Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-05-02
For TIC EnYH'rGr.
-.r,, NEWT PRESIDENCY.

A,
iru their highest interests. Under Ine ihueH'e' vi
failing Tins produced the South has been gradually
-a,-ratnr before the most dangerous ASSAULTS yiel-
inv rst one point and then another until our assa'l-
ant, have all the vantage ground that vicious prece-
Jnn,. and our own supinencss can give them with
a permanrrt sectional majority against us, thorough
~ organized, and protesting bitter host'ty 10 HI
institution essential 10 our very existence we nave
been quietly discussing principles ni government ana
measures ~! policy, Will. sinking lower ana lower h
ul;,ica Importance; aud even now, our people seem
scarcely aware Of the perils by which they are
.nenaced. 4 calm review fthe progressive advance
of our adversaries and ut our present coiul'ioh may
not be altogether unprUE0ble AT the present uhctue
of political affairs.
The adoptiou BY Congress Of the Missouri C"mpro
mise line, was the first attack on our rights mace oy
the Federal Government. This was submitted 10 by
the people of the South and Virginia IN partcu
bar in the hope that il was the final adjustment
of a question: the agitation OF winch ma 'hrea'
ened the destruction pf the Union. Bu' the nope "aS
vain aud iilusury il ia not the nature "i sueh move
,n-nts, OF the men who control then' !" ne cnccS
ed by success. Parties gradually formed III Tue
Northern States, protesting great devotion 10 tne
Union and cherishins an inve;erate hostility to The
existeuce Of slavery. The acquisition ot power !'r
their section, by the gradual increase Oh poPud"oh
i'm IN. Northern States, too slow process 10 sat
| sfy IN. ambition uf umscrupulnus politicians. The
commission of the vice Of saveholding oy oletant
people was IN evil which the pl"us conscences VI re-
yiuus bigos could not tolerate al'hongh bound 10 40
| a
which depraved ingenuity could suggest We're used
! TO excite spirit Of INSTRUMENTATION amongst tne
slaves to create dstrus aui fear ~ tue INSTITUTION m
the mind Of the master race, ana 10 secure lhe c"oP
GRAFTON of portion of own people IN the des'ruc-
| zion of their own property. These efforts were oil
little avail, aud speedily produced enquiry INTO me
moral and political effects ot the lhstitution' "Inch
res suited most advantaseously Tor the SCUM. Ne"
modes OF attack were adopted: the provision OF the
CONSTITUTIONS and the law made i'll pursuance OF that
provision for the rendition of fugitive saves were
| rendered uu,atory by the action oil Tue N"r'heru
people aud their legislatures Thus was most SerI-
ous injurious assault made upon the rights anu for
fumes of all property holders i'll I'll the border States
and this in defiance OF every principle OF justice ain
of law. This wrong was speedily followed D! o'hels,
| amongst which were the agitation III Congress vi
sche!l-- prevent the further eAteuson OF slavery;
by .xcIudinr slave property from all territories heid
| bv the United States.
In 1859 three bills were passed by the tederai Con
yrss,, each one of winch was gross Violation Vi
| southern rights aud dangerous b"w I" s'a'cy.
| First in magnitude IN iniquty was the ADMISSION
of On iforu,a into the Cuion, with boundaries usured
and defined by lawess adventures, Wild cohsltn-
linn rxciudpr the Shareholder and his property from
every foot Of laud held by the United STATES on Tue
! Pacific coast South Of Oregon From Oregon we nae
previously been excluded by Il law ot Congress, aud
| this act for the admission OF California was passed
without auy compliance on her part WIN requs,''ons
heretofore imposed IA all other territories applying
for admission rs States into the coulederdcyi ahn h'
wn. don, for the sule purpose Ut excluding Southern
citizens and their property from the most vaiuaoe
acquisition made by this government since the pur-
| chase of Louisiana.
Th, next DOT was one by which the government
o,ve ten millions Of dollars $4,000 OU0) out OF the
public treasury, the property equally OF the SCUM
and NORTH to extnsuish the just claims OF Texas 10
territory obtained by the war with Mexico, wn'c was
thus by enactment Of Congress, taken from the Jnrs
dic,ion uf slave State and placed under the contr"
of Congress- Itself under the rule If !ree-soi ma
i,rty-the South being thus not only deprived o the
wealth and strength TO b. derived FROM tie possession
of the territory and its inhabitants, but actay nauo
to contribute money to pay for It's own spol'ntion
Next came the act aboshng the slave trade III the
District of Columbia, by which the Federal Govern
nent assumed the power to denonnce ahG PUNISH IN
crime the transfer sale OF property by one ctl-
Zen TO another: and farther usurped the power, IN
certain contingency 10 destroy the properly nito.
ge,h.r thus establishing, Is inr a. such pteceIen
could, its right to NAL Ike sale OF goods legally hela
a. property crime for which TIE swner was pu ",
lose all benefit of the article as pr"prr'y-an authors
~ not rightfuy held or exercised by any sovereign
State in this Union.
