Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-10-30

MILLEDGEYllLE, GA., aug, ~, iooi'
G%cntlcmen:-I thank you for your kind and
pressing invitation to Il barbecue, 10 be gwen
to Col. Robert McMillen, the Southern Rights
candidate for Congress in the Eighth District, on
the first Tuesday in September next But Of
fetal engagements forbid Inc the pleasure OF It's
acceptance. Morgan court will bc IN session al
that time.
NV personal acquaintance with Col. McMil-
len, is limited, but | know him by reputation
as a gentleman of high moral worth, brilliant
talents, and sound republican principles. Such
a man ! am pleased to honor, and sincerely
trust the great cause whose bannerhe bears by
the united voice of the Southern Rights party
of his district, may be triumphant.
The contest in which the people Of Georgia,
in common with her sister slaveholding States,
are engaged, is one of vital importance. 1t
involves the destiny Of the South, and the fed.
erative character Of our system OF government.
1t is waged upon the right Of a State peaceaoIyi
to secede from the Union. The Gubcrnatoria
candidate of the Southern Rights party main
tains the affirmative, and the candidate OF the
submission party the negative OF this great
question. The one, that the right necessarily
results from the reserved sovereignty o! the
States and the nature Of the c~on!ederacy, ana
the other that it exists only rs 4 right oil reVo-
luton. The former insists that the General
Government has no right to cocrcc a seeding
State and the latter, that such seeding State
must depcnd for the maintenance Of its position
"upon the stout hearts and strong arms OF q
free people" The enc unhesitatingly and
boldly avows that il q Southern State were to
secedc, he would not obey n rcquisition by the
T,.1a..1 C,n,r>opf ,noln ItnOO him NS tho
executive of Georgia, for troops to torce her
back into the Union and the other declares
be "would convene the Legislature OF
the State, and recommend them to call
4 convention of the people" to instruct him IN
an emergency in which the impulses OF Inc
true Southern heart should be n sufficient
guide. The great issue, then, | repeat, IS the
right of n State to scccde from the Union, and
the correlative absence of any right, Oh the
part Of the Federal Government, to force such
a State back into the Union. 1t cannot be eva:
ded by THE SENSELESS CLAMOR Or
UNION! THIS GLORIOUS UNION! The
integrity of the Union is not assailed by the
Southern Rights party in Georgia. It's true
friends are those who insist upon maintaining
the rights resulting from the sovereignty oftlie
States. Its real enemies are those who, from
behind it, US q 'masked battery" level their
destructive artillery against its strongest out
posts, BY counsclling submission to aggression,
INJUSTICE and ROBBERY, BECAUSE, LIKE
"a WOLF IN Sheets CLOTHING" they COME IN
DER TIE HYPOTHETICAL CARE OF COM
PROMISE. Then let . yigilant people look
we'll to the true and only issue involved IN the
pending campaign--THE RIGHT OF y STATE
PEAcEAgLY TO sgcEDE FROM THE UNION.
I would not, il time and space justified, enter
into an argument in favor of the affirmative OF
his issue. believe it is understood by the
people. 1t has been a cardinal tenet OF the
Republican creed from 1913 down to the pre-
sent day, maintained by Jefferson and Madison
and Macon, Lowndcs ard Troue, and all the
distinguished statesmen Of that school, who
properly understood the theory Of our Govern
ment, and whose heart beat responsively to the
great American sentiment which is at once
the parent and the soul OF Constitutional liber'
ty. Argument is not needed to clucidate or
enforce it. II the people, shaking or tn
trummeis Of party, and sPurning THE TIME
corSsELs OF TEMPORISING SUBMISSION
lists AND SELFISH TRADESMEN IN THE
GREAT MART OF POLITICAL BARTEklNG,
aoiU o6ey tie HONEST IMPULSE OF TRUE
SOUTHERN SENTIMENT, they ciU require
no argument TO array them on the stde q
truth, THEIR HEARTH-STONES AMI TIE
CONSTITUTION.
TO detract from the Importance OF the issue
in public estimation, it is insisted that it is
mere abstraction; that it will be time enough
for Georgia to determine il, when she Shall bt
called upon to exercise the right Of secession
This is but one of the hundred subterfnges o.
those who man the "masked battery" Tit
issue is vital. 1t has not been made by thu
State of Georgia nor by the Southern States
It has not been enforced upon us by Federal
aggressions. 1t has been distinctly rendered
by high authority. 1t was. rendered by Henry
Clay in his great speech upon tho compounds
bill" He said "if resistance is attempted 6J
my State, or by the people Of any State, hi
| will lift his voice, his heart and his arm in thu
support Of the common authority Of this gov
eminent"
Through Mr.. Webster, the Secretary Of State
it has been rendered by the ROTTEN DYNASTY 0!
THE FILLMORE ADMINISTRATIONS For he has lis
tinctly proclaimed the policy Of the CabInet It
be coercion, if any State should attempt Seces
sion. This issue, then, is upon Us. Shall VIZ
not meet it? Shall we ingloriously shrink
from its decision? 1t is true that to past az
| gressions Georgia has determined TO offer nj
resistance. But the right to resist and to re
sist peaccably, without the terror Of ledera
bayoncts, she cannot yield and now she /:
called upon to make the decision. Let hel
meet it with frnness and unanimity.
Whoever observes the signs Of the time:
cannot fail to see that the RIGHT OF SECES
| SION will probably at NO DISTANT DAY AS
SUME THE FORM AND MAGNITUDE OF
PRACTICAL IMPORTANCE. The South j:
in q permanent minority in our Federal Legls
laturc. The tone Of Northern ianaticism abate!
not in its frenzy and insolence. 1t presses OF
rapidly to the conSummation OF its dlabolica
designs. And what check has the South upon
its progress? Arc We not now under the estab
lished rules Of parliamentary Law? Can w
expect any justice Mt the hands of the present
Frcc-Soil Executive and his Cabinet? Can We
effect anything by argument md appeals to thu
reason of our NORTHERN 0PPltESSORS
CAN WE OBTAIN SHELTER UNDER TIT
BROAD SHIELD OF THE CONSTITUTION
NO! All these are impotent as pack.threac
to restrain an IRRESPONSIBLE AND FA
NAUTICAL MAJORITY. What then, arr
we to do? say, let US bear 10 the last pom
of endurance, but let us never proclaim
through the ballet-boX, that VIC have no righ'
| to secedc, and that if we do secede we are t
be regarded as insurgents and rcyolutionists.-
1t never can be true that our foreiatherS, II
the struggle of &c, fought only to achieve tina
which is the right of serfs-the right of revo
luton. They had that under the British
crow But they struggled for more-for CO.
lonial sovereignty-and they won it.
Did they turn round immediately and sur
render all they had battled for in the powers Of
an elective consolidation? Never, never. Those
who maintain such q position falsifyall the his
tory Of our revolution, and bring dishonor upon
the master spirits of its thrilling and eyentful
scenes. The right of secession must be main,
tained-it is the last, the only hope Of the
| South. Let US maintain it with unanimity, and
we can hold in check the spirit of abolition and
consolidation. But if we yield it, the whole
theory Of our fcderative system is changed,
and We are in the power Of those whose mercy
;r El-a tbot of the wolf IN the lamb. VIC