Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-12-07
ANNUAL MESSAuE
OF TUE
psEslnrNT OF THE UNITED SiA'1o'
r ~. r;y;--ux ot' the Shdle

',,' ..,.,...;,i interests. The general health
Lns h,.,.n excellent; our harSestS nave oseh
.IN,,J,,,t .Il and plenty smiles throughout the
I..,; nnr commerce and manufactures nave
,''' k, prosecuted with energy and industry,
:,,ay, welded fair and ample returns. In
"n' s'. .' -, nation in the tide Of time has ever
~ = <pectace Of greater material pros
.i,., ve have done until within very
ieceut .rio'i
,c,s;vc)v prevails, and the Union OF the States,
which is the source Of al these blessings IS
,br,atvnc! with destruction lhe lonE-con'
timed aud Incorporate interference OF the
Vo-ihcr:. people with the subject OF slavery
:, ;h.. Southern States has at length p,odaced
re natural effects The different sections OF
,bn l',,;nn are now arrayed against each nlhc''
md the i'm. has arrived, so much dreaded: by
thc Father Of his Country, when hostile geo.
crap!ic,i parties have been formed | nave
lon, I.reScen and often iorewarneu my coutl'
.rymru oi the now impending danger 4nls
;ir. not procced solely from the claim on the
,,sr, rf Con sresS or the Territorial Legislatures
- exclude slavery from the Territories, nor
;rom IL. Efforts OF different States 10 defeat the
sx...,,icn nf the i,,gitiveslave law. All or any
u; ;5-se evils might have been endured by the
S,a;il without danger to the Union, laS others
have been,) in the hope that time and relec|'on
might apply re,nrdy. The inmcd'atc peril
arises not so much from these causes as from
the fact ;ia; The inceSsant and violent asta'lot'
or the slavery question throughout the N"'th
,,r t,,. last quarter Of century, has Ht length
prodrcl It's malgn influence nn Tie slaves
and INSURED them with vague notions OF Tree
dom. lirice Il Sclisc Of security no longer eA-
is.s around the family altar. This feeling OF
peace at nome has given place to apprehcliSionS
OF srrvi!e insurreclion. Many matron through
ou; the South rctireS Al night IN dread OF "li''t
u,ay br,all herself and her children before the
morning. Should this apprehension OF dolheS,
tic danger, whether real or imaginary. extend
an,; Intensity itself until it shall pervade the
masses of the Southern people, then d'Sunion
will bcro,ne inevitable Selfprcserration Is
the first Law ol nature, and has been implant-
-, j., he heart Of nan by his Creator Tor the
..s.,,. purpose; and 10 political union, however
t,a,.:i.t with blessings and benefits IN ali other
,.Sprc,S, cau long continue, if the necessary
consequence be to render the homes and the
tirrsil, Is Of nearly half the parties to 1t hahl
tu:.liy aud hcpeleSSly insecure. Sooner or later
the bonds of such Union must DC severed
Ii is my conviction that this fatal period has
40, vc. arrived; and my prayer to God is that
lie would preserve the Constitution and The
Cnion throughout all generations.
But ii us take warning in time, and remove
IN. cs,Sc of danger 1t cannot be denied that,
for five and twenty years, the agitation at the
North against slavery in the South has been
inccssan,. In 1895 pictorial hand'bi!l>, and in
tam,natory appeals, were circulated extensive
" throughout the South, Of a character TO en-
cite the PASSIONS Of the slaves; and, in the lam
-rlagr o, General Jackson, ITO stimulate them
Ia ii,<urrccton, and produce all the horrors OF
a servil. war" This agitation has ever since
been continued by Tic public press, by the
proceedings OF State and county conventions
ans! bv abolition sermons and lectures Ihe
time of Congress has been occupied in violent
Specr!e> on this never-endng subject; and ap-
pcalS in pamphlet and other forms endorsed
by distinguished names, have been sent forth
from this central point, and spread broadcast
over the Unoin.
How easy would it be for the American reo.
pie to settle the slavery question forever, and
to restore peace and harmony to this distracted
country.
They, and they alone. can do il. All that is
necessary to accomplish the object, and all loI
which the slave States have el:r coGtended, is
to be let alone, and permitted to manage their
domestic institutions in their own way. Us
sovereign States. they. and they alone, are re-
SponSibc before God and the world for the
slavery existing among them. For this, the
people Of the North are not more responsible
and nave no more right to interfere, than with
similar institutions in Russia or in Brazil
t?Cu their good sense and patriotic fnrbcar-
a!.cc confess ! still greatly rely Without
their aid, it is beyond the power Of any prcsi-
ictt. no matter what may he his own political
gruciiv!.!cS, to restore peacea and harmony among
The States. Wisely limited and restrained is
is his power, under our Constitution and laws,
he alone can accomplish but little, for good or
ior evil, on such moncntouS question.
And this brings me to observe that the elcc-
l"n Of any one OF our fellow-citizcnS to the
office Of President does not Of itself afford just
caa.r for diSsolving the Union. This is more
especially true If his election has been effected
10y u mere plurality, and not 4 majority, Of the
people and has resulted from transient and
temporary causes, which may probably never
again occur. III order to justify n resort to
revolutionary resistance, the Federal Govern.
ment must be gnilty Of "a deliberate, palpable,
and dangerous exercise" of powers not granted
by the Constitution. The late Presidential
election, however, has been held in strict con.
. rtorn,ity with Its express provisions. How,
f.hcn, can the result justify revolution 10
destroy this very Constitution Reason, JUS
ticr, regard for the Constitution. all require
that We Sha! wait for some overt and danger.
ouS act on the part Of the President elect
hrorv reSorting to such remedy.
II is said however, that the antecedents Of
o. oe frcSiden. elect have been sufficient TO
10 justify tho fears of the South that
nc Will attempt to invade their consttu-
t'o''! rights. tui are such apprehensons Of
contingent danger i'll the future sufficient 10
justify the Immediate destruction of the nobl,st
system OF government ever devised hy NOR
taiS From the very nature of his Office, and
ITS high responsibilities, he must necessarily TIC
conservative. The stern duty of administer.
mg the vast and complicated concerns of this
Government affords in itself guarantee that
nc Will not attempt any violation Of clear
constitutional right. After all he is no more
liza" Tue ch'ct executive officer of the Govern
hieh1' tiis province is not to make but n nv.
ccutc the laws and ii is Il re,narkahl, r,c, -
our history, that, notwithstanding the rcnr.,,I
efforts of the antislavery party, no s,u,.lc .,ct
has ever passed Congress, unless we,u,S ,,o".;
bly, except the Missouri Compromise, inna;r.
ing 10 the slightest degree, the rights Of tho
South to their property in slaves. And it NAV
also &c observed, judging from present nciic,.
tons. that no probability exists Of the passage
Of such an act, BY a majority of both Houses,
either in the present or the next Congress
Sarcly, under these circumstances, we onsht
'"bc restrained from present action by the
IFeceit Of Him who spake as never man spoke;
l:."' @ efficient unto the day Is the evil there
o. The day Of evil may never come, unless
We Snail rashly bring it upon ourselves
lt Is alleged as one cause for immediate Sc
eeSSinn That the Southern States are denied
equal rights with the other States in the COM
mo" Territories. But by what authority are
These denied Not by Congress, which has
never passed, and believe never will pass any
Ac' 10 exclude slavery from these Territories;
snS;, aho certainly not by the Supreme Court,
"u'c!i has solcmnly decided that. slaves are