Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-01-22
VID w. WHITEHURST.
For the Standard.
EDITOR OF TIE STANDARD 4:

EDITOR OF TIE STANDARD:
find in the report made in your paper, of the,
remarks | submitted to the Senate on Friday last
the following sentence -: In the course of his (my)
remarks he said that Mr.. Crittcndens plan would
not be acceptable to the South" which does not
clearly state the case as made it. What | stated
was, in substance that could not see how Mr.. Crit
tenden's propositions were to be incorporated into
the Constitution, inasmuch it required the con-
Of thrceourhs of the States to effect that
object. That three fourthS of thirty three States
were twenty-five, leaving eight States only with the
constitutional power of rejection. | called the at
tenton of the Senate to the fact that the Senator
from Richmond had told us that six Southern SEN
ators in Congress had refused to accept them, and
from the known hostility Of the five New England
and other Northern States, in my view, | could not
see the smallest hook to hang hope upon that
they would ever be adopted a part of the Con-
sttution. That all North of sc deg, 30 min, by
MIR. Crlttendens plan, was to be freeSoil, and as
much South of that line the abOlitionists could
get And that was afraid, that although it would
be the duty Of the federal government to protect
slavery in that part of our territory, yet with Mr..
Lincoln and the abolition party in possession of that
government and from the effect produced on the
Northern mind by Mr. Douglas squatter sovereign
ty doctrines the STAKEHOLDER would be crushed out,
and thus the whole of the territories wrest
ed from the Southern people
But a far more important point alluded to in my
remarks, the imminent danger of a collision be-
tween the federal and seeding State authorities
and by collision, the utter Illustration of any and
all plans of adjustment between the two sections.
The oath of the President of the United States,
compelling him to execute the federal laws and the
State ordinances compelling State authorities
SiSt their execution would necessarily produce
hostile collision. I pom that point | could not be
mistaken, and called the attention of the Senate to
the set Of resolutions introduced by myself few
days ago, inStructing Senators, and requesting
our representatives in Congress, to use all their
power and influence in procuring temporary SuS-
pension of the federal laws in the seeded States
the only way could conceive of to prevent blood
shed, and enable the people to pause take view of
the ground and settle their differences by amend
ment of the Constitution acceptable 10 all sections.
That inasmuch this plan night not be adopted by
the present Congress- urged upon the Senate the
call Of Convention at the earliest period o. time,
in order that North Carolina mi ht be placed in po
sition with her sister Southern States to resist
common enemy. And | believe now that this is
the turning point in the fate OF the republic Should
the present Congress adjourn the fourth of March
next, leaving Force Bill, the Army and the Navy
in the hands of abraham Lincoln, with the laws as
they now on the statute book, will be in
evtable In the midst of the clash of arms what
will become Of Mr.. Crittendcn's or any body clSeS
plan for adjustment? The entire South will be ar
rayed in against the North, preventing forever
a settlement and the re union Of the States To
energy of every man, North and South who hopes
to preserve the Union, should be directed to the
point, viz: the temporary suspension of the
federal laws, or to some other plan by which q COL
lision may he postponed.
NATTL H. STREET