Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-05-03
Governor Wise. Letter to Hon. W. F. Sanford.

Governor Wise's Letter TO Hon. W. r Sanford
We have no need to commend to our reader.
the perusal Of the correspondence between
Gov. Wise and Mr. Sanford, which We pub
liSh today in the form Of an extra sheet.
Such production, emanatng, at this time,
from such source, will be eagerly read
throughout the whole country. Indeed. the
treatise which Gov. Wise has furnished, sup
plies an urgent necessity, which, for the las!
two Years, has seriously embarrassed Govern
mental action, as we'll as popular sentiment.
That the questions attaching to Territorial
Government, and the admission of new States,
have, during this PERIOD given rise to an
almost unprecedented agitation, is, indeed,
attributable in some measure to much politi.
cal chcancry anil partisan demoralization.-
But the chief clllse to which these varied
forms and phases Of sectional agitation and
parts discord arc TO be attributed, consists
mainly in the very general ignorance displayed
with regard To or political history, only paral.
lcl.d l'y an equal ignorance Of the plain die.
tatcs Of the letter and spirit Of the Federal
Constitution Thus i, is that we find so many
>tattsm,n, editors and politicians generally oc,
cupying, a this moment, positions directly an
tasonlstic to their arowals Of few month.
since. Most men have been wandering in q
labyr' nth of doubt, each mislcd by another,
and all looking in vain for some competent
guidance
Governor Wise's letter corcrs the Who'll,
groun lofhistorical clucidation and constitution.
al exposition, in form convenient for general
reference: and it exhibits the first example
which the whole controversy has elected
a c,mpac; specification Of all the more interes,
Ing and more important historical facts, COLI.
bincd with thorough commentary on the pro
visions Of the Constitution as applied to tn
matter in question 1t is all-suilicient to tcacl
the people, as well as their would-bc teachers
that the great principle Of POPULAR SOVEREIGN
Ii, depending on an unrcstrained expression
the peoples will in the formation Of then
State constitutions. is the only just rule
national conservari>m and to teach them. fur
th.r. that State rights and State sovereignty.
AMI the very cSscncc Of popular sovereignty.
arc irreconcilablc with the federation o
''>QuATrlR soygREI"STY.' and demand for theii
virdrcation that every Department Of the Fed
cra Government shall maintain and exercise
in their full extent, the exclusive powers o.:
government over the territories, with which thu
Constitution has entrusted il, for the complct,
protection Of persons and property in every in
stance.
Scarcely less valuable are the numerous in.
cidental exposi,ions which are brought to bear
on these subjects, prominent among which ar
the almost forgotten explanation of Fedora
powers Of taxation. and the concise clucidatlor
of the mutual relations Of the Federal am
State Governments, as dciuccd inmcdatc,
from the Constitution
We confidently anticipate that the publica
ton Of this treatise will do much to open tn,
way f,r the entire removal Of the complica
tons which now embarrass the Democrats
parly--and VIC sincerely congratulate Gov.
Wise on the high reward Of popular confidence
which such an achievement must secure for