Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-07-13
from the Chris.iansburg (va.) star and i!cIaldl
To the Citizens OF the Twelfth electoral
district OF Cirnfui1.

= vi
Having been ilunorcd rs one of vOur repre-
sentatiYcs in the la;e Democratic Conventions,
and having witnessed the secession of portion
of that body at Charleston and 4 further dis.
ruption Of it at Baltimore and not having
Joined in tho secession nj either place. | feel il
due both 10 you and myself, TO state The rea-
sons that influenced my action.
In my judgment any effort, then oc now, to
break down OF render inefficient, the national
Democratic party, is equivalent 10 IN effort to
dissolve the Union: for il is nOw the only re-
manning national party, possessing vitality and
power in all parts of the Union. Break this
down and there will remain no other than mere
sectional organizations, divided, net upon pin
ciplcs, but by geographical lincS-ihc North
against the South and the South against the
North. In such Il contest the South, being
the weaker party, would Of course be defeated.
What then: The Southern disrnionistS say
the election Of i Black Republican to the Pre-.
sidencY will nF itself he sufficient cause for a
dissolution Of the UGiOn and;E such an event,
they will attempt il. say attempt it; for he
kuuwS but little 0! the history al nations, and
less Of the motives 81 human conduct and the
power OF human passions, who 10" Il mdmcnt
i~,naginrs that il can he accomplished pcaceablr.
Nay, who dos not know that the attempt will
be the sigEai FOR the commencement Of the most
disastrous civil war that has ever yrt carsed
any nation: IL will DC attended in the lIordcr
States especially will. universal dcsola;icn. strife
and biue'!Si,ad and prophetic vision alone can
tell with certainty hnw II will cnd-pcrhapS in
universal anarchy perhaps in one grand con-
solldatcl military ~despo,ism; poxxi5iy in the
attrmute,! diSun;GT itSc,L. i;ut j; will he a dis
union that will need no surveyors CHAIN and
compass 20 mark the ling. 1t will lc sufficient
IL pointed on: br its vacant tlrrn houses, its
pillagcd Ecli-, Is hundred battle grounds, and
by the S;nukir. ruins of her burned cities.
whose fires I;ay: been quenche;l in tie blood
Of her SOUS. Bat whatever its cni nav be-.
one thing =; certain. he sun o. human freedom
will have gone dowli ii hlo,ed. And ii.a brunt
of this c~onti.cs mli~t he hn-Hc by Virginia
and the other border States. whilst
those gentlemen from the cotton States,
who arc so determined to drive iS to
this catastrophe, rail sit securely in their
homes far from .IlvSc scenes Of turmoil
and strife. Not only is the tendency 81 things
TO disunion, but | ,nosi certainly believe that
is the real object Of 4 large EGm&cr Of
them. For Mr.. ianccy their .:"aI leader and
masicr.spirit, in his letter to Col. Slaughter two
years ago, avowed It to be his purpose, by Z
movement, TO P1tcipitate tie cot
ton STATES into Rer0lutioa." But it seems nc is
about 10 accomplish more than he then pur-
posed; for rot only is he about to '~'prccipi-
the cotton States into Revolutions" but he
likely to drag Virginia and the other border
States along with him in his schemes Of