Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-09-03

and true men, o. 81; parties los ss .,ur?Jsr oi uia-
eucing parties TO the adoption o The COE,;i'u;."n b.
their only guide. Ii the :des can be Carried OUT III
shor, time there will exist through its rnssns strong
healthy public opinion among men OF all parties. a.
10 our rights and our duties. Gnod and able men
will hr selected 10 office who will abide by no other
rnl Than that Ut thu Constitution in settling our rights
and the day will arrive IN which II VIII BE 'est
I'd whether there il justice and honor aud equality i"r
Us in the Union II the Leagues produce these re'ult-
they are worthy of the trial.
at all of these meetings Southern Rights Demo
r.ts ursided aud the ap-asers Southern Rights
Democrats The leading characteristic features oil
know Nothingism, are we'll understood 10 be secresy
onths, degrees in membership 1.-THE Union u para
mount good" and the exclusion OF foreigners from
the polis and Offices Nothing ut that kind Is 10 b,
found IN the above aocumeh's' UT III any proceeui"e
of ''ihe League.
Tnat wi-r. sagacious, practical thinker. Mr. Ed
nund Rutn o: your STATE mons s irss tn b. trusted
b.caus. he - 10 politician frat originated thu League
His character YOU a. pleased TO endorse. But you rny
that mo snuncr was the idea promulgated through
the columns OF hr paper. l'Ihe South, ihsn II was
seized upon by faction vi political adventures AZ
All rxp- dent tor ihr recovery of places, anu you
pocr-d by cure Of spe-ch To illustrate your mean
ny That ls tina. the Know Nothing. protesting pa
trioi-r obtained Mr.. Ruin condolences, ~h" took
Them aboard Lis bark, when they reachcrohsly aro"r
upon INN, imprisoned him benca,h the hstcli--. anG
took possr-s0n vi Ills EMP euu salieu lor loves hhu
q market
This il we'll enough, u figure OF speech, but II l.
nur,y fanciful-lbere il no iraih in H. The facts
10 the rae of the League are simply thes- Mr.
Ruilin published his plan III The south. over TIE
sisnatu.. OF "R." HIS connection with tho matter
.hera ceased. ,uoh mp the observation-disclosures II mr.
il nv letter 10 MIR. Sought.r-then promulgated
in speeches at B,thel Church, Benton and Monfs'm
cry, and Leagues were formed or steps taken 10 Do 20
~ each psGr.
Now sir | challenge you TO show wherein any
t--aclery or bad faith shown IN oil tbs |"
NJ. RGihn. challenge you IL show wherein There
has been departure from his plan, indicating
treacherous design 10 wrest his plan 10 any party
| purpose Whatever! | challenge You Ia show any
ac; tending 10 sustain your assertion that he :cs 81
| Mr. Eltin nj seized by tile know-Noihi!iS-
as an -xpedent." by which 10 recover position
What lending know-Norhsg has had any pro;ninrn'
come ct Oh with Inau lurariug these b-s'ne-, HEd
! seeking il their isvOTl Ii there is one, am not
aware II the fact-but uui aware OF ih'; :sct Ia:
the great testers o: that pnry OF my acquaintance
Keep zlOof from il .as Democratic ntr'gce
As Tor myself presume that heed no defence
against the charge or nsinuatinn Ct any IL insaE'j
ot being, or having ever been. - hn0" NHiniiS.--
The members ~ tic League, aso. Gs lar as | know
them are chiefly 0. the Southern Rights Democracy;
although There are i'll il Vniu"b.e members OF lie
American party, whose allegiance. IN the South, SIR,
mangrc their Know Nothingsm will compare ia9"r-
ably with your oWn.
Your first two chnrges are answered III whnr bus
been written. Ii is evident thar the League l. Lof
political party Of any Lind-thst it H. not n Know
Nothing moVement-but was orginatrd and prOniul'
gated 10y u Southern Rights Democrat, through your
own columns, was tsken up aud put into ncinn! cpe
ration by Southern Rights Democrat and that u II
simply association Of individuals, without respect
81 party, to create sound public opinion III favor Oi
tie Cot-tiiution as The standard OF Southern kgts,
nDd against further compromises at those rights
The very first announcement in iavCr oi tllen aitci
The appearance OF Mr.. Ruliu's plan in The South.
made by me in my letter 10 Mr.. Slaughter, and
accompanied by the declaration that | WAS "p-
posed ~ any plan having for lie object the ov-TIhru"
Of the DemOcracy-ihat WIS opposed Ia the lorna
ton of n sectional party. hut would rugs-s- -
LeagUe-hDd yet, IN rhe lace of those hcih. yoG =:
raign far forming the Lsague NJ IN s.ciinasl pa
ly;" aud for an attempt 10 overthrow the prao-
cracy."
IL ''lhe League" premature blow against the III
tegrity ut The Union shall presume. oi coursr.
that you mean n Cunsti utioma Union. But whether
-uci your meaning NOT, deny that 1t If bio"
against fh- Union. That not i,s aim or desIgn.-
le object Oi the League IL two Told, ~ announced III
III Constitution. It's primary, direct ohject. l" by
the OF all proper 10 create sound pubic
opinion IN the South the sut -ct OF enforcing The
rights OF The South in the Union" See article oh
of the Constitution. Its secondary object lr mn
nounced in the second clause of s prearnb--viz:
Z" The u,e ot all proper means OF mnintahing our
rights within tbs Uuion with view 10 being inrtird
before The world in reruming the powers -ne THE
SIuth) has Delegated 10 the General Government, ~
Tie aren't size fats 10 attain justice IN the UaI0R
Do you -ir, deny that ruch objects patriotic =
wicked policy ~ Aud, yet you have done both III
your editorials.
