Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-11-13

THE RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
BY RITCHIE & DUNNAvANT.



POLITICAL CRISIS-THE TRUE INTER
ESTS OF THE SOUTH AND OF THE DEM
OCRATIC PARTY.
1t cannot be too often or too earnestly urged upon
the conservative citizens of the whole country and
especially of the South, that our political disturb.
ances have reached q crisis, that the question OF
union or di'unon, security or insecurity to the slave
States is perhaps to be determined by the mode
adopted for the establishment of the State sovereign
ty Of Kansas.
There are two classes Of abolitioniats. The one il
composed of selfish adventurers, demagogues and "a
natics. The other consists Of men of more modera
ion and reason. The former are beyond the appeals
Of PATRIOTISM the inausncesf argument or the reach
OF remonstrauoe. The lst,es''a.. -vtuued by misre
presentations of Southern society, and of the pur.
poses and policy of the slave States 1t Is no matter
of establishment. that the Northern people should be
preudced against the institution ofslavery. There are
however, thousands amongst those who uphold abo.
litionsm by advocating Its aud supporting its
candidates, who would willingly concede to the States
exclusive jurisdiction slavery, and to the peo.
pie Of the territories the exclusive right to adopt or
reject it, when they prepared 10 apply for admit.
tance into the Union. But the! are taught to be-.
sve that the Southern people are determined to ex-
tend their institutions whenever, wherever and how.
ever they may To dsabuse them of this false faith,
should be the object of every man, who desires q
perpetui,y of the confsderaoy, without puring the
interests affecting the honor o. the South who pre-
fers peace and prosperity to turmoil aud trouble OF
who would achieve victory by moral rather than
physical force. The Southern people have borne
much for the sake of the Union. But they have at
last regained their rights; and in order to maintain
them, is only essential that they shall conform 10
and demand an enforcement Of that principle OF po-
puar sovereignty upon which the security of the re
public rests.
There are dangerous agitators in the South as
we'll as at the North. Their rash conduct, un.
reasonable demands, and jealous advocacy Of eI.
treme measures which supply fuel for the fsmes,
embarrass the Democrats o. the North, and In
duce the honest, well.meanng men of the free
States to 20 on in their ignorance Of and opposition
to the true policy of the slave States. In Intention
they may not be, but in effect they enemies Of the
South. We refer not to those, who hold the right OF
secession, and would cry out for dissolution Of the
Union in the event Of the election of Black Repub.
licau President; for we claim to be with them our.
selves. But We slluda to the mad caps, who are al!
ways OVERLOOKING with wrath against the whole
North who look upon the Union as oppressive to the
South, and who would establish slavery in the new
States, as physician admin.ters msdcine-force il
upon the people whether it is acceptable to them OF
not.
The late elections in the non slaveholding States
clearly demonstrate the fact, that the cause Of abo
tonism is on the wane.
The National Democracy are gaining ground ii
the North. The friends of the South are increas
| ing, and its enemies diminishing in numbers. Tht
Ksusss. Nebraska act Is considered the compac
containing the terms of peace between the twt
sections. The right Of the people Of the Terrific
rie 10 cay whether they i'll or will not accept slave
ry when they are prepared to come into the UnoI
as sovereign States is the ultinaum offered ant
accepted. The question now is shall the agreemen
be observed 10 spirit as in letter by both parties II
the contractl Will the South refuse to accept tn
result of principle, In the maintenance OF whlcl
her own interests and honor are involved Accord
ing to the understanding embodied in the Kansas
Nebraska bi il Is left to the people OF Kansas alone
when they adopt their organic law as soverels
State, TO say whether elavery shall or shal not b
received. 1t matters not what the Convention
NAV think best; if the people are opposed t
j., it cannot BIZ thrust upon them whou
a gro.s and pslpable violation Of the principle o
popular sovereignty and the express terms OF agree
mept according to which dangerous difficult
VAS Intended to be adjusted with equity AM
honor 10 both sections. But are told the Conver
,ion was chosen by the people that the Conventio
!, soyereipn that the Convention is vested with tn
authority to say what shall and what shall not be tn
orgsnic law Of Kansas without consulting the wishc
or opinions of those upon whom this law is to ope
rate that after performing the work. the Convento
may pronounce upon its merits without submitting
20 the pecon of those who orderedt, and Tor whor
it'll, done. This is truly pervertiDg he representative
into rulers Of the people. And yet such is 'hs doc
trine 90 strenuously advocated by certain Demo
cratic papers aud politicians in the South. 1t mu'
be remembered that the Constitution OF Kansas, IS
apply in It, operatiou as we'll to the thousands of In
habtants who have gone into the territory since tn
slection of the members OF the Convention, as {
those who were there previously. The territory
not vet State. And when it presents its Constiu
|
Constitution will be expected to carry with
the appreciation of majority OF the people, to whor
tits to apply; it will be expected to express the choc
of the new State. Surely it cannot be contend
sd. that those who have become residents OF kansa
since the election of the Convention, will consttut
no portion of the cltssns Of the new State! Since
Ia msna aimed that the Convention Is the represen's
tive of the will of the people, why not prove 1t by
lowing the people an opportunity to endorse its az
t;on, socb a course could do no harm; and 1t woul
satisfy all who contend for 1t as not only lmportan
but imperative in order to enforce the principle
popular sovereignty and the requirements OF tb
Kansas. Nebraska bill.
| Admit, for the sake of the argument, that thos
who elected the Convention. invested 1t with full au
tbority to frame the Constitution and present It {
Congress, without their ratfcation but is it fair;
Il inst; is It In accordance with Democratic principle
that the will OF minority should control, simply be
cause by chance it has the opportunity TO do so7-
| Can Il be claimed that Constitution expresses tn
opinions aud wishes Of the people OF Kansas whe
there are thousands Of those people who have neve
vo,ed even for the men who framed it7 The Con
,an,;on has the right to submit the Constitution 70
nonular ratification or not we told. Senator Hun
ter supports this dogma by the deduction that b.
! c.use the Convention was elected without any linn
t.on of authority, any proviso or condition requi
ring it either to do Que thing or the other
to refer the Constitution to them or not tn
ten,ion of the people was to leave that matter or
tirey at the option of the convention. We doubt il
Tbs more reasonable inference, we think is that tn
msmbers of The convention were chosen, either t
complete the work, or onlyto design and mould it, an
then leave to the people for the dnishing touch.
And when is reduced to this is there not every rea
ann to believe that the people positively e1pecte
their agents to account to them' to snow tnem IN
work they were employed TO execute and ask II
suited tbem before they could insist on its accept
.nos7 They have neither said to the convention
vou ,ball nor you shall not refer the Constitution
n