Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-08-17
Ritbnlpll0 Enquirer,
WEDNESDAY
MIR HIYes, Letter.
By TYLER, WISE d. ALLEGRO.

ever, inNolfe Nyu''N
to our own position, were We to publish ts
letter without comment or explanation.
II will be remembered that in 4 previous cd
;toria, we called attention 10 the vote given by
Mr.. Riyes in favor of the resolution Of the
VIRGINIA Convention in 1913, Ly which 1t
,,os lec,,rol utb,, they would, under no po-
Utica, necessity. support either for the presi-
,1s,ov ar v;cc Presidency, any person who
shou rot ho tLc firm and ayowcL opponent OF
,,u ,,or ~ doctrine which in any way inter
,.;.h t,,o RIGHTS or fine citizens Of any
st,,, to nossess and enioy all their property
:, NM. T.,.riiorv which mtv he acquired by
tho ,In;o, ,s gnrr compIe,eiy and securely
,s citizens Of any other State shall ENJOY
t,,.;rs"
Th;s we naturally regarded as = rclu-
-, . any candidate plcdgcd 10 sup
49,, a., doctrine Of Souatter Sovereignty
w. ,o,o.,,;,c,v called attention to it-not for
49, n.ruoc. ;n1;cotea NV our correspondent,
.;,,ar &c .onvictinp him Of Inconsistency or Of
...,.o,j,n ii. ;rancnce. uur purpose was Il
chow. ,s, That Mr.. RivyS was supporting
NJ D,nuIas not because of the Squatter GOV
oroi,rt,. views Of the latter, but in spite o!
,h.,u ond We desired TO offer strong evil
iencc of the utter letestation in which this
souatter Sovereignty doctrine was held by the
Virginia Democracy, even y years since We
did, indeed, regard the position 0! Mi. fiHeS
in ls+s, Us inconsistent with his posl'l'n III
1860. With the record, and that alone oeiote
us, we were constrained to believe, that MI
Rives, in common with the resi- oil the irG'h'a
Democracy, was unwilling, IN 1915, 10 support
any candidate known to be committed to the
Squatter Sovereignty hercSy and that MI
Riyes' subsequent support Of Gen. CaSS WAS
based upon the assumption SO constantly urged
in that canvass, thai the Nicholson letter was
not intended to declare the constitutional rlsh'
Of L Territorial Legislature to aool'sA slavery
but only to insist on the right OF the people OIL
Territory, when assembled Ill Convention IL
form a State Constitution, by The terms OIL 't'a'
Constitution to become 4 S'avcholdlng State Oh
non.slavehoidIhS stare, H. 10 '''e'" NAY s'
best.
1t now appears lroul Mr. lives eAplal'at'o''
LIST. That he considered in 1878 the Nicholson
letter as pledginS It's author 70 ''iiS u'cs'"s
now termed squatter sovereignty. IND. lha''
then as now, Mr.. Rives repudlated Tins ialsc
doctrine. 3rd. Nevertheless, that air. Raves
was willing to support IL Presidential Cand''
date pledged TO that doctrine, provided suci
candidate should not advocate the actual ere'
else of Territorial Legislation tor the injury "'
abolition OF slave property.
We freely admit that tins explanation a'
solves Mr.. Rircs from the charge o. 'nco''"'S'
sufficient to convict oil 'nconS'S'ehc! e'tl'ef 'l'
senior editor OF the Enquirer, MI Johh AI
Patton, Mr.. James y. Seldom MT hooer' "
Scott Or the Democracy oil Virginia seherahS
or specially. That Mr.. Rlvcs himself did tote
rate squatter sovereignty in the manner above
mentioned. SIC believe now fully aud implicitly
because it is yu,lchrd 10 us on his vs. earnes
assertion.
But the position is entirely too anomalous
rs well as too fine spun in its distinctions eve
to have won the general consent Of any lars'
body OF men:
awe utterly reno1nce The doctrine Oh lh'
constitutional power OF q Territorial LcSiSia
turc to injure slave property in the Territories
| We regard the doctrine as 50 unjust and Sc
| dangerous that we will never support u candi
| date who advocates its I~ractica! exercise. Not
! understanding which. we will consent to sup
port 4 Presidential Candidate who, although HI
does not favor its practical exercise, ncrerthe
less. asserts the constitutionalily Of this power
and thus enables others to execute unconstitu
t;onal arcrcssions en- slave property"
We assert in full confidence that the Drlnoc
racv Of Virginia never did commit themsclve
TO 50 strange q position. Wca are only SURPRISED
that u statesman of Mr.. Rives' known intelli
ooncc and natriotisrn should have fallen into q,
error Of Indictment 50 very palpable.
The ]nosition 10 which the Don. ncracy q
yireipia did commit themselves in 1873, VA
far morc tcnab,e. and strictly in accorlane
with Tho doctrine advocated to-day by the SUI
ror,ers Of Brcckinridgc and tame. It may u
stated ~ follows:
1--WE utterly o,posc, il, theory and in rrac
tice. the doctrine winch asserts the power Of
Territorial LEGISLATURE TO aboiisl, slavery. "
vii, snnnort no candidate nlcdued to sucl.
d,,corous and unconstitutional doctrine. eitl,e
i, tboorv or in practice, We support Levi
r,,, cur prosi1srt hecous,. wc are we'll Is
s,rol that th,. Nicholson letter never was il,
,o,.,o,, 70 occor, orv such her,sr-.b,.i ONLY f
;,s;s, On tbs tr,a constitutional doctrine whic,
.,t,,or;,,s IN. n.onlc If , Territory when y.
~, ,;ou ,o farm , Stat. ronv,;