Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-05-03
The Transparent Lie,

The dimsy cloak under which the Northern
press and people attempt to veil the iniqui,ous
war which has been proclaimed against US,
deceires nobody, not even the most credulous
in their own section. To say that this war of
determination and sutjugation Of the South,
is to protect the late National Flag, the Stars
and Stripes, is miserable hypocrisy, which
will be thrown aside as too bald and contc,np.
tible to impose on anybody. How do they
propose to fight for the dags The black.
hearted New York Tribune answers by hold
ing out to the lnercenaries Of the North the
hope of dividing among them the lands of the
South. Is it lighting for common country
and common Rag to engage deliberately in a
war, the end and object Of which is to subju.
gate an unwilling people to the power and do.
m:uion Of ha.ad e--' l. u :.sys,13;nent -
Is is-< iorc for the South. as part GI COM
mon country, which induces them TO reyel, in
their bcastly imagnations, over pictures Of
ssrrile insurrection, rapine and raviShmen, of
Southern homes? What is it that stimulates
them 10 the work Of blood and desolationi Is
it TO restore the principles for which the Amer
lean revolution was fought! especially the
great principle Of this right Of self:government.
Have they not utterly abandoned the doctrine
Of Republican liberty-that every free people
have, by nature, the right to govern them
selves: All this bombast and Buncolnbe
about tie flag Of nur country" is the nerest
clap trap to stimulate an ignorant and deluded
people to take up the unholy weapons OF civil
war. The real cause of the prescn! fury Of
the North is, the impending ruin Of their com.
merce and manufactures. la the oss Of the
South, they see the handwriting on the
wall, which :,ronounces, with unerring
truth the dowclall of its greatness and
glory. The picture which the historian
Nacaulsv, drew Of traveller in after
ages sitting upon broken arch of London
Bridge and surveying the deserted ruins OF
what Was onco the mighty and wealthy city Of
London, bids fair TO be realized on this CONT
nent as to the great commercial cities Of the
North. As the change in the currents Of trade
and travel depopulated the city Of PsilnyTa,
The proud Queen Of the East, and gaTc up its
palaces to the wild dogs and hooting owls, so
the mighty revolution Of the South will turn
away from the Northern seaports the rich cur
rents Of trade which have built them up, and
reduce New York aud Boston 10 the condition
Of deserted 6Shing towns 1t is the prospective
loss Of wealth and greatness which has driven
these yankees crazy with rage and drunk with
hatred. 1t is. therefore, war, not Of priuc
pie, as they falsely pretend, but war waged
purely for the most selfish motives which e7er
took possession of people. 1t is not within
the recorded annals oi the world that any war
waged on such low and mrIcensry grounds
ever commanded the sympathy Of mankind
The mask oi flinsy pretence, OF love of coun-
try and patriotism, will be torn Of by an indig
nan. world, and the universal specuating and
sef:secking yankee nation will stand exposed
before the nations as being az selfish and ner-
ceaary in its wars as it is in its diplomacy and
is peaceful relations with the world
No longc: able to appropriate Southern labor
by its arts and its diplomacy, it seeks to hold it
by force. Pure, unadalterated yankee selfish
n:ss is the motive which now prompts the
North. Its talk about patriotism and the flag
Of on. country, is ss miserable specimen Of
yankee pinchbeck jewelry as was ever manu-.
iacturcd in that nation Of humbugs