Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-07-17
THE LAST PHASE OF acknowledgements.


Whilst We are called upon daily to deplore the at
tituds of hostility which the secessionists have as
sumed towards the national Democracy and the AID
ministration, We cannot deny many Of them the ex
cuse of honest but misguided zeal for the South
Not long sihce, when Know Eothings, lree.soilers
aud even Southern Wings were united in their desire
to uphold that odious restriction, the Missouri Com
promise, the secessionists fought shoulder to shoulder
with the national Democracy, to restore to the South
the rights which she surrendered in 1920.
With a chivslry and courage which CLEANS forth
through all their indiscretions and errors Of judg'
ment, they nobly vindicated the rights of the Sout, to
all that territory from which she had been 80 long
excluded. In that great battle for Southern rights
when Douglas, Csss, Walker, aud all The noble lead.
es Of the national Democracy, sought to break the
degrading manacles which bound the South to the
odious concessions Of the Missouri Compromise, the
Southern seoessionists were true ~ steel.
For the splendid services which they rendered the
national Democracy, their opinions, even when erro
neous, are entitled to some respect, where the affairs
of Kansas are concerned. On many subjects they
are brethren still, cherished and esteemed in spite o
their faults. But what right have Southern Wings
and Know Nothings TO talk about the wrongs Of
Kansasl What part or lot did The Know Nothing.
Of Virginia have in breaking down the Missouri
Compromise! What aid did they give the national
Democracy when we were struggling TO wiring from
Congress an admission that the residents in Kansas
had the hight to admit or prohibit slavery as they
please.
Although the Southern Know Nothings denounced
The national Democracy az factionists. reviled Doug
las as ian sgitator." and agreed with Greeley in
maintaining that the Missouri swindle of 1920 was q
"sacred compact. - they now profess to feel indignant
about "Walker's treason in Kansas" In November
last they voted for Dotts as all elector almost to a
mau, although practically, his views upon the Kan.
sas question, and the repeal of the Missouri Compro.
mise, were not Z jot or little better than those o!
Greeley and Seward.
They supported Fillmore with all his uDrecanted
free soil proclivites. They applauded his dennncia
tions of the Democracy for repeating the Missouri
Compromise. They took him to their breasts. al
though lie called the Kansas. Nebraska bill "a Pan,
dora's box" out Of which all the evils which afflicted
the country had escaped. They preached against
such "asilators' as Cass, Douglas. and all the other
prominent friends of Kansas. They said that the 70.
peal Of the Missouri Compromise act was a ~factious
and unprincipled attempt Of the Democratic party to
manufacture political capital, and declared that Kan.
sP never would be a slave State. In the eyes of the
Southern Know. Nuthings. until the national Demo.
oracy and the Supreme Court of the United States
stood on the same platform, there was nothing more
venerable, tlmehonorsd and respectable, than the
Missouri Compromise, and nothing half so Letesta
BILE IS the Kansas. Nebraska act of that "asitator
Douglas"
Had the wishes of this latter day Know-Nothlng,
State rights party been listened 10, there would never
have been allowed to enter Kansas, a Southern msn,
to test the question whether the people of that
territory wished slavery or not. They chung to that
old s~windling Compromise of 1890, which, with an
iron hand, excluded slavery from the national domain.
Aud now, that the National Democracy having crush
Cd out the Black Republican and Know Nothing op-
position to the Kansas. Nebraska act, aud, despite the
mprecatious of tue latter day ''States right Know.
No'h'ngs," have thrown open the territory Of kan
sas 10 az the cHi-ems Of the United States, We have
tue men who assailed US ct every step. aud denounced