The League, then, lie designed, not 10 Operate HI
patty, but ITO Influence and guide other political par
ties, with vi-w 10 tbs advancement aud protection
Ut our constitutional r,hts'-nOt 10 dIssove The
Union, but ito enforce our rights in the Union, Ia
king the Constitution the only rule at lrSl-Aflnn
come now. sir, 10 discuss your last charge more
Immediately affecting my own vsws aud Pusiti"n
and which are 10 be found i'll your article ui IL
ler al 4 New
Stafrsmruship."
Tn" letter 10 Mr. Slaughter. upon whrh you hinged
your assault upon me-, private letter, which
found its way into print without my CONSENT. IL
bears evidence OF this lie face. II wac written, moi
10 promngste policy, but 10 refuse Ia adopt one
which had been Proposed to NE, Ihe aim 81 which
Wa Ia overthrow the Democracy. The allusiOn III II
To Th. L-a-ue, purely Incidental. mention ihi-
merely III urcount Tor the meagrrness Oi detail hs 10
that pian. Written in the confidence ot privacy
not designed 10 promulgat- II ,hrUry-nni written
"in haste, its language was not selected. but Wa
Gn'e.r-sly Used. IL not guarded against ho-.
crltirl"In miscDnc-piIon. Hence II il not inli
enough IL convey my meaning IN full, hni ~ SIS
c-publr II looked Ia alone nnd not ~ connection witl
my public speeches IN xplnnntnn uf the L-agu-s, |
at meaning did not entertain for mn Is sec.s-
zionist, aud mol revolutinnrt, and would not pre-
cpafe, but carefully prepare 10 m-et an nevitah':
disso!uiion But at The lime you made illn-r roin-
mems, my speech nj Bethel church the 10Th uit
had been published for ten dnys-nnd Iuliy explained
should have hern cunsi-rrd by you your attack |
upon nay p"riIions. With this explanations proceed !
You lake exceptions to ihes- rxprrasIone: LET us |
form these Lrngues all over lbs cotton Slaies, rs il
IL Ony IN them we can hope for any effective move
msnI.' al the proper moment, by ons urganizsI,
concerted action, We preclpitae ihe cotton Sa,s
into revolution" Commenting This, you say,
9Th, leading States nj tho South specifically
Guided from his plan Of concerted nperaone and that
is done on 'hs avowed rrsiel!re ~ lack Of South
eTn spr.t in Virginia aid ths Other border Siaies!"
To be candid plact bG little trust in -ucn States
~ Delaware, Maryland Tenn.sss-. kentucky and
Ml~onfl. In tno lr-t, slavery IL bur nominal in
s;itntluu and ai slavery ideas prevail to large ex
tent. In Maryland. 4 fes-sOcr /. IN tnnorei re-
preventative IN CoDgrreHi and IN the greer
lSj6, that State separated h-rsrlf from her ssiera,
and voted TOR Fillmore. Trnnrrree has 10 ny main
tsined fr-t-soil Senator in Cungr.-s. uui ARG.
minority now sustain him there. In the Mrihudist
Conference her Delegates voted against striking "ut
tho hnf-slarery clause IN rs di-cpline-whIl- s!':
In1lnal,s on her Supreme Court bench nnd in The
chair Ut law proiessionshp in her University, tn,
who openly declares slavery IN bs a moral, SCOTT
aud political evil la Missouri, Benton w..J upheld
w'en unsound On this ssue-was sent 10 The House
OF representatives., when ouseG from The Senate, b..
calse Of MS anti slavery dea; and now the ST. l. us
district is represented by ree-suiler, who ls can.
dIGais for election upon the emancipation platform.
Surrounded, as she almost il. by free soil terrific
Ty, iier slave owners -inigraiing III large ham
hers IN Texas and will soon leave her prey Sew
ara : abolition ry'tem uf legislation
In Kentucky Mr.. Gays emancipation and coloni
zm;on idsas are bearing legitimate iruir. and Mr.
CrteIld-n holds powerful sway the affections I'll
ia pp"pl" and /: Is hardly to he doubted but that
Mr.. Crlit-ndsn, coDjnned with the Antl-Savery
American party OF The Morrill, would carry Kentucky.
may well be excused, then, il ] 1ad ~ private cor
respond-nce, tw.a, frankly COMES. ! wcud have
lesilaed 10 make MISTER oil public discussion that
only hoped for effective movement IN the cottou
States. There Is much ~ The way IN which an idea
ia put. | said thus much and 10 nnrs | dbl not
WRITE, a. you have charged either III words IN
spirit that noted 0po,red prs'-nce If Tack Of
Southern ,pirit IN Vrginil and Tho other border
Sint-- That il your own language aud i1ea-Gnd
repudlsi. both. did not nam" Virginia It is true
| Gld not di.Grimimas between Virginia nnd the oih--