Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-08-20
rHE AMERICAN oRIsr CONSIDERED ABROAD,

|. From the Liverpool M'rcsry Ang md
Tho docIr Of Secession Is thrd iaslano. In which
Europe land the Nogh too m this easel holds vie Va con
rary 70 American though MOTTO Europesu dsss of gov
eminent Hero again, IL We would pursue truth and ar
rive at correct concluons American political questions
must be Judged BY American principles. A every one
knows tnoss principles were laid down three quarters Of
century age 10 the caration Of Independence and ev
ery year since that period this famous statement Of right
has been read 10 every city, town. and village of the Unop
sod has been proclaimed 10 the whole world amid Or.
ing Of guns pistols g. that I've hold thess truths to b
self evident-.hat an goyrn'nsnt Is derived from tie
consent of he governed and that his right Is inalisna
BE-" All this was fought for and secured.
Let US examine the case Is we'll able. Five
millions of people demand for som, cause or other the
right 90 clearly announced and oucs fought for Of gov
srnipr themselves l. 10 denied; but the diversity and
weakness of the reasons for the denial Affords clear proof
of the perple,y OF people conscious Of doing dishon
est thing One great statesman, for instance wishing 70
drink at the same moment AT the fountain and mouth
of the Nile" asks how the North give up the Gulf Of
Mexico to foreign Powers He would have the great
akes of the North and the great Gull Of the South and
vhy not the st. Lawrence and Amazon a. wells This
shat selfish view Of the case which supposes that al
other nations forever to be penned up In their pre-
sent limits while the States TO spread nvsr and Own
iimable territory. Another urges as 9 reason for war
the stolen" ior 10 forgetting that tho North reains
In forts custom houses mints and other public buildings,
the South on its own SOIL to say nothing Of the whole
United States navy now turned against thoss who have
helped TO build it.
Another cites the firing Of the fist gun BY the South
forgetting that that gun not fired until an armed
squadron left New York haibor after Mr.. Lucons eI
press declaration that he would collect the revenue In the
south and rstaks the forts arsenals &c. man does
not usually wait until the blow descends he see his en-
envy approaching him with raised budgeon; the approach
constitutes the attack. Besides, If the South were In
earnset In secession would have been folly to wait
Ill the whole navy had arrived from the Pacific and the
East to throttle them at their doors.
Another statement only DESTROYS OF showing 3D.
rope how strong Government republcanism may have,
and that 1t Is failure forgetting that the exercise Of
that power In suchA way simply depotism and proves
the failure and that war for Union implies In itse dis
snion -
But we pass by all this TO consider the point most
strongly urged by the Prsident namely a. to what would
happen the doctrine Of secession
q right. We answer, just that would happen last By
acknowledging the right of sel-govarnment. The last
logically implies the first. An attemp. made TO evade
this the North by saying that they the right
Of revolution-which is an absurdy, a. government
cannot allow or acknowledge what forbds besides, II
the revolution be overcome then the conqusredone
twenty millions the cost may be-are immedsty de-
MED the right Of sefgovernment. Thus we arrive at
tho same conclusion and the United States Government
ia attempting coercion, have clearly abandoned their
own principles.
Indeed, zoe might say that certain Northern States
mere the first sseedrs since many Of them enacted laws
making obedience United States laws penal offence.
This was partial secession; and II might have been sup
posed that the whole North would have been the party
desiring to seceds from the South since they have
long urged their desire to be disconnected from the
quilt of slavery" and the doctrine Of selfgovernment
and secession would have allowed them 10 obey these
dictates of conscience without bloodshed.
But Mr. Lincoln also claims TO protect, a. he terms
them, "the majority of Union men" in the Souh-a So
ci,ude which reminds strongly of that displayed by
the Emperor Of Austria towards the non Magyar popu-
aon OF Hungary except that in the latter case there
such population, but in the former there not to be
found in the South anything that could be termed
small minority Of Union men.
In fact this abandonment Of the fundamental idea on
the part of the North, upon which the whole Govern
ment was founded has thrown the ruling powers into in
extrcable confusion and given rise to all those anoma.
lies which so much surprise Europe. They term those
Who correspond precisely with their heroic ancestors
"rsbel" They call those 'pirdtss" who are carrying
out mode Of warfare insisted upon by themselves
late as 1897. They doing TO their ports IN block
aiinq them rhat they only lately declared tho Sieidns
had no right 10 DO. Thy appeal TO Europe for eounts
nance as free Porer against sidre and yet they de-
e'drs that they intend to papeuste that slavery accord
ing 10 TIE Constitution.
In whatever light we view the case, the position Of the
North s most unfortunate II, after fearful expend
ture Of life and money they succeed in sui ugatng the
South t will still require immense army 10 hold them
in subsection. IT, on the other hand, the Union be
patched up again, Abotonsts and others will immed
atoy their agitation, and there viii be- In
short period reenasimen OF all the present troubles
But It. In the third place. the South successful In her
resistance Of which have no doubt the North will
have expended her blood aud treasure merely for the
sake of creating hating and hated rival.