Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-11-17

And Mi. i. the National Democracy Which this Op'
unsitiuu. openly developed rs enrly rs April asst III
IN. South, assai!s. IL tfis be stricken down. what
hay. W. to rely ON or tn ally with in the North And,
vel, it wss to strike at ,his-it was to follow up, not
TO begin the blows, that the moment a Governor was
sent to Kansas and he moved in his office. ms
speeches were seized on az a preta1t tc assall 'ne
Northern Democracy and the Administration and tie
friends. Destroy confidence in these, and then the
riot Of ruin would begin. 1t was then that conserva
tive Democrats began to AJAX Is ms opposition or
not7-if his be rhat is c0hed The backing IF friends.
rhat is the opposition Of fo.s1 is this 0pposi.
are responsible for 1t? WIZ backs III Whence does
IL come7-to rchat tend7 1t was no time to stop and
daily with the minor matter Of Mr.. Walkers stump
speeches -delivered with what motive, to what end
pro or con slavery-with good or bad design, no
one could fairly decide, without knowing all the sur.
rounding circumstances and difficulties in which he
was involved. He had been a Mississippi Senator.
He had been honored and trusted by the South. DE
had done more for the annexation OF iexas than any
Southern Senator. He had been Secretary of the
Treasury under a Southern President, and had done
more for Free Trade than any man before or since
his time in the cabinet. Surely the President could
trust him not to betray the South which he had thus
served and which had thus honored and trusted him,
and not TO betray the North which had borne him.
And he is an able and sagacious man too, whose
talents might be- trusted 10 form the best judg'
ment on the spot as to the best and most polite
movements. But whether he acted wisely or fool
lsllY, eAp6ClCubiJ OF ~ vi us ia
teutions were good or bad, his acts and motives were
nothing, compared riM the Ueightier matters Of the
country involped an thus sudden and instdiouS opposi
ton. which gave no time for developments, or for
djspassiouate examination and proof, or even Tor just
of him., il he had done wrong-but
IAN n no, and heavy war upon him ss a corrupt
.sGtrop," a felon traitor! This could not but re-
feet upon the Administration and the party which
appointed and retained him in place. 1t was not in
cenuous 10 pretend to between the IRE
-. tLo nnuarpor Of fha Tprrltnry " IIIIka
man. like MASTER II he was this criminal, Mr.. Blu.
chsnan was bound to know it, and if he knew It, he
was no better, but rather worse than Governor Walk
or. This reasoning this opposition knew would seize
on the public mind, aud would, II uncontradicted, I'M
pair confidence in the Administration II was making
an adverse impression rapidly, when the Enquirer"
i~nterposed with it, trenchsnt pen, as OF DID, ana ar
rested the rush of the charge on the National Demo-
cracy and its representatives IN power. II look up
the enquiry: as not this rank hostility la mott this
q prepared and premature Opposition oeloit hue aa,
ministration has begun its course-beiore u mas met
lis frat Congress, or sent its first message what
does it mean Whose is itl Who backs itP' /
thank the "Enquirer" for that blow; The shade o!
the Old Napoleon of the press smiled in his parental
lowering over the Enquirer" when that sturdy
blow fell in its stroke for his darling Democracy. In
my inmost heart | felt right well when that brave
| blow was struck. 1t was brave and ooid 10 slfKeH;
for the Public Printing, as well as the Senatorship'
was at stake, it seems. The activity in the electsons
Ia5t spring IUUheu Iul ONy " lux
Hunter, but to the ~incumbency OF the "Enqulrer'
too; and, doubtless, to all the great interests lnvolv'
ed. The Enquirer" a%ssuredly, has saved the De-
mocracy Of Virginia from being involved IN this For
cupine opposition.
