Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-07-20
He Has Never Retracred.

that Mr. Everett did, in the year 53., approve.
endorse and assist the passage Of series Of Sc
ven resolutions, asserting respectively us fol
| fows
1st. The constitutional power of Congress
to abolish slavery and the buying and selling
of slaves in the District of Columbia.
2nd. That Congress ought to abolish slavery
in the District of Columbia.
3rd That Congress ought to prohibit the
buying and selling Of slaves in the District
4th The constitutional power of Congress
to abolish slavery in the territories Of the
Union.
). That no new State should he admitted
into the Union with Constitution permitting
the institution Of slavery.
G. The Constitutional power Of Congress to
prohibit the selling Of Il slave from one slave
| State into another.
T. The duty Of Congress t" exercise a" ell
force this last mentioned power.
Failing in dircctneSs or sntliciency Of argr;-
ment whcrcwith to counlerbalance this damug
ing admission, the "Whig' makes 4 faint al
tempt at the argumentum ad homi"snn. Our
neighbor twits lis with having supported Gov.
Lctcher, who, several years before, had uttered
emancipationist sentiments. We reply, that
we vigorously opposed the nomination Of John
Ictchcr because Of the very objection to his re-
cord cited by the "Whis." After that ncm,
nation was made We supported his election
lst Because he had gEcANrED, AND REHorS.
cED, his Objectionable opinions Of some years
before.
2nd. Because we believed that his defeat
would only serve to strengthen the hands Of a
set Of politicians intent on elevating to the high
est Offices Of the confederacy, just sornc such
anti slavery partisanS as John Bell and Edward
Everett.
A few weeks sufficed to demonstrate the rn-
tire propriety Of our decision, for the Wing y
and its partisans haStened to place Alr. Letch-
er's opponent on platform expressly endors-
ing all the odous Aboltionist "principles y Of
the Compromise Of 1850.
Evidently conscious that the at h"minem
touch has no backbone, the "Whig" next at
tempts to prove a total recantation on the
part Of Mr.. Everett. See hoT speciously tie
plea is advanced.
His (Everett's) cardinal and emphatic pub
lie endorsement of the compromise o! $50, the
main feature Of which looked to the admission
Of future States into the Union, with or with
out slavery, as the people Of the territory might
determine, in forming their State constitutions
shows conclusivcy that Mr.. Everett is aS sound
and reliable rs any man in the land, in regard
to the constitutional rights Of the South.
Here is pretty piece of logic-viz: iint L.
f., having publicly pledged hin>elfto SEVEN No.
otionist hcrcSicS-and the SaInr L. f., .i!ariIi.
since publicly retractet ONE Of the said abolition
ist heresieS ;-ery0 the said +. +. lis az sound
and reliable as any man iii the land, i'll regard
to the constitutional rights OF the South! ~
Unfortunately, too, it 50 happeI':, that MIR.
Everett has never yet made even tine ""r re-
traction credited 10 his account by the ''Whig.
For, be it remembered, that John Bell, of Ten
nessee, as we'll as the majority Of his party,
have persistently denied that the compromise
of 1853 "looked to the admission nf inture
States into the Union, with or without slavery
as the people Of the territory might deter
mine" Nor has Mr.. Everett ever expressed
dissent to the position maintained by his as
Sociate OIL the present Opposition ticket
1t matters not what courtesieS or compi-
ments may have been extended to Mr. Ever
EFT, through the magnanimity of Mr.. Breckn-
ridge, or any other distinguished Democrat,
the fact is patent, that Mr.. Everett has never
vet rctracted one iota Of the aboltioniSt avow-
ais uttered by him in 1850
And the last form Of retraction which will
ever be acceptable to Southern men, must con-
sst in an emphatic public endorsement oi
the abolition Of the purchase and sale Of slaves
in the District Of Columbia, the lorcibc elnan.
cipation of slaves in the Same District and the
exclusion of slave property from California by
an act of Congress, to hurry all unorEanized
mob into the Union, under 4 frre-Soi! Consti'
tuition, dictated by the military authority Of the
Federal Government all of which acts are com
pretended in that compromise Of 1880 50 clIl-
phatically endorsed by Mr. Everett.
Instead, then, Of retracting, Mr.. Everett sim
ply reiterated his erroneous opinions vi lS39,
when he enphatically endorsed the compro-
mise of lS5U The "Whis" must try again.
--A-ce-I- -
Virginia Democratic Stntc Convention.
1t has already been announced that the De.
mocratic Executive Committee have called 4
Convention Of the Democracy Of the State tc
be held at Charlottesville, on the 10th Of !Au
gust.
The object is to counsel together, in the pre-
sent distracted state Of our iarty affairs, anC
take action to secure, ifpossi!e, the unity and
harmony of our party in the State.
In this object we cordially sympathlze
Whatever discord reigns elsewhere whatever
differences of opinion exist here, let US maintain
the dignity, the strength, the efficiency Of thI
Virginia Democracy. We should greatly have
preferred that an accommodation should be ef
iected otherwise than through convention
We have all been brought, by painful expe
riences to fear conventions. But without dis
cussing the advantages of other and less hazard
orls modes, it only remains to give the ono
proposed q fair trial, and to hope for the best.
We trust, therefore, that the Democrats o
the respective counties, whether Of Douglas O.
breckenridge preferences, will meet and sene
their wisest and most dispassionate men to th'
proposed family consultation at Charlottesville
The propositions for union ticket can be Their
considered and discussed And We do ferventl,
hope that something will there be agreed upor
that will save the State from such feuds as hav
sunk New York into contempt
Weare sorry to see it so confidently asserted
that the friends Of Mr.. Douglas propose to hol'
nxeparate Convention. Can be possible that i
is thus determined to cut loose from their party
associates and form new and distinct organza
ton! We appeal to them to think we'll OF this
"Thc beginning Of strife is as the letting out
waters The stream is small and gentle a
first, but it wears away its outlet and it deepen'
and widens until it becomes roaring, dcVasta
ting torrent. If we are thus to have rival organ
;y,tiors II reor;res hut a very small amount