Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-03-09

our readers attention. Eds.
For tie EnYaircr
We have fallen upon strange times and
dangerous and significant Incidents are trans
piring around us. If a peculiar people had a
temple in which it WAS their privilege and
custom to worship, according to the dictates Of
their reason and their conscience, 9fter tie
manher of MciryIthcrS, and any claiming this
heritage, should attempt to strike down or
weaken one of the main central pillars Of tins
ediicc, at time when the grand structure was'
recling to and fro. under the rage Of the
howlins storm, he would be considered mad,
or al apostate, or ut the best an unwi$c, de-
structve counsellor. Well, the grand Temple
Of ollr liberties, based upon constitutional pro
visions, is now placed in this very attitude
its pillars are the Constitution-loving men. and
abolition fanaticism is the raging storm that
threatens to ovcrturn and demolSh the fabric.
In this state Of things should any among us
attempt to diminish or weaken one of these
pillars, particularly one whose strength and
noble proportions serve TO break the force Oi
the angry tempest? Reason answers no--com,
mon discretion answers no-patriotsm answers
no--trllth answers no. with increasing empha-
sis.
These considerations are induced by the
tenor of an editorial in the "Virginia Scntl.
ncl," Of the 7th February, in which the Editor
mycighS, with hot determination, against one
Of the declarations Of Mr.. Wise, in his late
speech before the members of the Eirg gin:l
Legislature; the substance of which is that il
there had been another invasion such rs that
at Iarpcr's Ferry, he would have sum.
moned an Increased force to the field and pur-
sued the nurdcrerS and marauderS in their
! flight even to Canada, and would not have
stopped short Of Chatham, in Canada West |;
Which declaration received rencr3d aM pro-.
! LOngsL applause lie would have gone to the
end of the underground railroad, which has;
been engaged in spiriting away Southern prop
elty for years past. This is what moraiiStS
call striking at the root Of the evil " and what
the doctors Of medicine call ''pr0bng the w0un'!
To the bone" or "suiting the remedy TO The
/ disease" Chatham, in Canada West accord
ing to the Report OF the Joint Committee OF
the General Assembly, is the vcritable place
! where John Brown and his cnuspiratorS nSSrill-
blcd to concoct and mature their vile plans OF
, invasion, "and formed what purported to be Il
! Constitution for Il Provisional Government.
which was to hc substituted for the flIndalncn-
tai law Of Virginia, when it should have been
subrcrlcd." This is Chatham, in Canada
! West, and well might it have awakened tile
special wrath Of Yirgnias Governor.
shall deal with The proposition very sum.
| narily. The editor of the "Nirginia Sentinel
| have the pleasure Of knowing Hand have re-
spect for his talents admiration for his virtues,
confidence in his patriotism, and acquicScencc
! for his general reasoning and argument; but
! Hticr rgm0HstFuHcc against his present i'osi'
| tioa lie says before such 4 step can bc taken
we must first unite our hands." Would not
second invasion, under the circumstances,
have "unticd our hands, at least for the time
and occasion, and justified l. border State III
u,kins active and efficient resistance even Ia
the utter destruction Of the bloody aS>ailants
Mr. Wise did not Sar he would have i"vadct!
sister States, bat would haze marched across
! the line through the Western Reserve of Ohio
/ in pursuit Of robbers and assassins. The cdi
tor has conloundcd Il charge Oh outlaws, traitors
and murdercrS with the pursuit OF fugitive
slaves" across the line The cases are widely
! dlIercnt-the one involves theft the other 4
! rrcyio,ls tywgedY II in the midst Of one scene
! Of blood and horror another is repeated. wha;
! is TO bc done. The Federal arm is invoked III
| yain--it has no power to preserve the peace be.
tween States, to shield dcfcnccless sctizcns-sucl
is the response, at least, and doubtless was the
conscientious opinion Of the venerable EXeCu-
tive Invasion after invasion is to be repeated,
and the assailants are TO gather confidence and
strength from inpunity. plain, fair state
| ncrt Of the proposition strips olf its thin so
| p!,istry, and shows its untenable character
! One band Of iuccnd:ary invaders comes to cur
homes and hearthS, and perpctrateS murder and
rapinc. spreading CONSERVATION among inno
cent women and helpless children. As justice
has it. they are successfully resisted, and
brought under the penalty due their crimes.
Another and another raid follows with incrcas.
ng excitement and disaster; and, witnessing
the gathering horrors, our old fathers and mo-
| thcrS, sisters, little brothers, wives and little
children, pale and sick, with terror, shricking
fnr iclivcrancc while the armed population OF
the State stand still in their tracks, thus III
viting renewed aggression upon their homes and
family allars. The plot thickens; the hordeS
of EtnalciSm come down upon us like GothS
and vandals the pike eight Feet long, the
knife the torch. the poison pitt into scrvle
hands, il they would receive thcn We call TO
the Federal Government to stop this mad career
| Of deSoation, and 10 the disconsoate answer
comes back, No provision in the Constitution
or laws Of the United States, which would atl-
thorize me to take steps for this purpose - -
| Would not all the hands o(frecmen be '"nite'L:"
The States from which these lorays Proceed not
! intcrposing, the Federal Government not inter-
| posing, would not civil war have actually be-
gun =. Let the editor humane and allectionatc
as lie IS look into the sanctuary ol hls owD
home. and answer, whether he will wait Tor the
| murderer to bring sword and torch there, or
aid in driving him to "Chatham, in Canada,
West, or to utter destruction, or turthery-
The South can never be attracted to such a
| doctrine" Virginia is asked to make the case
her own This is the trueSt test Of all human
action. Suppose Virginia to allow guerrilla
bands to organize within her jurisdiction, Or
even to pilsS through her sovereignty from the
State of North Carolina to invade Pennsylva-
MIA, and murder her women and children, dis
poll her citizens seize her public property, and
incitc Il portion Of her population to rebellion
and carnage, and any vile exercise Of passion,
and PENNSYLVANIA comes down upon Virginia
with vengeance. Should We not "nwn the
Judgment jllst.' And if we presumed 10 cry
to lIcaycIi for rescue, would not the pollution
Of our own voices stic us:
Tic line which divides States is as sacred as
State sovereignty can make it; but repeated
injustice, crime, murder, outrage have no So
vcreignty. Upon the recognized common la"
principle in reference to individuals, no State
can larea right 10 exercise her sovereignty so
rs to ininrc or do injustice 10 another In the
ease before us sci-preservation becomes the
law Of necessity, and necessity creates equity
Submission TO wrong docs not preserve peace
Lord Coke says, The greatest enemies to
peace are force and wrong" Can man with
due consideration and sincerity talk about tho
invioIabilitv Of territorial divisions when the
highest rights have been iniringcd rnthtemty
and all the guarantees and sanctitics of written
constitutions and coinpactS been overleaped
and lespiscd? In law, mans dwelling is his
castle, hs sanctuary Of invoabl;ty. But ii lie
go out from his castle to depredatc, rob and
murder, his crime destroys all cxelnptlon-ho
closet, no domestic sanctuary can limit MS p'ir-