Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-01-23
DAVID W. WHITEHURST.
For the Standard.
EDITOR OF TIE STANDARD:

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.. Crittcnden's plan would
not be acceptable to the South, which does not
clearly state the as made it. What I stated
was, in substance that could not sec how Mr.. Crit
tendens propositions were to be incorporated into
the Constitution, inasmuch as it required the
Of threeourths 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
tention of the Senate to the fact that the Senator
from Richmond had told us that six Southern Sem
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 as a part Of the Con-
stitution That all North of 36 deg, 30 min, by
Mr. Cr'ttenden's plan, was to be freesoil, and as
much South of that line as tine abotionists 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 common territories wrest
ed from the Southern people.
But a far more important point alluded to in my
remarks, was 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 to
sSt their execution would necessarily produce
hostile collision. Upon 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 our Senators, and requesting
representatives in Congress, to 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 to all sections.
That inasmuch as 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 might be placed in po-
sition with her sister Southern States to resist a
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 are on the statute book war will be in
evitable. In the midst of the clash of arms, what
will become of Mr.. Crittenden's or any body ese's
plan for adjustment? The entire South will he ar
rayed in against the North, preventing forever
settlement and the re union of the States. To
prevent this if possible, the earnest attention and
energy Of every man, North and South, who hopes
to preserve the Union, should be directed to the
ono point viz the temporary suspension of the
federal laws or to some other plan by which COL
lision may lie postponed.
NATITL. II. STREET