Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-06
For the ENQUIRER.
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTHERN AMI
vf,rrTu WESTERN STATES

SOUTH-WESTERS STATES.
AT the meeting of the Southern Convention, In
Knoxville, the undersigned we're appointed com
mttre to address YOU in anticipation Of the Conven'
tion watch is to be held in Montgomery, in the State
If Alabama, en- the 10Th day of May next.
The iect Ct The address, az we understand it, il
N remind YOU of tie approaching session of the
Convention and TO urge gov 10 appoint delegates to
il; and we proceed now to perform tCEt 1rty.
The motive which prompted the organic alton OF q
Southern Commercial Convention Was the desire TO
ascertain the of the decline OF the foreign com
! merce of the Southern States and to devise some
Man for lie revival and restoration. The people Of
Tho Southern States aud felt the anomalous fact
that the country woh produces three fths in value
of the exports of tie nation, Ead not only Lost Its
commercial supremacy, but had BECOME, CONNER.
calIy, dependent upon and YET tributary 10 tha
norton oI tho country which produced much the
smasst portion CT tlose exports. This was not only
An unuaturs bot On eshGGating and depressing pro.
cess retarding, necessarily, the growth and prosper.
ty of the South and i WAS natural TO aes1rs az It
" az necessary to provide, remedy tor II. to,s de
sire and necessity suggested the idea OF assembling
once in every year, The people OF the South hy de
putiss in Convention. for the purpose OF gaherIng
infornat,on from the most reliable witnesses, as to
the causes OF INC evil, with the hope OF obtaining
from the wisest Gn2 moo. devoted SONS Of the South
the suggestion Of plsn or eyael2 CT measures which
should CORRECT Vt.
We regret to Say HAT, thus lar, hopes na'e not
been realized while The predictions OF our oppnents
good has been accomplished. Our disappointment has
Tot BEEN however, the fault entirely Of the Coiven
! ton for although we have been too much divided
au;ony ourselves as TO the remedies proper to be
adopted, end thereby have impaired our efficiency,
| still much good bus been done, and much more
| would have been Accomplished, II we could have
carried suggestloDs into execution, r.hoit de.
pend.nce upon the will OF Congress and the Stale
Legislatures. The chief benefit therefore, whi,h has
resulted from the sessions of the Convention, hs, bean
tho increased knowledge of, and sympathy TO- each
| other, with better understanding OF our wants,
| resulting from these annual assemblies. South.
ern men have been made noreeItensively acquainted
with each other and through that acquaintance have
learned the cheering and delightful fact, that how
ever may differ about men, about party politics,
Or particular remedies among ourselves there is II the
South but one heart, one mind and one will foi our
traducers and sssaants; and that when the time for
blow at them shall arrive, if uHhappily it ever s1al
all the snergy patriotism and courage Of united ma
ton will oe tell in that blow, by those who shall nm.
| happily provoke tt--i.ist. however we may differ
among ourselves az to tie nIesIc OF attack, or the
mode Of defence, there is difference Of opinion as
TO the great conclusion that The South Inust be ie
Tended, aud all her rights protected-cost what il
may. Ths were cause and compensation enough
for cry trouble and expense in holding our ASSEM-.
bles. bui rapidly occurring events furnish addition.
al and conclusive iheoniives TO the continuance OF
the work which We have toLIpsnced-the CONNER.
cial independence Of the Soutn.-Ly Bringing more
closely and distinctly to our view the proosS;t!y that
We csa at no distant day be compelled to ASSERT Cur
political Independence, which cannot be- Sustained
without com2oerrSI independence. without the meaDs
of regulating and controlling our own commerce; tor,
without that power, no nation gan be free. Ii the
South ia wse them and would De PROFICIENT, she will
lose no time in providing the beat means anu all The
means within her power, to restore her own commerce
to her own pors and pouple For. whether abe ls to
be- permitted to remain 10 tho union-enioyinR in
honorable peace all her constitutional rlRhb-or Ia to
be compelled, by continued and proGressiye assaus
i,,kar har shA
most unprecedented and hagitious which cupidity and
ambition ever prompted-to assert her right TO with.
