Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-01-18

Glntic, from the too great facility which would
cXisti Oycr;hrowlns the Government The rlg!;
to Seccdc should rather be regarded as IneanS
oil giving It perpetuty; as the acknowledged ex-
istrncc Of such right would operate 10 restrain
the conduct Of INA jDritics and oulcIaS. SeceS-
sion would never bc rcsortrd 10 for slight and
insufficient causes, nor until alter long course
OF iurbtaIa.cc Nothing is more difficult
:han TO bring about revolution or change
%! government. Take, liz iilustra!ic!i, the ca
lamity which i; npw impending over us. 10:
thirty years some Gf the evils complained oi
by the South, have been existing, and haze
been increasing in magnitude, until they have
eliminated from abuse Of the mos! rancorous
kind, in Congress and out OF Congress, in the
pulpit and out o. tie pulpit, N Short every
wl!ere, and in every conceivable shape, into a
systematic sectional form and orrrruling crgan.
iZation. In the meantime, the Southern pco-
pie have reasoned cxp"sluialcd and protested.
So did they in tho days preceding the rcrolu.
tiGn, but their expostulaIiohs had quite as well
not h:ve been uttered. So, in these latter
days; IN 1886, remember TO have received,
through the Governor of the State of Virginia,
Il series U: resolutions. which had been adopt.
cd by tho Legislature, addressed TO the Northern
States, compianing of wrongs perpctrated to-
wards her and her sisters Of the South by pco-
PIE Of those States. presented them, in due
time. TO the Senate; but, although those rcsolu-
tions elnaaatc,! from II State that had never in
flictcd Intentional wrong On any CO State. and
which had laid down an empire as rich OF.
frring on the altar Of Union, they were wholly
iisTcgardcd. So far froui arrrsting the evils
complained OF, those evils have been continual.
L. Ii, Stutn pl
The South are not only denounced in the most
opprobriouS terms, but participation in the bcne.
fits of the cornIion territories arc denied her and
them, and the TOwlo-be.rcgardcd as author
itativc declaration is Numbered in their ears,
that an irrcpresSble conflict exists between
the free and the slave States, which can only
bc quictcd 10y making ull free, Or all slave.
Can the bonds Of that Union be so easily bro
ken which have stood such assaults for so
many years ? OH no. there is no danger that
any State will too promptly assert ito rig hts
! and liberties, and privileges The danger is
the other way-tlc failure promptly TO vindi'
cate them may lead 20 their loss forever In
short, which Is mos: 10 be desired, 4 govern
mcnL liable to no peaceful change under the
control of an abi,rary and dcspotic sectional
maj jority, which proposes to accomplish, by an
act Of Congress, what others accomplish by
tic sword or one held in check by All efficient
popular veto, The lover Of justice and
liberty can have no difficulty in deciding. Nor
is there the least force in the arguments drawn
from the case Of the secession Ola State recently
acquired, either by purchase or conquest. II
Texas, for example, seeks admission into the
Union, she docs 50 10 crjoy the blessings Of its
liberty in security, upon al equal footing with
the original States. \ few years only clapsc, and,
instead Of equality, she finds herself, by sec.
tional majority, trampled upon, and in place Of
enjoying the equal privileges which lead her to
desire annexation, she is put under ban along
with the entire section TO which she belongs.
Ii she seeded sin.iy, the Government; might
possibly insist upon all enumeration for out
lays and expenditures but, III justice, that
would bc all that should be done. Let the
Southern States be treated as they were for the
first half century ol the existence OF the Union,
aud. Imy lie upoa it, there would Ee no seccs-
sion or talk Of secession nay, let the mnJcrl'
iy section furnish now sufficient guarantees
guarantees rendered more urgently necessary,
by reason Of the out.Spokcn words Of the lead
crs, and the danger which threatens our insii-
tuliuus will pass away, and brighter AID
more proo;tIous sun than VIC have yet seen
will sh:ur aho:e the horizon. 10 deay such
::ulrantccS may sci. very we'll 10 Advance the
wickcGIy amiliUus purposes Of political llber.
tines but aug;r 10 all others Of Us nnught but
the dccpcS. we:. What then are the conSc.
Gucnces resulting from the act Of secession
;.:st, to tie seeding States secondly, 10 the
remaining Sta;eS ard tho Government
l. Most assuredly it would DC better that The
full adjustment cl all the responsibilities to
which each mclnbvr cf The political partner
ship l., liable, as vel! as alI The rights and in
tcrc,ts Of each resulting thcrelrom should lie
adjusted, prior TO the act Of separation. No
State can justly avoid the assumption Of its
portion ot the public debt, or Of its fair share
Of all the responsibilities which have been con-
,rac;cd by ti.r Government during its continu-
ance IL the Union; while, on the other hand
It's title 20 It's fair share in the public property,
in whatever it may consist, would be equally
cca: but As this cannot be done in the pre-.
scgt state Of public opinion, the State can do
no more than express lis readiness fairly and
honestly to act up 10 all its obligations. Tie
act Of Withdrawal rc.inrcsts it with ali the
puwcrs which it conferred on tic agent. Gov
rrnmcnt restores 20 it ali the grants of land
made hy itself for public purposes; in word,
clothes It with all the powers and attributes
and rights % sovereignty which can attach 10
4 sovereign ard independent power. Its trade
and comucrcc arc under its exclusive control,
and revenues collected in its ports nre subject
TO It's own orders.
How would the remaining members and the
Government itself br affected? il tho union Of
States under Il political compact may be likcn-
I'd to tina, Of Il mercantile partnership, the
question would readily enough be answered.
The withdrawal Of II single member would
break ~ the concern, and cSil for settlement
Of all its affairs i; the remaining members
chCse To continue tEe business, it would be as
4 new firm, although they might still preserve
the oryina! mime Tie dissolution of the OLD
firm would Lc quite as complete, although its
re establishment would not be So difficult, by
tic withdrawal Of one member, as if dissolved
hy united Consent II it undertook 10 con-
tract in the lra,ne q! the old partnership, its
ctfJrts would he ul TO avail; if it drew check
on any bank, the check would not be honored.
In wGr.!, the functions Of the association
would have cnlircly-cxcept SO far as would be
necessary to wind up the concern-ceased 10
exist I'y parity Ct reasoning, similar re-
suits would tra@spirc in regard TO the compact
of Union. Suand rolicv would dictate to the
remaining States ati Immediate reconstruction
Of the Government. This might be done by
tacit consent, or by more formal action, and
Ouly a moment Of time might e!hpsc bc-
tween the dissolution ni tue old, and
the re establishment Of the rev, advan.
cling from tie secession Of one member
TO tlia; Of al. the members Of an entire section,
ard slii advancing tu tiI. secession Or with
Grawal Of an additional number, until only one
or two remained attached to the old oricr of
things, the results would be precisely the same
in legal point Of view. The clse finds its
illustration pot inap;ly, III the establishment
Of the Constitution uTGe: which, thus far, we
a. the States that haze not yet seeded, by
iacii cu:isvi,t, si:icc the Withdrawal OF South
C:.:ol!na agree STILL 10 live. In that case this
Constitution was adopted by eleven States,
willie North Carolina and Rhode Island reject.
ed it, and chung to the old articles Of confcdera-
tior; which had been declared perpetual IN
plain and unni$takahlc characters upon its