Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-06-22
For me Enquirer
FOr me EEINTer.
THE WASHINGTON UNION" AND THE
"SENTINEL."

SENTINEL"
NIessrs. Edtors:-I hope shall be suspected Of no
purpose TO give offence to any jody, in the few hur-
red remarks have submitted to You in repelling
what seemed and still seems 10 me to have been a
most unwarranted attack by the Washington SEN
tine npOn an article in the Union, defining the
"Democrntic Position on the Slavery Question; i
know nothing of the Editor of the "ln"ni whilst,
towards twJ of the Editors of the Sentinel,
have feelings OF personal regard. and admir- the
hold and nd.pendrnt tone Of their paper. yield TO
none in advocacy of the most determined STAND on
the mart of the South III defence {" her rights anu
/ Lrrvc M have sal before, thar in our sn-callcd
compromises and concessions, We have a'rcad3 pa-s
ed the limit beyond which "orbcarancn ceases to be
a virtue" But abhnr injustice, even when see II
in friend and injustice, though probably n" intend
ed hnInbv submit has been done IN the "U nlpn
taking the aforesaid article rs the PrideHcr upon
which the indictment was founded. My views, very
condensed and hastily pcnngd, of tho Sentntrs stric-
turcs, are already before the public, ii you have
thought proper to publish them. | now beg per-
mission to occupy little mere OF your spncc in eH,
pressing my sincere regret To see tho EXAMINER
Joining in this outcry, which, as simple matter
of argument, contend, there is not one word i'll the
"Unions' article to justify. In fact, the Examiner
respectfully assert, has in few lines after charging
the Union with setting forth "new and monstrous
canon of democratic faith" emphaticaly rc-Gffru-
sd the gist of the whole Of the Cnions article Ii
says:
Tho Southern Democracy do not require orho
doXy Of abstract opinion slavery of the Northern
Democracy but they require such tests and standards
of national organization exclude all who predch Or
apito.e Wilmot provisoism and aboli,onism, &r."
Now, es au offset to tie first clause of this para-
graph, what aays the Union:
"Wtbout toleratlon of differences of opinion as to
the ABSTRACT question oil slavery; parties CANNOT
possibly be national
This is the one, the only proposition running
through the article of the Union, and might have
been expressed in the language of the Examiner
equally as we'll | defy ali tho critics on the
face Of the earth to make any thing else
of it.. And as to the second clause, what
says the Union! "The Democratic party bases
its claim to nationality upon the .act tla whilst 1t
recognizes the obligatory character OF the colnpro-
misses of tho Constitutions dcHe to the Federal gov
ernment any right to interfere with the question OF
slavery. &c. The act for the organization Of Kan
sas and Nebraska, was based upon the same prlnci-
plc of Congressional nonintcryenton; and 1t IL upon
this principle aIons that my party can be national,
or that the federal Cuon can bo perpetuatel' 1t
ther proceeds 10 quote and to endorse the Baltimore
resolutions as the "authentic position Of the Denlo-
cratic party.'' These resolutions denoumce "a Of
forts of the abo;toniss others, to olHd~cc Congress
TO interfere with the question of slavery, Nc, the
whole subject of si0uery agitation Ill Congress, anu
declare for "iahfu execution Of the Fugitive Slave
Inv and the Compromise measures" Now, sir, II
this does not exclude all who preach or agf0te Will
mot rroyisoism" &c, then | must confess i have
more TO learn of the meaning of words than had
supposed, and certainly Hu no new Snt UH tLt ouo
iect in the language OF the Examiner.
No sir: | make bold to say that Ibis combined as
sault of the Sentinel and the Examiner upon what IN
my poor Judgment, ia sound and just definition oi
the Democratic position rests for ITS support upon
most parnr mic;rterpretatiOn of language; Ii;n-
,liDp and intercaanging of words which express one
thiur with thuse which express hnt thing aud others
Lelides; and go making the Union occupy phsitiGn
which cannot fairly be Inferred from its language.-
The Examiner supposes the enioN To say 'hal, ce-
tl,n iii N Ssut;
upon the abstract subject of slavery therefore there
can be no national organization of party that does
not entirely exclude the question OF slavery from lis
creed," &C. l respectfully deny that the Ihioh ar
tice developes any such proposition, aud assert mar
upon lust Interpretation and condensation OF lts
anruarc the position taken by it, and also by the Ex-
aminer, tp,dcm GCtbis, is this: because the Norm
and the South differ in sentiment upon the abstract
subject of slavery, therefore the aSsFHct snDect oi
slavery OupAt to be excluded, and national orSan-
zation formed with such test. GRd Sf"Rd4rdS a. s-
rids nN 1sho agiia.c Wilmot Provisosm, Abolition
sm &C.: or tG use the Far more comprehensive Ian
uace of the Union, "ell who do not n,ihcrc to the
principles cf the Baltimore platform ne the authentic
position Of the Democratic party.
"Did not the National Democracy ali over tho
North and South demonstrate With tic Cabinet in
1853 for the much midcr doctrine upon which 1t act
ed in New York, that repcntant trec.soilersIcon-
vcrts of all hnur-ahould be reco2niZcd! &c. Here,
again. little sitting Of terms will show that this Is
not case in poiut at all. Was it the objection to the
Softs" that they were on the r'Gng s,dc M of the ob'
,tract question: BY no means. 1t was the prdcH'
eoI .ou,.stion" to which they were subjected. 1t
feared that they were not pcaan Frec-soilers that
their repentance would not last that they eere mere
concerts of an Aour!-that they would "srnile and
smile," and repent and get office, ard be Free-soi
agita!ors still. The National Democracy repud!ated
them upon the principle, ,Te0 fana9s e a2nG tcren-
tes" or TO put the most rigid construction upon it, in
order to make an example of them to the terror of
future agitators .
In conclusion, believe | speak The sentiments OF
th struitet sect q; State Rights Democracy in the
South, when say it is not the question OF slavery"
it is the question of SouTHfRS RIGHTS, under God
and the Constitution. Welfare our slaves. and We came
into this Conederacy under solemn contract that we
slcud keep ,hem aud go with them where we please;
and, if they ran OF, they should DO delivered up to
us. We regard them as "moral and political bless.
ipen-a blessing which enures to themselves, as well
as to us-and whatever you, gentlemen Of the North
think abstractiy upon the subject we mean to enjoy
this right at ali hazards, We love this Union, and
desire 10 cherish it, but, if yos violate the contract,
lse are released, and the UNION plssoLfED:-