draw from association which no longer recognizes
the original compact as the rule OF Its government,
or longer TO yield submission to oppressive and in.
iqutous majority. it 10 of the highest Importance to
her if not Of abso:s necessity that abe should seri-
ousy and earnestly address horssf TO the restoration
Of her foreign commerce, sDd to fG3 encouragement
within her limts, by her own means, ~ G3a aanuac.
ture Of those articles which are necessary to her oo'
fort.
The oaadjd lover of the union Of the States must
be satisfied - il seems to the undersigned, that II
already abrogaisd II spirit by the deliberate VIC
atons of the compact, to tIs INJURY and or the IN
jury of the South, by many ol the Northern and
Eastern States there is not only little gTa-nd to hope
for the preservation of it, upon the basia ana rnter
the g6ascaees of the Constitution OF IS'. but theirs
s The most Imminent danger Of its entire destruction
before many years St,al have rolled by. For mum
Der Of years. not only tbs Eost Offensive denuncla'
tons have been poured out upoa tbs South out me
most wanton aggression upon her constitutional
rights, have been committed-cOmmsnclng with Liat
most absurd and unfounded claim, OF rlRht 10 con.
vert the Halls Of the National Council into an arena
upon which to discuss the teI4.re by which We hold
our sayes under, the pretence OF pstitoning Tor a
redress of grievances.
Not only has CTR right 10 reclaim our slaves when
they escape into Northern STATED been denied but
the law passed by Congress- for our protection, has
been resisted by people who claim still TO be ~
the Union. And recently the State of Massachuse'ts
has perpetrated an act such IA never committed
hefore by any Constitutional Government-to wit
the removal OF Judge tLorngl without inpescli'
E,ent for any crime, simply because he has houestiy
aud faithfully enforced that law.
If the SOu:hern States to pass laws prohibit.
ing any citizen CT Massachusetts from recovering any
debt or other properly within their lims; without
auoh law should remove from othce every Judge who
should render Judgment In suit in favor c. citizen
Of Massachusetts, Massachusetts could not complain,
but te Union, with Massachusetts,, would be dis. |
solved. Is It not dissolved already, il the Southern
States chose &C u regard it, But this is not all
though this is enough &C expose the danger: and
tho true question is. shall the South wait until the
danger overtakes her, unprepared titee 20 meet u
fully, and ward off its evils. Again
You are painfully sensible Of the protracled and
aIced struggle wheh has, for several years, bsen in
progress ia relation to tbs settlement and govern.
mept OF ths territory OF Kansas Finally, the strug. |
gle seemed to have been terminated by the adoption
Of Constitution for the territory to constitute it
State as soon as admitted into the Union. With the 1
Details Of that controversy do not propose TO deal
We shall speak only of results. When that Cons'i |
luton was adopted it was transmitted to the Pres- |
ienf, snd, with noble patriotism, coming he does
rom the Fo!b, and with faithful adherence to the
constitutional opinions of the States Rights party he
submitted il TO Congress, with the recommendation
hat it should be received by T. and the State of Kan
left to the errors, shy Fe-e committed
redress the wrongs if any were peretfatsd Of the
territory OF Kansas; and thus remove the SS:.ation !
# olavery from Congress- TO whom II in no wise be-
ongs, tc deal with the question Of slavery in any
orm, and Who can NEEDLE with it only for mischie-
vous purposes, AID in violation of it's constitutional
lu,y.
The consequence of this sot les been the reopen.
nv not only Of all the siuicss Of aoIss and detrac.
ion of the south, from more than quarter, and
specially from the representative of the great State
t New York, in the Senate by whom it has been pro.
lainei without rebuke from any Northern Senator,
hat We the slsvsowners of the South to be pur-