Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-06-22

to the suggestions OF patriotism commensurate
with our whole Union. Eiis is master mind;
and eha error If IL be error,l upon one quesiion,
deny TO that mind field fer its usefulnsssl The de
feat of Douglas would indicate ihe impotency and
nbecility Of senselsss rage, rather than cain and
cousiderate punishment for grave political offence
Thus is Judge Douglas esteemed by the Virginia
Democracy. We know that many Democrats in yir.
ginia disapproved Of bis position upon the Lecomp
ton question: and, in the heat aud excitement of that
contest epithsts and reflections highly censursble Of
Judge Douglas, we're used, which we hope, in the
calm hours Of cool reflection have been regretted il
the honorable retraxit has not already been made
But whether this be- % or not, il ia matter OF public
history, that Judge Douglas has had many friends
from Virginia in. the last Democratic National Con
ventioDs, who urged his nomination with power and
eloquence. In the Baltimore Convention of 1852
the present Secretary of War wss the eloquent and
powerful champion of the little giauii and, in 1885,
in Cincinnati, Messrs. Seldom, Powell, Bocock, Gar
nett and Others voted for Stephen A. Douglas, and
against James Buchanan and il their wishes could
have prevailed, the Convention would have nomins.
ted The Illinois statesman upon the Issue of the Kan
sss- Nebraska bill, in preference to Mr. Buchanan
These are matters of public history that sustain us in
maintaining, that Virginia has never been insensible
10 the usefulness of Judge Douglas, and hence We
infer that she stl chershes affection for the great
statesman Of the North West, and desires bis return
to the Senate The field of bis usefulness.
The earnest desire of the Virginia Democracy to
see our party united ts dssensons quieted, its bick
erings and quarrelings silenced has induced us TO
,;nAo
and compromise. These suggestions are prompted
by no ntermeddling SPIRIT but by the great interest
Virginia feels in all that threatens the supremacy of
the National Democracy. Upon that party all her
hopes of the National Union are founded. With de-
feat and the success of sectional Republican Party
secession is inevitable. The knowledge of this fact
causes the extreme disunioniss TO rejoice over every
circumstance that divides aud distrscts the Nstiona
Democracy.
THE BRITISH CRUISERS-A SENSIBLE
VIEW OF THE CASE.
The London Shipping Gazette, in IN article in rela
tion to the recent outrsges American vessels the
abuse of the American flag by savsrs, and the right
of search, remarks:
If the American government are sufficiently alive
to the national honor and to the evil consequences oi
this abuse OF the national nag, they Will cooperate
with the British government in preventing the Cuban
savers from covering their cargoes with the stripes
and stars. If they do not regard il as abuse OF
the national ensign of the States, they will let matters
remain as they are. We may regret this determination;
but, involving, as it does may do the maintenance
of that right of which, maritime nation, America
is peculiarly jealous-immunity for her mercantile
marine from search upon the high have not
word to say against it, The right of search has
been formally denied by almost every Statesman from
Jefferson to Webster, and from Webster to Everett,
and there ia no public man in the States who would
venture to propose its admission in any shape form
The American flag protects the commerce Of the
Union just as effsctually own Gag protects the
commerce of the British Ielands, and that protection,
found out forty six years ago, meant something
real and il is not for the British Government, the
government Of any other State to question the right
of America TO cover any promise che thinks proper
with her flag, except that State ia prepared TO make
the question casus bet. We trust, therefore, that
1t will appear that the accounts have received of
the precipitsncy Of the officers in command of our
cruisers the Gulf of Mexico have been exaggerated
and that the whole affair admits of satisfactory
PLANTATION. We have apprehension of collision
between this country and the United States upon this
or any other question; but we deprecae anything,
from whatever cauee proceeding, likely to disturb our
commercial relations with that nation, whose stead.
fact alliance with this country, the commerce. the
civilization, and we may add, the freedom OF man
kind, mainly depend.