Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-20
WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR,

ask A. this ts and yet tbs number Of those who could
answer il correctly is much smaller than is generally
inagnei for it Is not the negro question nor the tariff
qlss.ion, nor the mere struggle for power that has
brought the North and the South face to face on the
battle feld These had all doubtless, their share IN pre-
eipiA;iag the corAc and in nersing its bitterness,
bat they dill MOI lie o. tho root Of it TneY were, at
best bat test questions upon which parties arayed her-
selves on Que or the other side Of great political theory,
upon the establishment or failure Of which the fate Of
Republican institutions depended True, Southern men
hlv. for loog time fe that the security OF their pro-
perry va, neuaeed BY the sw,irg tide Of abolition IA
natci,m; true, they were indignant st the systematic
spolation to which, through the tickery OF Federal
legislation their Northern ParrCrJ had subjected them
trus they Viewed With just ALARM the gradual decadarce
OF that political prsponderincs, in the Federal counc IS,
which alone of red any guaranty OF the stability of the
Constitutional Government their fathers had established,
AID which alone Induced them to endars With patience
the minor evils of petty Fo5bcry, and dAy contact With
Yankee vul garily, hypocrisy, impiety and cant But
sill they failed people TO perceive that the g'ieT'
ances they endured the natural fui; oil t-ise
principle, the establishment Of which they had Ptrhaps
unccnsciolsy conuived at Hsncs they met the ever
recurring aggressons of the North Ws protests against
her oppressive p1y Instead Of belly .resstng them
as invasioas Of The Constitutional compact Hence, st
each renewal Of the attack portion OF the Constitution
was compromised away until the vantage ground o. az
guuent was lost and with it the Peltcl prsponee arce
Of tie South and hence the necessity Of resort to the
ul!iaa ratio rsgisa So is it tina. there can be no
such thing as compromising principle but the srren
der of a part involves the Abandonment Of The whole.
Mr.. Sesard, through wrong in his appi;atiol was
right in point Of fact when he announced that there
was an irreprsss5e conflict between the North and the
South and il was unfortunate for the South that she did
no. realize i, sooner This coraet has been going
between the Statesmen of the country and the posciiuF
North ard South for forty years. it is goirg on now on
the plains Of Missouri and along the banks Of the Pc
tomAc and /, must contnue uat centrased power las
crushed out the liberties Of the North, aEd sdsrae
p5rer established free constitutional government at
the South For ha. the result which both aides
hghng for and which they will both certainly secure,
Il they are bu. true to the principles on which they have
begun the contest Plainly ard cCncisy stated Ill oi,r-
ence between the Northern and the Southern idea Of
the Government established by the Constitution Of the
Uuitei States was this The North affected TO believe,
and 6naly did actually believe that the ramsrs OF the
Constitution OF the United States established conso-
dated Reoubic, with centralized power, TO which th'
separate aes bore the relations Of provinces or d.
visions The States supposed 70 have made an en-
tire surrender 10 the dere general or central Gov
srnment Ct their sovereignty and even OF their i2d-
vduaily receiving il exchange from the es"dt govern
meat such limited powers necessary for the ccI
troll of their own domestic afAifs. Deriving hese pow
ers from the central government which was responsible
only TO the people of eli the Safes mdsss they we're
of course al all times subject to lis control In short,
the Northern idea that of pure democracy. The
Statesmen of the South held the other hand that the
several States we're sovereign and before they
became rartes 10 the Constitutional compact aud that
they never parted with their sovereignty aad udeDen-
denes; that the Constitution compact. bid
ing UPON the parties it only so long az its provisions
were faithfully observed BY all the parties 10 r. tia: the
Federal Government was mere agent, hcsding especial
power of Attorney, having authority to Go I ose
things specifically down in the power, and having no
authority TO do anything not specifically set down. and
Ike all other agents responsible directly to s principals,
Le several sates and wholly in their power ard under
their control. Toe North having succeeded by what
means IL is unnecessary to discuss here in obtaining
c,upete control Of tho Government aud having avowed
the purpose Of administering it in formiIy 10 its
theory as sketehed above the South withdrew from the
aion and established new Confedesacy based upon
the Southern idea OF Federal republic Il is to secure
the Independence Of this Confedsrsey that tie plpe Of
the SOath are now in arms and they are, therefore,
Sighting purely and simply to maintain the principle OF
STATE soVERnGSTr. Bui 1t may be asked, Why gravey
call public attention these pa,itudes and 8: this tine!
But il CERTAIN Mr.. Editor that the people Of The
South are 80 thoroughly instructed in political phoio-
ply and in the unwrstsn history Of the country, that
these ideas are plaliiuiss sor thcms Ard Il they b.
plAttudes they the less the very
OF the temple Of Southern liberty and hence they
not be too frequently presented for the contemplation Of
the Southern psOf' and especially at this tin,. Oar
nationality is In ia infancy and VII esope food
al to lis hsalhy development. The child Is father to
the man, and if We would see our Governnen. true in
is vigorous maturity to the principles whch gave il
life we must take care that it does not depart tcom hem
now For it "a not too much to say that, according as
Il or il not true to those principles viii our indePeud-
ence prove brilliant reality, miserable sham. Our
Government needs watching necessarily, for il is very
young and is pash is bese. with inuumerah, sn.res
and difficulties. Il is so easy to lose sight Of g'sst
truth amid multitude of De as and to justify dspar-
ture from il BY the plea Of oIp'dlency.
He then, is the trusss friend Of constitutional liberty
who most jealousy seru;iaizes the course OF hose to
whose haAds is establishment has been entrusted, and
to the performance of this duty every should lend
his best energies. Fortunately the task IS easy. We
have in the simple idea have enuncated, delicate
and certain test Of every that has been may
be proposed We are lighting for idea LET us nst
be Arid 70 follow out that idea to Its logical conclusions
be they What they may, and let do il now. live be.
gin right We shall always be right and esia,lish-
ing prscsdsnts svsry hour. i-f'. -
have been induced, Mr.. Editor 70 address you this
iacl