All this time, it WINS not known whether Mr. Hunter
took any part in this opposition, though many ct his
most active partizans did and hence it was suspec'
ted that il he was not a participant in 1t, he was to be
the beneficiary of it, if it should succeed. CERTAIN
it is that what was at first rumor and surEnise about
my alleged design to contest with him his seat IN the
Senate, was turned at last into a taunt to me and my
friends. Run, If you dare, you cannot beat Mr'
Hunter" Ii was vain to reply: 81 do not desire 10
beat The tnunt came back lyon do, or go"
do not desire 10 bcathim. If you do, are are taktnsth,
steps 10 defeat you; and, If you don't, yom teW be de-
feuted AMI hor. In either euent il raH be Seemingly
manifest that he is stronger IN Virginia Than y0n are
1t was useless to protest that there was no desire to
impair his strength-an issue with him was seemingly
prepared to be forced upon me, knowing that he was
safe in incumbency, and that there could, pernaps
be no issue joined except a personal one. When
therefore, my friends demanded of me to meet the
defiance, l positively declined to do so unless MIR
Hunter should avow that he was OF this opposition
and backed it, took its responsibility and rendered
it's issues against the Administration and tbs
National Democracy. | had no issue tiM ham
unless he lad an issue wuh them. n he had, 4
tcas realty to cross srords wih him, not OTHERWISE
| was not willing to part from him and yield him W
70 the extremists, who were endeavoring 10 claim his
uuInOrNy, ana eLrIUSfDtfY OuVpFVI "S t'tttto
IL ts Senate as u frtumph 20 themselves. He has come
out and his letters are open TO the fair interpretation
Of all. | think their meaning - that ne does mn ~
press any warm or strong confluence IN the Admins
rrarinn; that hs does not wish 10 be understood a:
being one Of its especial tren II or partizans but. tina,
be does disciaim the opposition 10 IL. by saying that hi
hopes and srpects 10 BE- able 10 support the Admtnis
.t0n m Ae maiR.' Now, hope is made up vi de
sire. alliance and appreciation. lie desires, then, aud
doubly expects TO be able 10 support fhe Admin!stra
,;,, 81 ,L, nnuin And tbia h.inn m ha raUnpf al
course. desire or expect the opposition th-reto &c
succeed. Saying tina; he knows OF no practical tests
At this time, which will bring him into collision with
the Administration he distinctly d%isclains, for augh'
he can see at present, both tue ia'ent or Will ana the
spirit or purpose of the opposition. He, in n word, ig
nores responsibility for this opposition, which has riser
q, suddenly and which ia go sweeping in the South
With tins declaration of has, so understood, 1 han,
no issue NTH Mr.. Hunter.
II il true that he seems to be opposed to the sub
mission Of the Constitution OF Kansas, By her Con
vsntiou, TO the bona hde inhabitants and legal v1tert
of that territory. He takes the ground. that if the
people are Silent, about the power OF the Convention
IN this respect; that il the Convention was not e1
pressiy restrained from proclaiming whatever form
they adopt as the Constitution Of the State, then they
have the power 80 10 proclaim II, and TO send 1t 10
Congress, without submitting it TO the people. j
know that there are precedents tor this exercise oil
power by Conventions, but the pre'edents are IN
their Inception exceptionable cases, and the doctrine
which upholds them is, in my humble opinion, anti.
Democratic. The true doctrine is, that te porers
not delegated by the people arc rescrred TO them.-
Ihey may grant such n power to the Conventions
but ii not granted, it is reserved, that a Constitution,
formed and proposed by a Convention, which is but
a representative body, shall be submitted to the peo.
pie, who alone are sovereign. The Convention to
form a Constitution is not sovereign or suprems.-
The act of making a State is the highest act OF
sovereign power, aud is tine act of humanity, next
highest to that of Deity, in making a being of any
sort. The act IS no less than 10 create sorercignty
itself. AS a Democratic Republican, then, | would
never delegate conventional powers to any body Of
agents TO create a State, without requiring Them to
submit the act to their principals, the people. In
l77G, an unauthorized body OF patriots assembled at
Williamsburg, constituted themselves a Convention,
and formed and proclaimed a Constitution for Vir.
ginia, without submitting it 10 the votes OF the colo.
nists. But revolution began in that way. There was
no time and no opportunity 10 poll votes, in a moment
of rebellion, under the domination OF British arms.
The masses never did make q revolution, never can
| and never will. a devoted and self sacrificing few
| must ever take the initiative aud lead the first move.
ments of resistancs. 1t required a Patrick Henry 10
seize the powder Of the old magazine, and the Con.
yention Of lT76 snaLehed Liberty for the people, rather
than a cOustitutiou from them. In such times inter
arma silent cges. The saius p0pnH was then the
plea and the justification. But what does the saIus
populi call for in piping times OF peace, when there
are none TO make us afraid at the polls Of q Republicl
Why a very different rule and order Of proceeding,
when there is time and place and opportunity of con.
sulting the sovereign people themsslves, projected in
their assemblies and votes. Accordingly, when Fir-
ginia formed a Constitution a second time, in 1929
80, and a third time in l85U'-5l, the form adopted by
the Convention was in both instances submitted 10
the legal voters -aye, more, 20 The ncn uOfcrS crcated
by the ncm form before it@lj mas adopted. That the
people shall Ct right judge for Themselves, ut the
polls, Of their own organic law. unless they expressly
authorize agents to make md to adopt a Constitution
for them, ID q principle for which, as a member Of the
last Convention of Virginia, | would have commended
as strenuously as | did for any other principle of pop.
ular sovereignty or of self-government. There was
no such authority delegated by the people to the Con.
vention of Kansas. Yet, if upon precedent, the Con.
vention of Kansas adopisa Republican form Of State
Government, and reports it to Congress, without sub.
hitting it to the people, | agree with Mr.. Hunter in &C
cepting it and voting 10 receive Kansas az q State
slave or fres-into the Union. And why! Because, first,
of precedent, and secondly, whether it be accepted or