Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-08-03

with The right arm and the left arm OF Executive
power (the army and navy at his command; have
you seen him, cay. ut:ter pr-ie1t tha, the
army aud navy could hot protect persons and proper
~, proclaim from tbs camp Territorial Legislature,
Territorial Judicary, from tribunals spperiores
down to the aicade Have you not seen him cons.
tuts himself Chiei Executive Tsrritoria Executive
How dared a Brgadier General OF the United States
-tandng army thus 10 as.ume the power Of u.urping
Territorial Government Had be been court mar.
tailed. be would have produced his order from Della
ware Secretary OF State. Mr. Clayton and he would
have replied that tn. sa!n' populi-ths safety of rne
peop!e-requrei this territorial usurpaton by q Br
gsdier General Of the United States army Well if
1t did require the civil power. we'll as tbs army and
navy, why the plea of necessity visa INST. There was
the Legislature, there WAS the Judiciary, there was
the Civil Executive, as well as thn B,igadsr G-ueraI
who had III his command thenavy and tue army that
there. How dared he, then, 10 go farther after
the plea OF necessity wss sufficiently met; and after
the safety of the people WAS secured How dared
hs go forth and proclaim The time place and manner
Of holding elections Elections for what 2 Elections
for a Convention. Convention for what To form
q Constitution. Constitution for vhst7 To create
n State "a sovereignty. Yes by proclamation from
the camp of the Brigadier General of the stand-
ing army of the United States. elective franchise
was created. He gave II 10 Chilean, 10 Chinese,
TO Pstagonian, TO Peruvian, snd-last though not
least-to Georgia representative in Congress Thos
Butler king). Aud after creating suffrage 10 create
Il Conventlon-the highest act OF the peOple-Cou
venton TO create Constitution. ouuitutiOn to creste
State, sovereign State-he highest act OF creation
that can be performed by human power-an act next
only TO those OF Deityno higher act can the people
themselves eIer-he inducted California free soil
State into the Union. Thus treesolsm has been pro
claimed from ths camp OF the standing army. And
what has been the result "Acquiesce," was thr
word "acquiesoe." They have traded on the pious
attachment of the people of the United States to that
palladium Of liberty, the Union of the S;ates They
have traded upon the feeling of alarm for the Union,
which was never in danger-never never They
made "scqulesce" the pass word for the people. And
whst did We get in relurni We got a free soil law.
tDersive cheers We got the grant Of the Consti-
tution itself-the glorious privilege of catching run
away niggsrs. For that for that We have submitted
to 44OOO square miles OF slave territory being taken
and converted into free soil territory. For that We
have acquiesced in the proclamation OF free soil
California from the camp of the standing army ot
the United States, without authority OF Congress.
Aye, but they tell me it was all sanctioned by the
people. The people, The word people has two
.igni6caiions. 1t is either mere aggregate of hu
man beings or it is organized aggregate Of hu
man beings. Nothing short of an organized aggre.
gate Of human beings in California could ever have
sanctioned this usurpstion; there was no organ
zed aggregate OF human beings. either to permit the
usurpslon or TO sanction the usurpstion. But VT
got the fugitive slave act. But how execute it Can
we execute 1t master from the State OF Maryland.
directly alter the aot passed. went to Pennsylya
MA to recover his property; he was murdered; and
Judge and jury could no; BIZ found 10 execute the law
to render verdict or pass judgment upon the crime
OF murder itself, in that Case AT last q Virginin
master, from this town, i believe, went to Boston TO
have the law executed, and 10 execute it the marshal
had to call the President Of the United States, and
thank God. there wss a Democratic New Hampshire
President of the United States, who was ready to
obey the call Cbeers The army and the navy
were ordered to protect ths marshal in the perform
of his duty. He did perform his duty, at an eI
pense of Sl3,OOO to the city OF Boston, and Of more
than SlOOOOU TO the Government and 10 individuals;
and the Captive was brought back by reclamation 10
Virginia. And what has been the consequence i
Now We come TO the Dragons teeth. MIR. Adams
prediction hes been fulfilled. The preachers have
begun. The three thousand preachers OF Christian
politics opel ID their bsttery from the press
1t Is true TIE Fugitive Slave law was accepted by
Virginia bu not consideration for free soiltHe
California; or the vote OF her delegation in Con.
gress was against that admission She contributed to
the defeat OF the Omnibus Bill, and when the measures
that cone tued that odious act were brought up
'eriam, shs selected tbs Fugitive Slave Law and
voted against the California Bill. Such was also the
position of the Cotton States"
Here then we have the voice of Virginia, and the
voice of the Cotton States" "on the admission OF
California in the union," and ii recreanoy eIieted
any where, upon whose shoulders should it fa2 On
Virginia, certainly mott for had che dissolved thu
Union the Cotton States" could not have joined her
:or the Examiner has written. that they, with singulsr
lnanimiiy scquiesad 10 the Compromises" With wha'
blind folly and strange disregard OF the truth Of his
DRY, does the Mercury" sllegs that Virginia sub
United with the frontier benefit OF the new Fugitive
Slave Law, and she dragged down with her the
whole South into submission"
The history Of the tmes ia too fresh in the recollec
,ions Of the people for such unfounded charges to
pass current. The Mercury" ssys:
~. Nor has the of Virginia for the last six
months been such to inspire renewed confidence n the
south Governor Wise has un5.ushugly and drhan,ly
iratrrnzcd with Walker and Apologized for Douglas
With those who think with Mr. Yancey the OF
the late Kansas Compromise. the fact that Its chief and
nbest advocate in the from Virginia. does
tighten their di.trus whilst the Enquirer the time
honored organ o the Democratic party, the rghul party
resistance stands alone in the South in tho declaration
hat Virginia, in of dissolution OF the Union. gov
srped By synpnthies, wouli consult her interest
merely and will go with the North rather than the South
certain coutiD relative the institution Of
slavery"
When history 80 recent as 1850, s msrepresented
that the STATE of Virginia may be arrsigned, We have
litts right to expect our position to bs correctly
stated. Every man among our readers knows that
the Mercury" imputes TO us position which we
have never assumed.
Finally the 'Mercury must meet the unoeninoie
fact that if the acquis:cence with Governor Walker
in The belief that the LecomptOn constitution ought
10 have been submitted 10 The peopl. Of kassas tor
ratification or rejection, and az abiding faith in the
loyalty OF Senator Douglas 20 the constitutional rights
of the Southland on acquiescencs in the Kansas
compromise, are each and all TO be taken as just
causes of dstrust-then the great maj ory OF South
ern Democrats surely ohjects of dstrus, and no
man need trust his n.ighbnr.