Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-06-21
LETTER FROM THE HON. WIN. Q. RvEs.

parties, whether in out public fc Sections and
tons much excited against each other, aud publ
bodies have become much heated with these contr'er
sizes mainly OF their CREATION well by tsr per
ona quarcls that the only appeal DC To the
calm good sense and good feeling which Always 10 DC
found in the yirtuous and intelligent oil the peo-
pie.
Ny observation OF public afr.oe more than the third
of a century has satisfied me IAt the contentious which
have from time time dist tue peace oil the country,
aud more than once brc-sa. w. '"'o porn,
without the but against the wishes and sober
sentiments of the great body of the people. Let the peo-
pe then In t,r rightul sovereignty aud without being
trammeled party leaders party organizations take
Jnly OF their cool and unmpSssoned judg-
mes, and interpose the beudid voice OF and
.ioiy TO command The peace between sngry and excited
factions. This il is which truly constitutes Republic.
the form of government delivered by the wisdom
ancestors, in which the public roiee and the public
interest make the supreme hw-iistinguishing it from
those spurious torus which, under specious and
by cunnnly devised machinery, have had the effect
or Transferring the legitimate power OF the people into the
hands OF few interested party managers.
In regard those dcploabe which have stain
ed border with aternal boodshsd in civil strife, and
desecrated the Capitol by een,ous grossness OF speech
and of personal violence which bring shame the
OF representative government the sober OF
the people in portion OF the Union, persuaded,
look upon them with stern disapprobaon la substtu
ting physical force for the peaceful author
y OF the laws and the Of insulting denuncia
for the dignity of rational and persuasive argument
they tar amount dissolution OF government and OF
civil society ITSELF and unless be found
OF arreSting this unhappy commencement OF intestine rou
bes we have already entered upon OF revolution
aud that a boOdless one, which terminate in a
violent disrupurc OF the Unon with all its train OF disas
consequences 10 ourselves and to the world
Fortunately, OF correction aud those of the high
efficacy do exist The remedy is in the hands of the
independent aud uncoupted Of the people Let
them speak let them hold lac and order meetings la
every part of tie country the North and South with
regard temporary and subordinate party distinctions;
let them flown down actous and revolutionary and person
al violence in all it, FORMS let them their faces against
all recruiting or subordnation OF men, by whatSoevei
name, 20 Kansas settle, with Shapes rifle or
the musket the bowiekue a question OF local domes-
tic policy which rghtfuy and exclusively belongs to the
free and sovereign decision of the bona fe inhabitants of
the Territory when they duly qualified TORN Con.
titution OF State Government Tor themselves In the
time let the Government OF the Union be called up
on to exert all its constitutional power whether legislative
executive judicial rcprcss civil not merely in
its acts, but in its ncpient and preparatory
mens In short let good citizens every where separately
and collectively, justify, by their conduct and their Ian
age in unfolding the OF the public pc zee and the
Unou; what well said OF political system by
Of the fathers of the Republic that in moral sense
least 'ours is the strongest Government on earth
lard ofthe law, and invasons OF the public order
- his own personal concern"
Here, dear sir trust is ground broad and
hrm enough, on which sound patriots and sober men,
both at the North and at the South, stand shoulder
10 shoulder in united and faernal effort restore peac
TO the country. Ii is Erouad Gl which you have al.
Boston Kansas meeting, aud where many your fellow
citizens of the South, be assured will stand firmly and
lcaousy 10y side. With respect the principles
nt that measure the Immediate occasion of that unhappy
renewal of the slavery agitation which has poured all
these waters of bitterness through the land there NAV
vet honest differences OF opinion between the North
and the South But these differences left to the a-
OF and the calm ard dispasonate cousidera
lion Of the nation. will am persuaded be merged
IN common sentiment OF loyalty the Union on the
basis OF equal rights in all it, members and frank and
In Lyon
It's requirements
The repeal OF the Missouri Compromise which render
ed the Kansas and Nebraska 0 50 unpdpabe 70 the North
people OF the SOnth their Representatives in Con9ns
1t brought forward, and il mistake not
largely sustained from the North. But being u measure
flowing the South has already believed from the true
spirit and sound construction Of the Constitution which
had withheld from Congress any power 10y a geographi-
cal line Of discrimination otherwise TO impos, r.
