Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-05-01
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BY RITCHIR, &. Dy,SS.yAHT

would allow all the enjoyments and advantages of
sefgovernmsnt, without subjectug it to the capri.
cious control OF 40 evil day or hour, in which, the
means devised for the benefit Of the people, morally
socially politically and religiously might readily be
SO abused as to place them in state of society even
more deplorable than that under a stringent monar
chy. The right Of voting Is the proudest preroga,
tive. as it Is tbs strongest security Of feemen. With
out It, tyranny takes the place fjustice aud equality
man usurps authority over his fellow. man, the gov.
ernment is legitinse, and the State stands upon an
artificial foundation. And since this right be.peaks
and involves freedom Of mind and body, thought and
action, the importance of its honest and intelligent
exercise is evident.
There is little to be feared from the ignorance of
the American people in Legitimate matters of govern
ment But there is much to be dreaded from the am.
bilious, selfish, meroenary motives of demagogues,
who would not hesitate, if they could to consign
the whole human race 10 hell, II they thought there.
by to accomplish their ends on earth. There are
such monsters in the forms Of men, and they may be
found among the leaders Of the antslavery party,
without very dilgent search.
If left to themselves, the masses Of the Northern
people would never have dreamed OF an assault up.
on the South. They would have been content to take
Of their affairs and leave US to attend to ours-
Hut, instgatsd, deuded and imposed upon by men,
whose only object in life s self aggrandizement they
have been impressed with the idea that the govern
ment under which they live is toerating tyranny OPP
preston and cruetes worse than are witnessed in
the most absolute States of Europe. And with an
eye to this mischievous influence o. n n over man,
'uperadded to or growing out Of the natural tendency
OF human nature to abuse the advantages and endow
ments with which il may be entrusted; the trainers,
OF our political fabric, CONSIDERABLY consrrced il 50
that radical alteration could be made by legitimate
means without due discussion and deliberation.-
Any innovation upon the Constitution of State, or
amendment Of the Constitution Of the United States
it is impossible to effect without such sitting and
analysis Of it's merits, will subject II TO ordeal too
severe for il 10 endure il it contains more of evil than
good; unless, indeed it is pre.conceived and pre.de
termined by public corruption As yet, there ia
| servatism enough in the South to defend from vic.
lence he restrictions upon license in the name of lib
erty, by which government is protected and
maintained. But in The North there are desperate
demagogues, who, il they ever have the power, the
large enough, will either disregard the Constitution
altogether, as a piece Of parchment devoid Of au.
thority or will remodel it as TO render govern
msnt an unstable and impoten oligarchy at the die
tation of ambitious movers OF the mob. Abolish, or
even circumscribe slavery, through the agency OF
the Federal Government and the groundwork upon
which our institutions stand s destroyed. A the
United States exist negro slavery is entitled to
extend into any territory, and into any State in which
1t is not expressly prohibited by the people in their
capacity as a separate sovereignty, supreme in all
matters pertaining only to their own domestic ne.
| rests.
Every county or corporation has its peculiar laws
for the regulation Of such Of its affairs specially
and exclusively come within iis province and be.
long to those who are included within boundaries
dividing them from other subdivisions of the
same State. And such is the beautiful gra.
daon of our system Of self government. that thus,
from an election of Magistrate or Constable to
the choice of a President o. the United States,
from the ordinances Of village of FIVE hundred
inhabitants to the enactments Of Congress, each
individual vote is exercised with regard only TO
that in which the voter is Immediately interested
and regulated 10 its action to allow liberty full and
free without incurring that terrible tyranny OF ma
iorits unrestrained by law, by reason, or right But
it has been the steady purpose sf the enemies Of
slavery to revolutionze this beautiful and harmoni
GUS arrangement and apportionment Of the different
spheres of legisatlon into which our government is
divided. They propose to invade the privacy OF the
states in their own domestic matters and to allow
tho General Government to control affairs over
which it has no authority, and which in nowise
affect the objects Of the agency with which ii
i, entrusted They seek to make an outside msjori.
ty legislators for an institution belonging exclusively
to the people Of the States in which it exists, and
who 40 far as slavery or any other strictly State mat
ter alone is concerned, are as amenable to the Car
of Russia as TO the Federal Government OF the Uni
ted States Whether this proposed perversion of our
system Of government ia to take place, or whether
the American people will prove their understanding
and appreciation of constitutional liberty, remains
70 be decided, either by the overthrow or triumph Of
the anti slavery party. There ls no other question that
osn arise, which 80 pslpsby and positively places
Satesovereignty in its true position 10 conradsllnc
linn 70 the powers Of the Federal Government All
other matters of legislation belong more or iess alike
and are common to every State in the Unon, and
sre therefore, directly indirectly related to the ao-
rim, of the General Government as the agent Of each
and all, And, hence, the maintenance OF the right
of the several States to exclusive control over the in
s.tution OF slavery is indispensable TO the existence
,,e tho Government as It was originated aud is now
conducted.
~, in wi in oil oha
b;,;,v determine the issue. The crias maturing
will have come, to decide the destiny OF the only re
,ubIic. which has ever presented model worthy TO
he initiated by the lovers Of liberty in any country and
anx oIime. Even if the Southern people had not the
.n. 10 resist such an outrage upon their rights such
usurpaton of authority by the Federal Government
vop,d amount to an overthrow of the institutions
which the fathers of the republic bequeathed to pos
taitv If It would be beneficial to the South pecu.
,,sriIv 10 offer no resistance to the federal lava
,;nat slavery we would be reoreant TO the spirit of
tho government under which We live, and which We
,,bo,d. to submit to such q violation of the very
principle, which give i: vitality and render practi
cable Let the institution Of slavery be brought un
lar the control of the Federal Government whethe-:o
abolish or extend it, AID the States at once nothing
more than the geographical divisions Of gre" con-
solidsted nation, at the mercy of denagogues, and
without chart and compass. But when the crisis
comes the rights OF the States must be reaflrmed by
condemnation Of the dangerous doctrines of aboli
tlonisu, or the South will secede at oncs, and save
our system of government from destruction, by pre-
serving ts elements aud reforming them into
Southern republic.
Il is to be hoped, however, for the sake Of the