Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-10-19

Waiffnr Tor tho s. 0YcrI ACI.O

sEdpuS cPAbShS ASttH
Poetry and l. variety OF news Items.
Waiting for tho :" Overt Act"
The special attention Of the "Whig' having
been called" to our article in last Mondays
issue, we shall give very special attention" to
the remarks and reasoning OF the wings
r-nlv, Promising that the diSuhion hubbub
Of the Opposition party is played ont, and, be.
fore the practical results<hat must very soon
6evclop themselves, is utterly hopeless, even
for the exiscncies of this canvass, we shall ex-
anime candidly the opinions advanced by the
"Whig' as to the course Of Virginia, should
Lincoln be elected.
In our article of Monday last, NC said:
Virginia can no more prevent the dissolu-
ton of this Union after Lincoln's election, than
she can prevent that election. She will be
nowerlcss to prevent civil war, with all its at
tendant horrors. Any one Of the Southern
States can, and some 81 them wiW involve the
whole country, North as well as South, IN the
in,ernecine strife of ! bloody and desolating
civil war"
If. in the opinion Of the Wing Virginia
can prevent the dissolution Of this Union"
we should nave been glad for our conte,npora'
~ 10 have informed us how that most dcsira-
bic end can be accomplished. We are satisfied
That there is not one man in Virginia that de-
sires the dissolution Of this Union. But how
ever so much the people Of Eirginiamay wish
to maintain the Union, by what course she can
nreyent the Southern States from dlssolVlng
their connection with the Union, we cannot see,
nor has the "Whig" attempted to explain.
We also said, that in our opinion Virginia
will, by a majority Of her people, decide upon
resistance, while il large minority may desire
20 u~os,poue resistance for the overt act; but
i.i;cAcd as she is 20 the Southern States, she
will he dragged into a COMMON destiny with
them, no matter what may hc the desire OF the
people"
Our reasons for the opinion that Virginia by
a majority OF her people would decide for re-
v,;cc OF the foul,ae;; aai- tthc a!aost unanimous
Brown raid, for resistance to the ''irrcpreSsible
conflict" when it first developed itself upon
the soil of Virginia, and from the fact now pa.
ten; TO the world that the spirit Of the "irre-
prcssible conflict" still directs and controls
public sentiment at the North, as cvidenc-
cd by the late elections. Our reason for the
opinion that u large minority OF the Suite
would wait for the covert act, resulted from
that singular, unaccountablc and fatal change,
involved in the support Of John Bell, when
such support divides the people of Virginia.
Believing that q large majority OF the people
Of Virginia arc as much opposed to the "irre-
preside conflict" now as they were when it
burst upon the State at liarper's Ferry; con-
rinccd that the people Of the North are none
the less infused with the spirit that ilnpelled
John Brown; that Lincoln's election will
encourage that spirit to open acts Of aggres-
sion; tina; tire covert act will only be delayed,
until the power to compel obedience and sub
mission has been fully and securely gotten
possession oL, until the easy virtue Of some
Southern men corrupted by patronage and
thunder have been able 10 build a party Of IL
lies to Black Republicanism at the South, and
knowing TINT these facts are patent to the peo-
pie O. virsinia, we said, I'VE believe that a large
majority of the people Of Virginia, if the oppor-
tunity ola State Convention was allowed them,
would vote for immediate resistance and for a
common destiny with the Southern States, and
with this belief we would advise the slave
States not to hesitate to strike an early blow
from fear that Virginia may hesitate in her duty
to the South"
Such are the reasons for the faith that is in
US, and if such he "trenson, make the mist
Of it"
From all Of which the" Wing" differs in
toto and says:
1--WE differ in toto from the opinion express.
ell br the Enquirer in the foregoing extract.
We do not believe that Virginia is the slave of
the Gulf States, or can be made the slave Of
those States, under any circumstances. We
believe she possesses a mind and 4 will of her
own, and is prepared to act, rs her rs safety
and interests may require, without regard 10
the wishes, opinions, or action Of the Cotton
States. II the Old Dominion is a mere autom-
atom, without intelligence, without will, and
without feeling, she will, Of course, allow the
Jul SldlSS " lSSlUC " lll lHt CtulS Sc SllC
should pursue, in the event Of Lincoln's cleo
ton, and will submit to be dragged or kicke
in any direction those Gulf States may deter
mine. On the contrary, if she is a high
minded, independent, sovereign State, with
capacity and diScl elton enough to regulate her
own affairs in her own way, and chalk GU, her
own d~cStiuics, she will repcl with prompt in
dignation the humiliating idea that she will be
ohlioc1 ~ submit TO the wishes and Iiriot;op
of the whimsical and arrogant Cotton States
This is i'll very we'll to tickle State pride.
But is it true: Can Virginia take such an in
dependent course, and separate her destiny
from the Cotton States?
If she can, us the "Whig" intimates, sepa-
rate from the cotton States, we may fairly con-
cludc tina. the Bell and Everett men will vote
for her 10 make the separation. What thon
will be her Notwithstanding in the Fede-
raj Union with the present border slave States,
powcrlcSs To protect her slave property against
the wild and reckless EtnaticiS,n of dominant,
unrestraincd and uncomfortable ~iree-soil party
Her condition would, in five years be more
pitiable than that of St. Domingo. The Gulf
States having dissolved their connection with
the Federal Union, would, as foreign nations,
prevent the importation Of Virginia negroes,
aud here would begin the financial ruin that
would soon culminute in q desolating and
bloody Scrvile wsr. Such would be the price
Of Virgiuia's boosted independence of the cot