Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-07-22
AitbmonS Enquirer,
FRIDAY MORNING, july %, 1853.
THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION ATTEMPTS
TO DICTATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTYmm
BY elrcn1E, puSxAvAxr, TYLER { WISE.

TO DICTATE TO Il DEMOCRATIC PARfI""
We call attention 20 the accompanying ar
ticle from the Washington Constitution, &
sheet known, where it is known at iii, to be
devoted to the purpose OF propoundinS to =
very limited number Of subscribers the almost
inde>cr,bable policy Of the present admini>tra-
ton, federal and federalist.
The whole article is q curious mixture Of
dic,ation and lodging. The lodges arc all in
tended for the purpose Of miSrcpreScnting the
respective positions Of Senator Douglas and
Governor Wise. The frderalist organ COM
mences by Il boast that it has already logically
demolished both these gentlemcH-when ana
how We arc at a loss to discover. In its pre-
vious articles, as well as the present, it has,
itself. aSsumed the very ground Of principle
occupied By Senator Douglas, and if the Presi-
den; or any one OF his minions has yet even at
tempted to answer Gov. Wisc's constitutional
argument, we are ignorant OF the effort.
The main part Of the Constitutions arti-
cL. is devoted to proving what both Mr. Douglas
and Gov. Wise contend for, yiz:-;hat the people
ola Territory when they come TO form their State
Constitution are then consti,utionailv entitled
to maintain or to prohibit slavery IL the ne"
State, as to them may seem best.
Then the organ blundcrS through a Sc
ries Of ridiculous attempts to avoid the real
question at issue. Its effort against Senator
Douglas is especially sinister. In principle,
S.a,.. nnu.l.. Mountains fpe sc,ns pnSitlpD
with the Federal organ. They both deny the
power and duty Of Congress to intervene, in
case Of need, for the protection OF persons and
property in the Territorics-but Senator Doug
la, honestly admits that this doctrine pi"s'f
eaty enables the residents Of a Territory TO
exclude slavery from its limits during the Ter
~ritorial condition. The inference IS unaroid-
able, and yet, herein, and he,eiu alone, the
organ finds Senator Douglas guilty Of hcreSy.
The whole difference is, that the .Adininistra-
ton attempts, in>idiouSiy, what Mr. Douglas
attempts openly and ayowcdly.
On the other hand, the blow at Gov. Wise is
pitiable in its weakness. In fact, III the bold
est of all attempts TO deny 4 truth by its own
assertion. We condense the language Of this
paragraph, for the purpose Of giving its full
effect. Sec how il reads:
There is no justification FOR the assertion
that Congress i, bound to protect slavery in
the Territories, because, in the language Of the
bred Scott decision, no legislative tribunal
has the right to deny to Save property the
guarantees which have been provided .oc the
protection Of private property.
In other words, Congress is not bound TO
protec, slave property, because Congress has
no right to deny protection to slave property.
Goethe laid down the maxim long ago, that
to deceive the mind, it must first be confused;
and the best means Of confusing it is by start
ling it with the serious assertion OF palpable
and contradictory nonsense. Thus it is that
when Mephi>tophiles attempts the seduction Of
Faust, the cat-!aced witch. under the De-
wills instruction, repeats with emphatic sole,n-
nifty:
30 sAgt der Hex.
Mach rirbcI uui acli.
50 lists vullbracht.
IND neun it -ins,
Ind Sehu Isl kelns.
Das i. das lIexen.eiuna! elias"
From 1--WE {, nd Fix,
80 SAY the WITCH,
Make seven aud eight,
So all 10 strsisnt-
Api niue Is one,
Aud ten 10 none.
That, the w!tehs one.ilme-one.
Such is the high philosophy with which
the cat faced organ at Washington now al
tempt> TO bamboozle the Democracy into the
Mephi>tophilcon policy Of the present Admin
i~strat;on.
Pretending to sit between two stools-and
aware Of the danger OF such attempt in
reality, the Administration s1uats on the
squatter sovereignty stool denies TINT it
is upheld by the three legs Of '~.consti-
tutional violation" unequal taxation" and
.'uuiriendly legislation and thus disacrccing
with Senator Douglas, the first and stronger
occupant, must inevitably be hurled down the
intervening abyss Of a total abncsation ogpr,n.
ciple which yawns between the true principle
of equal protection on the one side, and the
false principle Of squatter sovereignty on the
other side.
The organ concludes with the oracnlar ALL
nouncemcht that the attempt to urge the con-
stltutional doctrine Of equal protection on the
Southera people furnishes the best devised
''plan for the disruption and defeat Of the De-
mocratic party, and for securing the triumph
of Mr.. Seward and Black Republicanism."
In the name of the Democracy Of Virginia,
Xekcan inform the organ, that the insidlous
doctrine, which it breaches from the teaching
of Mr.. Eli Thayer. is itself the most dangerous
species of Black Republicanism, no less odious
than that Of Mr.. Seward himself. and much