For all these aggressive acts. were to be COM
nsn.a,,d by the passage of bill 20 which the cons:i.
iution yave us an uuHucsiOned and unconditional
rirbt-a bill Tor The reclamation III fugitive slaves,
which when passed, many Northern legislatures h'',
lifted; which Northern politicians denounced anu
Northern mobs with mpurity Gch"d, resisted ana az
fpa.d Aud this bill, thus rendered inefficient th'S
made a rem d. so costly tho, the sale u tie properly
recovered does pay toc the cost OF us Pr"'eeu''"n
WAS our only compensation for SUBMISSION 1" "C''
% offensive aud wrongs oppressive. save me &C.
I,,,, nr,,msr that this was be finhi eettiein-n
of orr sectoua difficulties. The compensation was
fraud and ~ insult; the promise never was in'eno
I'd and scarcely expected TO be kept
Nebraska aud X ansl3 were territories IN our pos
session and bills have been introduced IN Con-
rr.ss giving them forms OF gC:e-nment, and prnVl
ding tor their admission rs States o &c on"' "heh
competent 10 apply for IT, freed from any RESTRICTION
r IlIa.ir - rnf
nat nv furious resiAaure from Northern members,
who REQUIRED that provisions should ue inscrteu III
Them torbddjug The admission u slavery within me
limits of the territories. The passuRs of these ns
without any such odious and unjust diS.S'pha''"n
| against Southern cltiZens and their properly, Eas
been followed By revolution in political rtrties III
the Northern States, almost miraculous Tor it5 hl-tv
and extent a msorty has been returasd from ih"'
section TO the House at Representatives ~ oon
,ress the largest ever known pledged eltheT TO vote
for the repeal of those bills, or 10 vote against be gu
mission of thes. territories Sintes unlctR Saver!
shall be excluded from them. The able hCniiiS"a'
ZION of BIZ. Pierce, hitherto popular III the NORTH
was copie,pGyS and denounced there. when 1t WAS
understand that he xar rs he has beeu true to
tue great principles uf jlS.:r" and right on whicn
thes. bills were founded. Ia. friends nave herh
beaten III almost all the electious heid - the North
States s,0ce the passage pi Those ns:i'. '"e
strongest PARTY organizations have been either 0f'i
10 juip in this vioer, free soil movement, or have
been broken and scattered to o: replaced oy parties
less scrupulous and national The FrSss ma IN" put
nit have made 10 lend their nd 10 e;i inhr Ia
natjcs,u aud Legislatures throughout the Nof.;erE
S,atra have become the Tllllhg ana h'e tapoleHls
of vi,is,ed public sentiment. Societies nave psen
formed, meetings held, and bodies GgAniZed' heatd
by Reverend Ministers and influential paine lntn III
that section to raise money! with the avowed purpose
of purchasing and munitions ct war, ttst ttey
NAV defeat the ends q" law and Justice. by the "rc
bio seizure of the common property OF sh fhe eitl
zens of this Union. Thus has The hatred Of South
srn Institutions advanced aud gathered strrngth,
until il has become more dangerous to this Union
Ethan HI GTu sti banners
The purity IL tie EoIiI, hostile to us, now mas
the power to operate tE.ir sectional majority III
Congress- TO exercise controlling influence Oh the
Presidential election i'll that Secti"u, i~G uay mus ne
enabled AZ any time, to bring aSrist Va TIE "hoIe
moral physical aud political forces OF the Feqef"i
Government II nian possesses abundant wealth, a
population condensed i'll towns and v!"gea, m tfA
rieut press organized societies, and religious com
munitips and ministers, al ready to unite III lartht
assaults upon our devoted section. Should no rene,
dy be devised for these evils, 10 guarantee be offered
by the great parties in the tn.Gn that we shall oc
shared the Continuance nj thGse at,ckc and the count
| less lila that must aiw firm The i'npunity aud sue
| cess with which they have BEEN made, oH' sScH'"
| must prepare Tor resistance. Thousands are nov
askiuy IN tones Of auger GaspOuduucy what shall
II proht us longer to REIN I'm III C9on, whose govern
men il made the instr uucn OF destruction, whohc
laws afford us DO protection ana tue largest secoh Vi
which is subject tie domination OF faiStlcdl ma
| iori,y controlled by reckless politicians
We can obtain no indemnity for the past; let us al
least demand and exac, some pledge TOR our present
aud future security. It is difficult, but not inpossl
biz to obtain one. OF compromises, ne have had
enough, aud too much. Legislative compromises
are almost always as ours have been' but 'enp'ra-
" resting pieces, ut which greedy and unscrupul"as
power butts in il. march to ,yrarnous oppression.
We are III no couditou To exact agE from the Fede'
raj Congress- for the popular branch os that Assem-
bly, is IN tho hauds Of our universities. The only
pledge of real aud etcieu value, wbird we can oo'
iaiu is the election of President, in whom the whole
| South may rclose All entire confidence. Not q cou'
6dence Resting on speeches made, or letters written
II nnnrniIrhinr N hn Ilscd In