Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-10-23
, Northern Idea and Southern Safety
rho Comm. Collision between the
- z,.J Sauf

1t Is already DcCCulllIS e'ioS''| lt r,
press of the Black Republican party. IN ine
Northern and Central States is carrying tnlS
Confederation &c the very verge oil . ieartu!
abyss, from which only the most sasaclous
wisdom and the purcst patriotism can save IT,
Everywhere in tho South the fires OF resist
ance are already beginning to burn. Among
the people a general feeling of apprehension Is
spreading, and the authorities and Corporations
Of the the several Southern States arc already
taking the initiative steps Of action. 1t must not
be supposed that public men in the South, IN
announcing their adhesion to the idea OF re-
~sistancc to Northern aggression and dlctatlon,
are stirring the Southern people up to \ point
to which they advance unwll!lnsl.F. fuhiic
men do not often lead public sentiment ;
they follow it, and reflect the tone and opinions
of those around them, ana in whose name
they assume To speak. We must accept IRON
the facts we already have in view the logical
deduction that follows from them; in so doing
we will admit the conclusion that the general
sentiment of the Southern people is strongly
in support Of the rigniiicant acts OF Their
representative mcn. Hence the isolated and
unconnected events which are occurring
in different Southern localities must be read
in a broad and comprehensive spirit, in
order to grasp their true meaning and portent.
We published yesterday the proclamation Of
L.Gov. Gist of South Carolina, calling together
the Legislature Of that State for the purpose Of
clccting Presidential electors, md providing, if
advisable, for the safety Of the State. The Le-
u%islaturc Of Alabama provided. some time since,
for the contingency Of the election Of 4 Sec
tional President, by authorizing the Governor
to call a State Convention Immediately on the
election of Il Black Republican President be.
coming known; and there is now every pros
pcct that that Convention will DC in session
during the coming month. Governor Lctctcr,
Of Virginia, has called an extraordinary srS-
sion OF the Legislature Of that State, oStenSI-
DIV to take into consideration the question OF
the James River Improvement; but 1t Is well
known that this call has been Tor some time
delayed in order to cover at the same time the
possible contingency of Linculn'S election. In
Arkansas, too, the Governor has issued L pro-
clamation to put the militia OF the State into m
effective condition, in view OF the scope which
Northern anti-slavcry agitation has taken. Nor
is it alone on the part OF the public authorities
that action is being taken. Corporations OF
private interests are beginning to feel the alarm
and the people themselves are moving. Tic
State Bank Of North Carolina, for instance, has
determined to suspend discounlinG until the
future shall be more developed; the Governor
Of Mississippi, in reply to an invitation to Il
mass meeting in that State. refers, III strong
terms, To The abolition sentiment ni the North,
and the feasibility OF establishing nUn'intcr-
course commercially; and in many places in
the South the young men arc organizing them.
selves rs Minute Men, to hold themselves ut
the orders OF the Governors of their respective
States.
These are alarming symptoms Of the temper
ofthe times, which no wise or prudent man viii
set aside with contempt, or even with lnatlcn-
ton. 1t is Il feeling which springs naturally
from the one great fact that no one can ignore.
The Black Republican political organization is
founded on one idea, from which its whole tie
yclopcmcnt proceeds; and this -, that slavery
is an evil and 4 crime" Politicians may Ills
claim any intent to do anything more than 10
exclude slavery from the territories; public lead
crs may deny any wish to mako war upon the
inatitution in the States and law.ahidIng rHen
NAV proclaim that they will act only within the
terms and power III the constitution; hat
these are professions which, can he "I 10 avail,
for they are 1T war with the one a!l-prcvading
idea that undrrlirs them. The natural and 10.
gical Development Of that idea makes the full
tilmcnt Of these Impressions Impossible. II
slavery must be excluded from the Territories
because it is AZ cvi! and 4 crime, the same rca-
SOUS will apply to its exclusion from the States.
If the moral sentiment OF men must make war
upon il in one place, i. mu.t do 50 IN II! i%'IaccS.
Time and place make no excuse for pal!iatil!g
war against Il moral evil Or u s0cia! crime. II
it is right ut one time and in enc place. il is
right in all. This is the only logical result "i
the Black Republican creed, and 10 this il must
come ut last. Leaders may wish 10 delay or
hide this result from the Soutii, and from the
conservative men Of the North, but the SSH is
futile. Popular maniaS always throw :s;Ar
leaders who would restrain or guide thci!. a:nt
al rucn know that constitutions; ami laws arr
feeble Instruments, and easily wrcs;cd tn any
purpose when iauaticiSm sits at tle helm.
The South hold, and hold rishtlulir, t(iat tie
institution Of domestic Servitulc for the Arr
CAL race among them, is neither an evil nor l.
crime. The great problem is, hos shall four
millions Of an inferior race of men remain in So
cictv, best Tor their happiness, f"r the good Of
the community Of which tliry form 4 part, and
for the interests OF civilization 1t large? What
shall be their social and political status? 1t is
admitted everywhere, either theoretically or
practically, that they are '"t equal in social
capacity TO the white race. and they arc denied
social equality, except by a few enthusiasts and
impractical theorists. Wherever these have
ruled, and the African has ircn admitted tn 50.
cial equality with the white man, society has
been lowered in It's standard, and the moral and
religious impulses Of our nature have been out
RACED and degraded. Experience has widely
demonstrated that in political capacity they are
FAR inferior 10 the white race, and wherever
they have obtained political rule their govern
mcnt has hccn nothing but y ridiculous parody
on that of the white man. Hence the South
has accented the solution of the srca; problem
Of government for this inferior race, in the pre-
S~eryation of the institution Of domestic scrvItudc
tor the four millions Of Africans who are in
their midst, who cannot he destroyed nor yet
DISPLACED without destroying the whole fabric
of Southern society, with all its vast Interests
and possessions, and constructing t anew.
The Black Republican idea that slavery is
an evil and n crime" aims at this destruction
by any, even violent, causes. Ii 1t sho'ild sue.
coed in its object, the evil would react 10 an
unreasonable extent upon Northern interests,
and the very attempt must produce, as 1t Is
producing, resistance III se!i-dc!cncc III the
S,uth. Nor can this resistance iail to produce
the most disastrous results upon Northern
trade and industry. We need not cite the vast
and sympathetic qualifications oi production
and trade between us; they arc known to cv-
cry one. We will adjucc but one interest
The slave labor Of the South produces more
than four million bales Of cotton, the shipment
val,rc of which amounts TO over two hundred
millions Of dollars. This forms The very life
and soul Of cur vast exchange operations with
the whole Of Europe. Take 1t away, or turn
it into another chunncl. anil VIC shall have a
commercial r~evulsiou that will involve every
mill and shipyard in New England, every mine
and forge in Pennsylvania, and every industrial:
and commercial interest in the Northern and
Central States, in irrctrIer"blc ruin. New
York, the commercial metropolis OF the whole
country, knows and feels this, and hence It's
almost unanimous condemnation of the EiacE
~ 49, al &c tho ilnu tl,ot fnrt,.