ticton slavery in the Territories either while remain
ing in the Territorial condition coming into the Union
States, when the proposition made from another
quarter OF the Union 20 abolish discrimination believed
To be both unconstitutional aud injurious the lust equal,
y OF the States the South could but accent and cor
daily sustain 1t 10y its vote The repeal is now the law
of the land aud being but return the principles of
he Constitution after temporary and forced deviation
rom them, the South can never agree TO give it up
Under these circumstances the friends OF the onsu
ton and the Union at the NORTH will am sure be- disnn
scd TO look at this question OF organic law involving
the equal rights and mutual harmony of the two
grand divisions Of the Coniederacy solely By the calm
lights oircason truth, and original plgh'cd faith Was
the Missouri Compromise dcrogation from the princip
of the Constitution, aud without any warrant in the .ttr
spirit Of the fundamental compact of Union betvaer
the states, as the South has always commended and .t
believes: ii 1t vas, then surely all Just men will saw IL
ought later to have been repealei: and t ,
peal having been made that repeal should now stand
We invite our friends and brethren Of the North to 4,
careful and dispassnnAte revision OF this parnont an
ton of constitutional right free from the prepo.e.ion l
opinions and impressions which may have been hitl 10
formed without that full consideration due TO so delicate
ana vital matter In the economy Of our complex political
| system
do not presume to offer argument Of INV own upon
IL but cannot refrain from calling your attention u, M
recorded opinions thoroughly considered ard ARMED
Of ctarnD ct reaeTdbe Homet who from his large par
ticpaon in the formation Of the Constitution his
knowledge and long experience, and above all his sarcp
and unimpassoned wisdom, by general consent an.
peaed TO both at the North and the South "a the lv
oracle OF the Constitution / eau of course moan pouo
oihsr than Mr. Madison IL happens thai in his noble
and dgnicd retirement two three years after he had
closed his great public career and in the very crisis f
Missouri agitation which he looked upon with the soci.
tude Of statesmen whose patriotism ever embraced the
whole Union, he was applied 10 by Mr.. Walsh of PbiIa
delphiz for his opinions on the various ,
tuus involved IN that memorable discussion He answer,
cd the inquiries prOpOundcd TO him fully and thoroughly
passing in successive review all those clauses of the Con
siituuon from which the power in question claimed
and on each ono Of them arriving negative concu-
sion, fortified by ceaness OF statement and simplicity
and force Of logic to speak Of the weight Of MI, r
sona testimony which appeared TO to be Absolutely
Madison have yet been given the public there.
lore enclose copy OF them for your pernsa we'll know.
ing that they will receive from you that religions attention
aud respect which IL hoped they will obtain at some
future day. from the whole country
sincerely hope, my dear SIR that IN the further prog
and final decision Of these painful controversies er
will be all sides more Of that spirit Of moderation and
orbcarancc, Of mutual courtesy and respect which YOU
have properly Invoked, and which can alone lead t a
happy solution Of questions delicate We have been
Of late rapidly and feariuy drifting into that geographical
antag)nism Of parties which nj good and wise men have
earnestly deprecated; and In which, when IL shall have
been contaminated, what Mr Madison impressively asks
is 20 control those great repulsive masses from awful
shocks against each other ?? Passing events have given a
soemnity 10 t' prophetic warning which il u no longer
possible % disregard aud which CALI upon patriotic aud
rejecting every where unite IN strenuous aud de-
termined effort 70 exclude from the II national poll.
tcs question fruitful Of sectional strife aud to rce.
gate hencelorwa to those independent local sovereign
tics which alone have the rightul cognzance of H.
This effort, trust, may yet be made IN the spirit Of
peace, OF ancient brotherhood Of hereditary Difference
aud Cancellation derived from the example and conduct
Of our ather4 Above ALL let us in the words Of great
statesman Of kindred land ondeavor so 10 be patriots AZ
not 10 forget gentlemen" MAY we not hope al.o
that the Press which ~ this country exercises 90 potent
an fuNu fur a rr ill