Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-12-07

hers. When that amity, which is generally
found to exist even between nations foreign 70
each other, ceases TO exist between coniedcrn-
tod States: when those comitics, which cnlight-
ened nations delight to extend TO each other,
are refused TO sister States by members oil =
f~raternal contcderacy when sectional STRIFE
and elimination usurp the place Of charity and
kindness in the hearts OF Il conicdcrated
neoplc when hatred and defamation mark
aall the relations between ncighbors and part
ncrs, then separation becomes not only
the natural and rightful, but the inevitable re-
sort. The States of the South, having the
rirht to secede, not only from the very nature
of a federal compact, but by express reser'a-
ton on the part Of some Of them Mt the time
of entering the Confederncy, are, IN live or SIX
instances, preparing to sccedc from their Union
with partncr States which have converted Inc
legislative branch Of the Federal Government
into a mere theatre for agltatInS the slavery
uuestion-lntO 4 roStruTn from winch 10 pour
f,rlh over the world dcnunciatlonS and caluin-
mics against their social institutions ra'T'cN
ucnrv onc Of the wiscst amongst the founders
nr free institutions in this country, feared anu
,rcdicrel their overthrow by the agency OF The
Federal Government. If he could have lore
scrn the use which one section Of the Conlcd-
urlrv NOuItl HIN VI llIS W" 20
for assailing the othcr-cnpluying entire scs-
sious, to the neglect of nearly all other bust
ness. in the work of Notwithstanding large
snms of the public money in the publication Of
,nccndiary debates, and burdening the public
mails i'm distributing thousands Of ilIliammatory
snecchcs over the land, until the mere fact OF
the meeting Of Congress is felt by Il whole
section Is Il public calalnity-hc would not
nnly lave resisted the establishment Of the
Federal Government As he did, but he would
have defeated it at the cost Of prccipitating the
country into Il second revolution, before thc
echoes of the first had died away.
Tie great danger Of the present crisis con-
Sists in the fact that in our country all political
action is by popular movement, and all popular
movements, during periods of angry excite
mert, are, from the nature OF things, ultra and
extreme. The difficulty Of accommodating the
differences Of the two sections, while the pres
ent aninositics continue, is, therefore, almost
inSurmountablc. The election Of Mr.. Lincoln
is the result Of the ultra and violent popular
feeling Of the North against the South. lie
was nominated on account of the supposed
rancor Of his hostility TO slavery. He was the
choice Of men who 'lcnouncc that institution
rs the sum OF ali villainieI." His most active
tlIt wv ssATl'i hNi' WIZ NiN iAi$Ai iA1
signed their approval Of the vulgar calumnics
aud truculent appeals Of the Helper book
Among his most Jealous supporters were the
fanatics who apol!Icu>izc John Brown. Ninety
per cent of the Northern voters. in the recent
election, denied 10 the South the right Of con-
stitu;ioiml protection to slave property in the
public territories, but Mr.. Lincoln obtained
vastly more votes than all ether candidates,
{ C..,, l.. f,.t tI,I. -, -.,, - H.. -, r-., ,t
of declaring for the complete exclusion Of the
South from all TIM territories Of the Union.
Il is vain to protest now that he himself is Il
conservative man. Elected by Il powerful, H..
~natical, unrcaSOninS, reckless party, he is not
the master Of his own actions their will must
be his his policy theirs. Whatever Mr.. Lin.
coin may be i'll reality, or may DC asserted to
he, he was elected by the Northern MASSES rs
an ultra, extreme anti slavery man, Il bitter
opponent Of the South. Their language to the
Southern people was: Here is Il man who
iurinusly hates slavery, and bitterly hates you
he hates as &c hate therefore VIC elect him 10
be- Your President, and mean to sac that you
submit Ia his rule" Such is the extreme TEN
per Of the Northern anti-Slavcry party.
The South is now, in turn, about to asSIImc
her position. Her action lnulst be taken, as Il
matter Of course, hy popular movement; and,
rs such movements, in times of excitement,
are never conservative, her position will, Of
course, whca taken. be As extreme rs that of
the North. The North has set the example of
doing without the South in the election Of 4
common President. The South is about All
swering this 10y allowing them to To ais" with
out her in tn. Union. The people acting in
mass will no: stop i'll 4 crisis 10 draw dIstInc-
lions and split hairs, but rush hradlong to rX-
trcnc CONCLUSIONS. The Southern peoples an
swer TO the North will br as demonstrates and
defiant, in one direction, aS the election Of Nr.
Lincoln, on the part of the North, was in the
other. If all tie Southern States shall llI; it
to popular vote, IN say wi!al shall be dorc in
the present crisis, the position OF pr"l'a!'lr
every one Of than will b. extreme. If Il few
Srccdc, and all -ilGrtS ut reconciliation fail. all
must sooner or later Sccedc. Virginia would
not. other borlc. States coull not, stand nett
tral between North and South.
For one, ain not for secession aS lOng as
any honorable effort can bc male Ia preserve
the Union on u Constitutional basis, guarantee.
ing equality, IuStGc and protection 10 the negro
property Of the S,utlI. | shall not undertake,
in this place, 10 plrticliarlzc all the measures
of reform and policy which should be incorpo'
rated into Il settlement Of the present dlllcr-
cnccS between the North and the South. !
cannot conceive how harmony can be pcrnrt.
ncntly secured as long rs Congress continues
to be made Il mere debating club for agitation
and inccndlary appeal. The acts of the several
Northern States, hulli(ying the fugitive slave
law, being sIhvcrS sc Of the Constitution, rlo-
lative of the plight:d faith Of confcdcratcS, and
in conflict with the comfy Of States, ought TO
bc repealed; ard an amendment In the ConSti-
tuition must forever prevent their re.cnactlncnt.
But even though the principles Of a settle.
mcnt Of the present troubles could be agreed
upon, there would be very great difficulty in
procuring their carry ratification b. the people
of the two sections. The Northern masses
cannot be brought 1t once To rcccde from the
extreme and aggressive positions they have
assumed towards tle South; while the South,
tired Of broken compromises, and smartlng
from rcpeatcd and revcr ending Insult, will be
slow and 10th to acccdc to new compactS.-
Moreover, every manifestation by the South Of
4 willingness to accept terms of reconciliation,
is ut once construed by the North into Il pr0cl
I of tirnidity, and made the "ccasiun Of new in
suit and injury.
believe, however, that the great material
interests Of the country demand 4 rcconcilia.
ton Of the sections, and the preservation Of the
Union; AMI rely much upon the slow, but
certain, the silent, mi. potential influence of
this great agency to bring abou; L settlement
of our present troubles. The main study ol
all should be to prevent any collision between
the sections, and most especially the shedding
of the first drop of blood, II w can bu, sue
coed in avcrting these calamitics. the great,
practical, business interests If the country
may, pcrcIancc, sooner or later, bring about a
Reconstruction of the Union aud Il restoration
uf harmony between the sections.
1t is earnestly to be hoped that these sreut
interests, aided by the disinlcrcSted prompt
ings of a sincere patriotism, may rise in their
power and will, potential authority require Of
| the fanaliciSln Of the North to abandon an
! agitation which must lead To certain md swift
| destruction. If this shall be done. who can