Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-12-14
For the Enquirer.
Haye the Southern States n Right TO Sc


The Abolitionists and their allies in the
Northern and Eastern States, have been en-
gagged for more than twenty years IN the most
cruel. unnatural and unholy warfare upon the
peace safety and property OF the Southern
States disturbing their reposc, and endanger,,
inc sometimes the lives Of their people, and
seeking. by all the means at their command, 70
destroy the tenure by which they hold the
most valuable portion Of their property
Tbtir preachers, presses and politicians have
babitually denounced the people Of the South
rs a nation of sinners, in the daily practice OF
;niouity. because of the existence Of African
slavery among them. Our slaves have been
excited to insurrection by the denunciatlon OF
their owners and the denial Of the title Of their
owners. Men have been instigated to invade
our soil and STAY our lcoplc, and their leader,
who, in conformity to law, expiated his crimes
upon the gallows, has been treated rs Il martyr
and honors paid to his memory. Our slaves
have been enticcd to abScond, and then iorc..
bly withheld from us, in violation OF all sound
morality, the county Of friendly States, and
the provisions of the Constitution, which were
designed to protect the rights and property OF
the South.
The equality Of the South in the Union has been
denied, and proclamation has been made that
the Territories, which are the common property
of all the States, shall be appropriated hereafter
exclusively to the use ola part Of them, and shall
never be enjoyed by the people Of the South
unless they renounce slavery; although the
largest and most valuable Territory, yet to
be settled, lies deep in the South, below the
parallel of latitude-and its occupation by an
anti-slavery population will be utterly incom,
patible with the safety Of the South. Until
finally, it has been announced. that the country
cannot exist half free and halt slave; that the
| conflict, therefore, between the friends and enc
| mics OF the institution Of slavery is irreprcSSl-
| BILE and must he continued until one or the other
| shall be exterlninatcd; and upon this platform
| of irrepressible and perpetual cnmity TO us ana
our institution, which is inSeparably connected
with our moral, social and political existence,
an obscene man has been elected to the PreSl'
dency, because, and only because, he has made
himself notorious by the avowal Of his en'nlty
to us, our rights and institutions, and is regard
ed as the author Of The maxim, that the conflict
| between slavery and its opponents, is irreprcss-
| ible. With the election Of this man to the
| Chief Executive office Of the Union, in which
he will be the Commander.in-chief Of the Army
and Navy, comes another proclamation from
the party which elected him, and their allies,
that they have the right and the power 10 com
| pei US, by force, to submit to any laws which
they may pass; and We know that they already
have the control Of the House Of Representa-
tives and will have undiSputcd control OF the
| Senate Us soon Us the elections, soon to occur,
shall be made in Pennsylvania and CALIFORNIA;
and when Kansas and Nebraska or either shall
be admitted into the Union, their power will
be still farther increased. Nay, thcysulrcady
have control of the Senate; for if the Senators
from South Carolina were in their seats the vote
of Douglas, our enemy, would decide every
thing, and of course. decide against Us. Hus
without the Senator's from Carolina. the power
is complete, without an appeal to the lesser
Lincolu, from Illinois.
For this war upon them, the Southern peo'
pie have given no provocation. The purilanl'
cal pretext for it, has been, and is, abhorrence
to African slavery as it exits in the Southern
States. But for this, lift were Il sin, instead
of q blessing, as it is, the Southern people are
to say the least, not moro culpaole than those
of the North, who participated most actively
ia introducing slaves into this country, ant
when they foundit MOI profitable 10 keep them
though no sin to import them, they sold VIVA,
they had to the Southern people; and the
Constitution acknowledges and guarantees oul
property in them.
Our institution Of slavery is not, therefore, S
provocation offered by us 10 the people OF the
North, and no other provocation Is pretended
for the South has never, al amy time, made
any attempt to interfere with the institutions
of the North, or to. deprive them Of their equa
riyhtsiu the Union; and therefore We speak
the truth only, when we say that the Soutl
has offered no provocation for this cruel ant
unnatural warfare upon her-this determine
ton to degrade tho South, then impoverish, !
not depopulate her, and finally, govern her Is
4 mere province.
This condition Of things has naturally ant
necessarily aroused and deeply excited the
Southern people. and calls upon them to say
deliberately and explicitly, how they will mse
it. Whether they will tamcly submit to it
and, in advance, consent to and invite the hu
niljatiogp, degradation, oppression and IN;
it. under the government which will exist OF
and after the 4th Of March next, Or will resis
and anticipate and prevent them.
In my opinion, honor, pride, patriotism, Tia
love we bear our wives and children, the duty
to protect them, and all the instincts of self
preservation, command US TO resist.
1t is said by some that the election of Lin
coin is not sufficient cause for resisting, ant
we must wait for an ouert act. But thisd doc
trine is, I submit, founded in q totul ,niscon
ception of the case and want Of just percep
ton of the concrete i'll which the election o
Lincoln presents, and Of the meaning Of thr
very thing which tho directors call for, TO wit
an overt act We do not complain that tn
people of the non .slavcholding States have, b,
their numerical superiority, elected a President
although it has bccen their pleasure to select
"Rail Splitter" for that high station, nor Shout,
we complain if they had elected u non.slave
holder who does not approve slavery, if the,
had selected one who is so far kind that he j
CAPABLE of being Just to Us, and will not violat
tho Constitution and his oath in order to do Il
injury. When we behold, however, 4 wnrfaT
of twenty years continuance, land more un
preccdcnted in modern times, among civil
lied nations, for its violence. maligniIy am
disregard Of social, moral and ~constitn
tional obligations, eliminating in the cleo
ton to the chief executive Office Of tn
nation of . man, who has eviuccd no fitness o
! qualification for it, and is unknown to fame b,
any net or speech which should commend him =
an example, or cntitle him to prcfer.ncnt, be
cause be has made himself notorious by tn
ayowal Of the most implacablc hatred TO Il
and our institutions, with Z denial to us Of an,
Constitutional protection. The man and al
thought of him are merged in the representa-
tive and two conclusions present themselve
in bold relief and with startling effect. Tn
first is that the spirit Of aggression has no
subsidized or abated, but has increased and be
come moro violent; and the second is that
controls the government and has tho power tt
execute its will and crafty its ms!ignity ant
has selected its leader with a view to the graft
6cation Of its hatred, and the contamination o
its purpose Of degrading and DISTINGUISHING tho
South. As the bravcst is always selected Il
lead a storming party, the wisest to counSe
and the most eloquent to speak, so the party
leader is chosen, net because he differs will
$1,000. 49, laaa,.ra La eaanI,rs nn1 cnnnIlr,