Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-12-06

We are ScOrned as too tlTnlu TO MAKE Tic WdTl
ing of danger TO it worthy to be needed. II
arrocantly assumes to break all the bonds o
faith within it and defes the attempt to escape
oppression without it. THIS rudely a&aia ous
honor as well as our interest, and demands o
us wha, we will do. We have but one thing
to do: unless the numerical majority will cease
to violate confederate faith, on u question o.
such vital Importance to us, and Will cease III
mcdiatelr and absolutely cease to disturb OH,
peace, to destroy our lives and property ahu
and to deprive us of all protection anu 'eu'es
under the perverted forms and uiStor'eu WIN
ings Of the Union, We must take up arm,
The issue is too essential TO DC eo!hP'u'hin
any more We cannot stand such insults and
outrapes as those of lIarpcr's Ferry without
sptFcriny worse than the death OF citizens
witn,ut ~sutIcrin. di>honor, the death oil a >la'e'
For , o,,artcr oi Il century VT have prs'
ners,,ad.I TO furbear, and patiently to wait iof
IN. waking and working OF the cohSc',"uNe
elements in our sister States. We have norh'
and (oreborne, and waited in vain. we k'""
that we have many sound and sincere i''en's
in the non.slaveholding States. ltruaf pe,i''
,b.v ar. most numerous far who abhor ana ae-
test such wrongs As these; but it Is not 10 oe
disruised that the conservative elements III;
uas,irs. whilst the ~ianatical are nct'rt' anu
the former arc fast diminishing, whilst 'nc "'-
ter are increasing in numbers aud III i"1..-
But where is the evidence that the conservative
elements are most powerful DO we i'"N ~
the schools and colleges: To the Fn!pi'> ana
! clergy, and churches and congregations ~
the press: to the journals: 10 the BOOKS 10
the professions: the artisans =: 10 associations,
! which are marked characteristics OF inc age j.:
! to politics. to public assemblies ana speakers :
to legislatures. TO Congress: TO laws. clther
State or federal. To elections to the ad:;iltiiS'
tration Of laws: TO judicial decisions: Mas
,urp where we will and 10 what we will, we
find that the judgments of the courts only are
with rs. but thpy have lost all reverence and
rcsnect and We are left without protection. and
the Supreme Court of the United States is it.
self assaulted for not aS>ailing our Constitution
al d~elences. And these last are aSSailed in de
nving the rights Of protection itself \ new
sovereignty and a new law is set up over the
old. and we are denied protection under both.
Where the Federal Government has no power
TO Cypress, il is assumed: and where it has
the power and it is It's duty to protect, it is not
allowed To intervene. And the nGn-s!ayebOid
ing States are in nearly solid array opposed to
w. We, united. may contend Tor 4 while By
the aid oi pluralitic>, but for 4 shor' time Oh
", and uncertainty ut any time, and nj best
have no maiorities on which We can rely in AT
least sixteen States. having the power of the
onion. The active has overcome the passive
clements: ianatlcism has Subnucd conservatism
in all these States, and these can now, in orr
present condition, prac,i't'ly WELD our dcsti-
MES for veal or woe. Viii they come back to
the Constitution and abide its covenants or
not: What those covenants "rc ] have fully
discussed in a reply to the resolutions Of Yer
mont, which are herewith submitted, with my
response appended, as I part of this message.
| put it upon the archives Of State as the most
elaborate study Of the subject Of which ! am
capable.
But no words CAT elaborate the issues to
which We are now practically bronght BY the
events al ~llarpcr'S Ferry.
1t is vain to point to the paucity Of the num-
berS Of the marauders. The daring Of their
attempt would prove not more their foolhardi.
ness than their full assurance that they were
to be joined by z force sufficient to be isrmida-
bic. If they had not mistaken the number and
disposition Of the slaves, who they expected to
seize the spears, which they brought TO capture
an arsenal OF arms. il is not known. and never
will be known, how many other white fanatics
would have swelled their numbCls, nor how
much blood and treasure it would have cost TO
qucll their rebellion. Few they were, bat they
were fatal to the lives Of several of our most
worthy citizens; and insultingly dared the
chances OF doing unreasonable mischief TO our
entire Northern border.
And it is lnockcryto call them monomaniacS.
Maniars they were, only rs all great criminals;
and monoInanlacs they were. only As the sub
iect OF slavery makes men more inSensate than
any other one subject can. If these men were
monomaniacS, then are 4 large portion Of the
people Uf many Of the States monomaniacS.
Before these crimes, they were deemed sane
soldiers in 4 notable crusade against slavery
and Shareholders. Many Of those who now
plead their insanity for them, put Shapes
rifles in their hands and enlisted and trained
and trusted their wits for war in Kansas. Con.
tributions were raised for them in churches.
They had been pulled with the praise Of the
proieSScdly pious for being the very men Of
destiny for the mission against slave settle
mcnts. They had been furnished with money
to make sharp spears Of butchcry for the
~tlr1ats and breasts Of masters. and 20 supply
munitions and stores Of regular campaignS.-
They assembled together from parts as Gar be
tween as they themselves were few. They
were provided, supplied and furnished with
much beyond their own wants or means. A.nC
it is passing strange that they, madmen, should
few as they were, have been 80 many lnadmen
meeting from so far apart. so well supplied by
others than themselves, ut a point SO well Sc
lectel, and that they should have conspireG
with so much method az TO be 20 successful
=. .,l Ill A"..o ,l..a ,an
ties. known and unknown, so situated, all mad
1t is enough to say that the leader himscl
I Spurncd the falschood, hypocrisy and coward
ice Of this mawkish plea Of monomania, ant
neither he, nor one Of his men, nor their coun
sci, put it in upon their trials. He expected
from his %pronpters and hackers and sympathi
zcrs better ~pretence and more potent defence
than that. Before his failure and defeat ii
what. in their correspondence with him, they
called 4 glorious cause thcir sympathy Wa
all with his desperate daring and Success; ant
now it is with his insanity fora plea against the
legal penalties Of his crimes, which had then
origin in this very sympathy. \ sympathy
winch saw his insanity too late TO snatch
from his hands the weapons it had placed
there; too late to save the lives taken by It's
own Indictment: and too late to save him iron
a f.lon's fate.
BY our laws. the plea Of insanity could avail
at any time, in any stage of trial, and after
| conviction, before sentence of the court an(
after the judicial tribunals were dore with The
prisoners and they were turned over to the ex
I ecptioner, the executive authority could fore
fend the laws sentence upon the insane. II
either could show or prove insanity, either now
or on trial he could not be executed ms long n;
| am the Governor of the Commonwealth, I'M
til cured in an asylum; and. if insane at the
time of committing the offence. he could not bt
executed. cured or not cured, at all. But these
men needed no mental cure; theirs was a mo
raj ms!ady of devils, which no power but d.
vine could cast out. They were deliberate,
cunning, malignant malefactors, desperately
bent on mischief, with malice aforcthought
" - .-l ,-..l lnl,t,,n