Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-11-23
The lIovement in Alabama,

I The Movement In Alabama.
! The following editorial article, taken from
the Auburn (Ala) Sketch Book" is especial
! " significant since we are enabled to trace
through all its peculiar and powerful eloquenc
the welI.known handiwork OF one of the ables
and most infuentia! of all the popular Leaders
of the State Of Alabama:
/ THE cRISIs--orK POSITION AND PROGRAMME
! The Presidential election Of 1860 is a thing
of the past PARTIES" which a week ago
were cumpactly arrayed and fcrcely warriDe
upon each other, have fallen to pieces like ropes
Of sand There is no future for them save ir
the calendar OF rctribution. Their follies anc
crimes cease to awaken any interest in the po
, puiar mind. They arc as dead as the waste
leaves which Autumn is strewing in our paths
! Their organizations, heroes, orators and chief
tainS, all lie among the political slain, beneath
the rubbish Of blasted hopes of vain profes
sions, Of vaunted strength and prowess, Of idle
promises, Of eulogy, cXaggeraton, slander and
vituperation To-day there arc no parties ir
Alabama! All eyes are concentrated upor
one huge portcntous shadow, which lies like
Il pail upon the horizon All hearts throt
with one absorbing emotion OF stern necessity
which 'denounccS" the eternal "separation' o.
these States upon the cntablature Of whose
Union, patriotic Hope had inscribed, Esto Per
pctuu! The glowing prophecy Of the past
fades like a rainbow from our stormy sky, and
the harvest Of bloody revolution waves for the
iron sickles of the stern reapcrs Of war. A
long train Of abuses and usurpatons, pursuing
invariably the samos object evinces ! design
on the part Of our pcrtidious Northern conied.
crates TO reduce US under absolute despot.
ism : and, like our revolutionary fathers, we
hold it our" right and our duty to throw OF
the chains Of our degrading alliances and Of
that Government which has now passed into
the hands of our enemies and to provide new
guards for" our future security"
Friends Of Constitutional Union we al.
ways have been and are, but that dream van
shes in the gloom Of Lincoln's election. We
should vainly invoke from the Northern hills
the mighty genius of Constitutional Liberty
Despair EFFORTS from our lips the cry of Lib
erty or DEATH" Fanaticism has plunged its
red-hot dagger into the very spine of our man.
hood: and We should be dead indeed not to
rise up and hurl the monster into the hell OF
revolution, which is his home.
What right have we that has not been viola
ted? Our hearts arc aInting with the excess
of our endurance. Shame EFFORTS utterances
of grief that we have so long delayed to Crap
pie with the foe, who, presuming upon our for.
bcarancc, now dares to press us TO the earth.-
But we are now arouSed We sleep no more,
while the "black and bituminous' flood from
the Abolition volcano rolls resistleSsly on, sur
mounting all obligations alike Of law, con-
science, comfy and common blood!
We harh right to expect that the Con.
stitution, which ordained the Union, would be
respected By our co.States Of the North
Nearly al! OF them have openly nullihed 1t, and
made the assertion of the masters claim to
his fugitive slave. ! crime, according to their
laws!
We hai fright to expect that our pro
Derty" would have been respected and held in.
violate by them Shameless theft Of our
slaves and the underground railroad" have
shown how vainly we trusted them.
We had fright to peace" and security
in our possessions. Angry contention has been
visited upon us instead-furious agitation
through our whole history
We had right" to expect our Northern
brethren" to respect our honor They have
pcrSstently thrown contempt upon US as vile
Shareholders!
We had right" to our good name, fame
and character" rs Christian brethren, and
citizens in equal social and political relations
These false brethren have slandered us as
brutal and ungod!y. polygamous and Polyphe-
mean monsters, and made the car Of Europe
ache with the ceaseless iteration Of lying
stores Of our cruelty and crimes. Whatever
character We have rs Il civilized people, We
have in spite Of their sanderous vociteratlons
and malignant inventions.
We had right to the respect Of oil man.
kind, as the sons, brothers, husbands and Ia
thers Of the purcst women on earth. The IN
ternal Devil himself inspired these painted ny
pocritcs 10 deny and denounce the virtue OF
our wives. oar mothers, and our daughters =
CIutching at our throats with sharpened dag
gers in their hands, thirsting to make our blood
"thc Falcrnian of their revels," they plant the
heel of their mad, malignant lanatlcism upon the
snowy bosom and sunny throw Of blue.eyed
beauty"
We had fright to our lves--to enjoy
them pcace(ully--at our boards, and to rest Sc
curcly in our beds. These sanity, benevolent,
puritanical brothers of ours, sacrcdly sworn in
the Constitution to the maintenance Of "do-
meslc tranquility" ''the common defence, "
''the general welfare" and 1.-The blessings OF
liberty" have armed servile hands with the
bowl Of 7,nison for our boards-the incendiary
ioych and pike, for our houses and throatS; and
stimulated them to hc!ish rape and plunder
and murder Midnight raids and midnight
ravages and rarishments nre the scenes in
which they delight to contemplate us
We had fright" not only to these "bless-
ings Of liberty in these confcderatcd States
but as common and equal partners in the ter.
ritorial property Of the Union, we had a
fright to 20 into the territories peacefully
with orr property" and form "new States
and be admitted into this Union on terms OF
perfect equality. Fanaticsm has encamped
around every territory with Sharpes rifles,
and emisratcd its wide Awakes" to fortfy it
against our quiet and peaceable settlement
We have no right which has not been de-
MED us--no element Of character or happiness
which has not been outraged-no virtue which
has not been vindctlycly traduced. We have
been patient!
Now the sectional clans Of our enemies, led
on by Seward, have forced upon us Mr. Lin
coin, as President-openly declaring an "irre.
pressibc conflict between their fanatcism and
our rights Of property, peace, and union-up'
on a Platform which proclaims the negro our
coual, by the Constitution and "thc maintain
annce" n of that "principle" as essential to the
preservation of our Republican institutions" "
and ''dcnyins the authority of Congress, of a
Territorial Legislature, or of any individuals to
give legal exstance to slavery in any Territory
or the United States y
Thus pursued by the iiends Of fanaticissm!'
slandcred, warred upon insultcd, outraged, IN
our peace, property, good name, lives, by day
and by night, in the States and Territories
We say, say reluctantly, slowly, sorrowiully-
open your Governmental gates, loosen the
bond OF Confederation and let US 60 in peace.
They arrogantly, de,crminate y reply, The
UNION of the States must and shall be pre-
served" Innocent, aggressing upon nobody
pa.ient, pcace-loving, We only ask to be permit
to dcpart in peace! This right is also
denied US
Now, then, we say, the time has come for us