Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-09-25

Loud Applause.
We do not desire, at the South, diSI!nidn ;
7 know Of but few advocates, at the South, Of
this measure. | can point to hundreds Of dis
tinruished Northern men who are far in advance
of any men at the South upon the question OF
d~isunion. know, in the Northern States, men
who want a higher law" who want a different
Constitution, who want another Bib'e-ayc,
and who, in religion, even call for another Jc-
sus Christ Laughter and applause. Dis
union, per Sc, exists in that region. | know OF
no disunion, per SC, at the South. The humble
individual who addresses you tonight has
probably been more denounced as a disunioniSt
than almost any other man in the Union. |
tell you, gentlemen, my disunionism consists
in this: | stand by the Constitution. intend
that the provisions Of that Constitution, which
| look upon as the shield of the South in this
Union, shall be carried out and enforced. II
that Constitution is taken away from the South
in this Union, and the South is then to remain
in the Union, I consider that We would then
have no rights, for we would then be placed at
the feet of q dominant sectional. abolition ma
jority. Applause.
A Voice.-Well stand by you.
Mr.. Yancey.-l say, then, that the South
stands by the Constitution, as a shield in this
Union. When that shield shall be taken from
their breasts by a dominant sectional majority,
who seek to reduce this Government to the
will of I mere majority, for its own sectional
nurposes-who intend to make lis hcwers oil
wood and drawers of water-we intend to take
that Constitution with us; and, gentlemen, lin
itating the mighty example of George Wash
ingtun, if there is no other place where we can
erect and keep this Constitution, We will take
the banner Of liberty and plant it on the noun
tains of Augusta, and there we will c~ntrench
ourselves as a body Of freclncn. Applause.I
But, as said to yon, we hope that day is
far distant from Us, and that none Of US may
live 10 see its dawn. |, so help Inc God, will
consider that TO be an evil hour when this
Government shall be so rent by factions that
the charter OF our liberties shall be tr0dden
under foot, and the compact Of our fathers dis.
regarded by their degenerate sons. 1t would
be indeed an evil hour, but We are compelled
to look it in the face. 4 large party, NUM-
boring in itself now, it is said, a plurality, if
not . majority, Of the people in this country,
banded together with 4 discipline such as no
other party has, having hopes which no other
party has, led by men of eminent ability, with
| Abraham Lincoln its candidate, with Seward
its chief statesman and chief advocate, who
FROM Maine to the ~(nrtllrSt frontier Of civiIiza-
ton, proclains 4 wal, an ''irreprcSSlblc war, y
! upon the institutions Of one. half of this Union:
who proclaims, gentlemen, that tho manner in
which he intcrprcts the Constitution is that it
Shall give freedom to everything in human
shape upon the face Of the earth; who pro-
claims, gentlemen, therefore, that this Cnnsti-
tuition, which is based upon a recognition Of
negroes us IN inferior race, that is based upon
the recognition Of property in slaves, that is
based upon its recognition as a State ir<titu.
ton, based upon its recognition as property,
which requires that property To be delivered mp
by the hostile States into which it NAV become
fugitivc-that this Constitution is to he utterly
disregarled by him, and only his wild, insane,
revolutionary, and inccn1iary notions arc the
interpretations to be placed upon the Constitu-
ton by this new government, if elevated 10
power.
Suppose that party gets into power; suppose
another John Brown raid takes place in 4 from
tier State; suppose "Sharpc's rifles and pixies
and bowie knives, and all the other implements
of warfare are brought to bear upon an ~inolcll-
sive, peaceful and unfortunate people, and that
Lincoln or Seward is in the presidential chair.
where will then be 4 force Of United States
marines to check that band: Suppose that is
the casa-that the frontiers Of the country will
be lighad up by flames of midnight arson, as
it is in Texas; that towns are burned; that the
peace Of our families is disturbed; that poison
is found secreted throughout the whole coun.
try in immense quantities.; that men are found
~prowliag about in our land distributing that
poison in order that it may he placed in our
springs and our wells; with arms and a%lnlnuni.
ton placed in the hands Of this Semi-harbarouS
people, what will be our fate. Where vii. tie the
United States MarShals to interfere: Where
will be the dread of this General Government
that exists under this present administration :
Where will be the fear of Federal officers, Of 4
United States army 10 intimidate or prevent
such movements Why, gentlemen, il Texas
is now in flames, and the peace Of Virginia i,
invaded now under this administration and
under the present aspect of affairs, tell me
| what it will be when a higher law" govern
mcnt reigns in the city Of Washington? Where
| then will be our peace, where will be our safe.
ty, when these people are instigatcd to insur-
| r~ection; when men arc providing about through
out this wh>le country, knowing that they are
| protected b. an administration which says that
by the Constitution freedom is guaranteed to
every individual on the face Of the earth -
Can you cyoect any people of spirit or courage,
true to themselves, true TO their tircSides, true
to their own families-can you expect such a
people, I say, to give up all regard for the Con-
s~titution, permit it to he trampled under foot,
to acknowledge this higher law government,
to give it their ~assent-can You expect, | say,
any brave and heroic people thus to be untrue
to their families and their tireSides, and to the
great principles Of eternal freedom and self.
preservation?
A voicc-Eevcr, never.
We will preserve those rights ard those
who would tail to rise in their defence arc de-
serving Of he execralion and contempt, not
Of all mankind only, but Of every Republican
who would place this government over lis. We
would deserve to he pitched out Of this land
into the SCI, ard drowned in the surf that
| breaks upon its shores. We would deserve
that there should be no further propagation Of
such Il race OF towards. We will remember
that Washington, the greatest rebel the world
cxcr produced, led the way in defence Of the
great principle Of frccdom-in defence Of those
institutions upon which our Government is
based, and under which il has so long prosper.
ed as 4 natiGn.
| say to ycu, then, that though We dcprcca,e
disunion, VIC will have the Union Of our fathers.
It has been said that the South has aygrcSscl
Upon the North. When md where has nv
people ever asgrcsscd upon the people of any
other section: When and where has any
Southern Statesman proposed Il wrong to be
done to the West, the Northwest, the East, or
the Northeast:
\. voice--Nevcr.
Mr.. Yancey. Never. History will proclaim
it. This age proc!aims it. Our enemies will
proclaim it by their silence when We defy them
to answer the question.
Ours, then. is 4 position Of defence within
the limits of the Constitution. We uphold its
banner. We intend to defend It's principles
We ask only equal rights in our common Gov
eminent. We ask protection for these rights
in our common Government. Nothing more.
and, so help me God, we will submit to nothing
less. Applause.
Now, my fellow. citizens, do not intend to