Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-06-11

CeSSlOn OF the SOutu "Ittout Il oH osSF' I"
will OF q Democracy, as unused to and as I'M
patient OF contradiction rs any Eastern mon
arch, was distinctly expressed. From ina
moment, Mr.. Seward and his fellows became
the most ~resolute and decided of men. They
brcathed nothing but var and slaughter, anc
occupied themselves, nfter an uneasy slumoeI
Of six weeks, with the most vigorous prepare
tons for a campaign in Maryland and Virginia
In all this there Is nothing to complain OF. 'Thf
voice Of the American people is the voice O
the deity who is worshipped under the form;
of the American Constitution, and we have M
right severely to ~criticise men who have shown
themselves ready to give effect to the popular
will as soon ms they have discovered what the
popular will is.
But VIC do think that his own experience
might teach Mr.. Seward n little more charity
and liberation for the doubts and difficulties o.
European statesmen. Let him remember ms
own uncertainties till within the last two or
three weeks, nor let him altogether forget that,
if we have not the same confidence that ne has
neither have we the advantage OF the same un
erring Mentor to guide us. The voice Of the
American people is, after oil, only the voice OF
q local divinity, whose oraclcs do not pass
current on this side of the Atlantic. Mr.. Sew
ard may believe and tremble; we are not dis
posed either to do the one or the other.
We have had occasion to point out The utter
inadcquacy, and even the ignorance OF the
real nature of the quarrel, which characterized
Mr., Stewards proposition for Cancellation, ano
we have remarked how precious time had been
allowed to steal by, the loss OF which can never
be compensated by efforts Of the most spasmod'
ic energy. We must entirely decline to recog'
nize in Mr.. Seward that gifted seer to whom
the future is rs the present, and who has the
power of informing US not only OF the event
of 4 civil WAT, between two Contederac'es
which may possibly SILVER to pieces IN the
very first moment OF direct impact, but who
can tell us, in language i'll suited to the pre-
100 dition Of his country, that in America
Bee Will be only one nation and one Govern
ment, the same republic and the same constr
t%utiopal Union that have already survived g
dozen national changes, and changes OF Gov
| eminent in almost every other country.
This is the message which, through ur. Day
ton, the American Secretary Of State sends to
the Government Of Franco message, If not
of defiance, certainly ono which sounds very
like an insult. What good purpose can be
served By reproducing France with a long and
tragical history of her revolution at the mo-
ment when America is about to plunge into a
civil war without one OF the excuses which
lend so thrilling an interest to the catastro.
Plies of Lyons, Toulon and La Vendee =
There rs no Duke of Brunswick on the from
tier; there is No Coblentz; there is 30 Pre-.
tender TO tho Crown-none of those things
which make men cruel By appealing to their
fears. At any rate, we have undergone no
violent change since the Declaration Of hide.
pcndencc, and have, therefore, on Mr.. Sew
ards principle, 4 right to give an opinion on
the subject on which he pronounceS so dog
matically. The opinion which We incline to
though. we confess, with the very greatest re-
gret-is that, whatever be the result Of the
civil war now pending. the result least likely
to occur is the one so confidently predicted by
Mr.. Seward. Let US grant that the South
will be conqucred-can tine vanquished States
be once more admitted to the enjoyment of
equal Federal rights? Is it conceived that
Mr.. Davis, for instance, or any Of the present
Southern leaders con again take their seats in
the Senate, to deliberate with the men of the
North on the common interests Of the Con-
federacy? Win the North ever submit again,
after the experience OF this year, to the gov
crnmcnt OF the Southern President? Will it
place the Army or the Treasury in the hands
Of q Southern Secretary, after the experience
ithas had Of Mr.. Floyd ard Mr.. Cobb? Will the
victors submit to be outvo:ed by the vanqu!sh-
cd? Is Mr.. Seward Of the opinion that the
institution Of slavery can survive the vicissi-
tudcs Of a bloody ard keenly contested war ?
Is he prepared to give tho four millions Of ne
grocs who would thus be e,nancipated e voice
equal to that Of The whites in the national
councils? Will that antipathy which now
burns so %ficrcclv, he allaycd BY the process Of
conquest and subjugation2 And, if all these
things are more than doubtful, what is it that
gives gr. Seward the confidence to say, at a
moment when the world stands aghast at the
horrible preparations Cor 8 civil, and probably
n serrile war, that the Government Of the
United States will stand hereafter, ms it has
hitherto, tho object Of human wondc. and If:
s--t:~"s
From The onGnn Times of Mav94