Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-08-11

THE RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
Hf RlTCiiIE Il DUNNAvANT.
TUESDAY fMORNING,AU 1857

IiiE CONSTITUTION AND THE UNION.
AS inc physical laws regulating the workings o;
the human sJstem must operate, each in the PER
foiinance Of It's function, they were designed bJ
nature In order to preserve the health and vigor ard
vitality OF the corporesl frame within which they
act and over which lheY exercise control! so with
our union OF States, the political laws, which orgi.
mated with II, are still, and will ever be itsepsrabt
from i's existence. Ard to preserve it from deca
dence and destruction, they must not bs altered, oh
structed or abused. Du as in the Latomy OF man,
there not unirequeay aista some irregularity in the
action OF one or more Of The components of his nri
cate organism which, ii readily repaired. need moi
lead to DEATH 30 also 10 the government Of the UNI
ted States, and it impossible to sYod it altogether,
there may be instances Of violated constitutional lava.
without necessarily destroying the Union, The
Constitution OF the United States it eSnnot be de-.
MED, embraces every principle which is essential to
the prosperous and peaceful conduct Of govern.
ment aud anticipates svery incident anderent, which
may arise in the course of our counrys of
tension and increase in population To enforce its
provisions strictly and rigdly under all circumstau
ces and on every occasion, is as impossible as TO
avoid violations Of all the laws Of nature. But it is
aot difficult TO apprehend its provsions nor lie it al
loTabe to infringe them too often or too grossly
without endangering the existence of the Union
We contend that many indeed almost eli the mea-
sures advocated by the old Whie party were uncon-
stituiional and yet could those departed patriots
who we're the able expounders and advocates Ct
those measures be brought back TO life tomorrow
aud placed in power to enforce their views, what
Democrat Sould clamor for dissolution Of the
Union, because he honestly believed that the Cons
tuition was about TO be violated by the adoption Of
Wing principles as the controlling policy OF the gov
ermeni1 But let Black Rrpublcanlsm achieve a
triumph over the conservative sense of the Ameri
people, and there is not man in the South who
would not recognizes the necessity OF secession, nor,
we trust. National Democrat in the North. who
would mol consider usliliate. 1t is evident that
syst, M Of government. Ike The human system
has ts organs vital than others. And as it IL es
senal to perfect health that each and all The cons
tuent members of the nne should perform liz tunr.
tions regularly aud naturally. lie il necessary tor
the highest prosperity aud succees OF the other that
its laws should also he accurately observed. But in
both there may be and are iufringements which,
while they inurlousy Affect are far from destroying
The objects which they animate and control, until
come predominant principle. some vital Part is
touched.
The Federal ttnyernlneDt may exercise sn uGron
sttutionaI authority each point Of our policy.
whether foreign or domestic, without threatening the
existence Of the Union, long as il forbears from
touching upon the Institution Of slavery That is The
sensitive nerve in our body polite. Il belongs Ia
the States and they must be left aons to conlro! il,
or the Constitution will have been seriously trans.
grsssed that the Union must full under the weight
OF the blow. Whenever or however there is de.
psrture in policy from the provisions OF the Constln.
ton, the Government is weakened and The interests
OF the whole nation njurou.ly affected. Ii is there.
fore essential that in trivial well gvsver matters,
thu Constitution shond always be strictly construed,