election. tnr solution
Are ruu for standing by the constitution and ~ CON:
PROMISES or are YOU willing that irr'suers az aho-
itio.t- shall violate them and create dsorganzhtion
md revoltIuni
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