Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-06-17
Ait5mond Enquirer.
By RITcHIE, DUNSAvAST, TYLER & WISE.
FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE II, 1859.
SLAVE CODE AND THE ALEXANDRIA "sENTI-
NET"

SLAVE CODE AND THE ALEXANDRIA "sENTI.
MEL"
With political parties @"mes often stand as
'thc evidence of things not seen and the sub
stance of things hoped for"
They may either enlist attachment and thus
strengthen the principles of the party by
arousing the affections Of the people, or they
may drag down the principles by awakening
the suspicious and prejudices of the nation.
No party understand the strategy Of an un-
popular name better than the enemies of the
South. Hence the ignorant preiudices of the
northern people arc aroused agains. the " slave
drivers" the negro-driving democracy" the
slave breeders" and the dealers in Human
chattels.'' We have become, to Il very great
extent, objects of aversion to very many really
good people at the North, by virtue of the pre-
judiccs aroused by unpopular names. This
system of party warfare not only contributes
to party success, but ovcrlcaps the bounds of
party contests and wcakcnS the very bonds Of
the Union itself
The people of the South feel but little attach
mcnt 10 the Union, which binds them to the
people who dcsi 5nate them by the most oppro-
brious epithets; and the people Of the North
are not oath to sever a connection that uniteS
them to people whom they are taught to bclcrc
are little better than cannibalS We are not going
to waste our time in the vain Efforts of teaching
morality and propriety to political parties; our
efforts arc not directed against our opponents
and the tactics they pursue, but against the
impropricty of those men and presses, who be-
ing in the Soath, profess to he "of the South"
and yc! lend their laid and comfort 10 o,r
enemies.
al Since Cole ror Tie Trrit"ric' y" is the
name attached to constitutional proposition
for tho sole purpose Of arou>ing against it the
prcjudiccs of the Northern people. Without
stopping 10 enquire into the adaptation OF
the name, the enemies OF the rights of the
South have seized upon THIS unpopular epiihct
to drag down the just cause Of one section "i
the Union. While we deprecate the acrmony
Of political coatc-ts which arouse the prcln-
dices rather than convince the judgment, we
were not surprised that our opponents at the
North should seize upon this engine Of party
warfare But that men and presses Of the
South should lend their aid and influence to
extend the efficiency Of Black Republican
weapon against the Democracy and the South,
has indeed surprised MS. "A Slave Code for
the Territories" rings through every Black
Republican Journal, and finds an echo in some
of the Virginia Democratic newspapers.
What statesman has ever proposed "a Slave
Code for the Territories . Gov. Wise in his
Sanford Letter distinctly rcpn'liates the pro-
position. lie says:
"And this right and this duty Of Protection
is not 10 be evadcd or avoided either by the
false dd captaa3um clanor that Code is re-
quircd to be enacted by Congress for the pro-
lection Of slave property This is but to cast
odium upon slavery, by creating the impress
sion that discrimination is necessary to dis
tngulSh it above what is due to other personal
and proprietary rights. On the contrary, no
such Code is required to create either the right
or the duty of protection, and no law Is ncccssa-
ry to distinguish slave property, from any other
property. All persons and all property, equally
and alike require only not tn be asSallcd and de-
Stroycd in. or excluded from the common Ter
rtoricS. Every species oi rights require laws,
it is true, suited to their character and to their
case. Personal property, for example, must
have a law that 1t shall not he taken and
carried away" and land which cannot be "ta-
ken and carried away" must have a law that il
shall not be trcSpaSsed upon in some other way;
and so with slaves and every thing else, they
must have provisions according TO their kind.
But the Constitution Of the United States, and
the laws of Congress heretofore organizing Ter
rltorcs are sufficient, and if amendments Of the
laws are required it is the duty Of Congress 10
see that they are provided, Of the Executive Of
the United States to see that they are cXccu-
ted, and of the Judiciary TO decide upon the
rights under the laws. The slave States
should never pretend to any peculiar privileges,
and do not 50 far as know. They ask only
TINT their rights shall not DC assailcd and inva-
ded, and, if they bc asSailcd. that they may he
protected as other personal and proprietary
rights are protected that they may have equal,
confederate, federal privileges and immunities,
and they ask for no special or peculiar Code
The sole question is; What protection does
the Constitution guarantee in the Territories
We contend that it guarantees all protection
required to all persons and all rights recognized
is in the Territories We have cndcayorcd to de-
monstratc
We have been led to these remarks 10y read
Ing the following paragraphs, which We copy
from the Alexandria sentinel =
There j. another question, loo, which is be-
ins warmly pressed a> Il necessary element Of
the Presidential canvass. II *. Mot Congress
shaU Ui0pt q sl0rc cod., for the protection of
slavery in the Territories We are utterly OPP
posed to making any such rcquistion now. for
several reasons W. Jtiierc tie proiertioa
contemplated ix d"e; but it has not yet been
proved that tie step pr"pos't is necessary TO
its reasonable enjoyment The necessity has
at all events not been presented 50 clearly, the
issues not 80 distinctly made up, As to justify
us in departing from the faith pledged in the
Kansas Nebraska legislation by the demand Of
further and more ciFcctual provisions. This
further provision may not become necessary.
Many of our wiseSt statesmen believe il never
will. They believe the present remedies suili-
cicnt for any case that will probably ever
arise. Until this is disprovcd-until actual
experience shall demonstrate the error, and re-
veal the necessity Of further legislation TO cor
rect something more than trivial public all
mcnts-wc hold that il would BIZ an incxcuSa-
bic and unpatriotic disturbance of the public
safety to enter the Congress Of the several
States with new and fresh demands And
all of those who had part and responsibility in
the Kansas Nebraska legislation, would. by
the proposed movement, add to their mistake,
as to patriotic duty, personally dishonorable
breach of faith. This latter consideration will,
perhaps, not weigh with those who opposed
that legislation: but those who bear its Iespon-
sibity are not at liberty to tramplc upon it in