Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-07-06
THE RICHMOND WING.
MOTIVES OF THE NORTH IN THI5 CoSTE5T-Is
SHE BOUND IN CONSCIENCE, OR BY POLITICAL
Necessity TO A WAR OF RECONSTRUCTl0S' T
ILxTTER Ara.

w
i lLkrrER Ara.
I'VE knowledge TO eEisSt the rehis aud yrosqi
Of the Sn.th and in general Consenoa Of the people
ssousa siia,y hare poied her sataeio'y 9usraaisss
redress or honorable dsmission but @H oppose "a
| The death .So,.iha,s violsnes aud dishn'icr."
Many will now profess To have all along held this poa
lion To SUCH can only suggest thoughts wuieh may
be readily developed Considtr the altitude OF The Two
sections just prior 10 Secession All former compromise
bad proved an utter faureu contemptuous disregard
OF our remonstrances you ba noursitd an oyerShem
ing party predicated the basis Of opposition TO
the very rights We must enlreat you 10 respect
Your immediate representatives obstnatey refused to
modify thsir posdoo, aad certainly received no au
thortaiivs intnliion, OF the prevalence of
cliatory spiit among the Of your people Some
Of our States it seem. might be ensnured by
anees 10. satisfactory TO Others aud individual
States might be tLus divided Doubling unconditional
anioo;s, and thinking dcbe atoms more likely to
result in adjustment EFF true Union men we're supports
and protected" you might have attempted, on grand
scale, the Infamous programme thwarted IN Vghi, ten
porsriy successful in Maryland and still doubtful in His
souri,. Lastly we were hon ss.ly convinced OF our tight
TO a mode of redress free from these otjsoors. In
view of all this, wo deemed the prj;ct Of a popular
convention actually insulting TO yeu and as means oil
securing our interests altogether unprom'sipg humi'
atibg dangerous and, thousanco.d enforcing ell the
rest unnecessary. Had been permitted to carry out
theory of Secession, all would have proceeded as
Commissioners essured you, with the regularity aud
consistency characaerzng the exercise Of guaranteed
rght-but the attitude and action Of your Government
unavodaby confused with this much OF the violence oil
evolution. la the Conflict OF these two theories, d
thoughtful mind will at once recognize the explanation Of
the lack of form popular rate aon 'the outrageous
seizure of Government property" and "tbe Infamous per
jury of United States Senatos"n short, OF all the
grave Charges brought against the Southern movement
brief examination OF the two policies which divide
and yet unite the Northern people will close these letters
l. "A War Of Rscon,truetiOn."
Such has beeu from the outset the expressed ocy oil
the Administration yet there Is reason to doubt the sir
cery OF tho leaders Be this as it may, reconstruction
is emneny the peoples policy. ltappeais,o all their un-
reasoning national ASPIRATIONS to every msed sentiment
Ut oysy and PATRIOTISM aud the more practical ineen-
ses OF apparent sefin.eres Northern people, ID not
this the programme which has secured your enthusiastic
cooperation? when the mighty aegs CT the genera
Government is stretched out these revoted States,
the loyal citizens now subdued and overewed viii gladly
lift up their heads under its benign pro:econ-the rebel
leaders will be taken, delivered up ay, and the de-
uded mob Of Secessionsts will gradually melt away aud
return their allegiance. Thus ere long, on, glorious
Union will be re-established on basis rmer than ever"
Now what the assumption which all this pretty process
rests. Obviously, just the falacy exposed in our last
letter. and rs-sxposed this very moment by your OVID
console There no,a among you who caunot
readily the Influences which have wrought Seces
one, who has not all his life long known that
the Pc ope OF the South deeply alive 20 these inau
enceA md TIM. separatiou Imminent: from these very
causes. Indeed reairn it and challenge contradiction
history furnishes instance OF revolution, in which
the principles more distinct-the people more tho
roughly educated into appreciation Of them, or the grand
result gradually regularly brought about In
the light Of all this what does your pecy Of reconsue-
ton amount toy A purpose Of restoring, by war; to q
fsaterna union OF sovereign and equal States eleven
members discovered by deep forces Which, during all our
united history working dssimarily alienation and
dissolution. This ID the policy which has brought
Your administration into contempt in Europe-ths the
mastery craftsmanship keenly sarzed by the Lon
don Times in its review Of Mr. Stewards and Mr. Clay
lett rs-his the idea crystazed by leading New
York JOURNAL into watch-Nord for tho masses, "War
for the Upion" paradox shocking to be ludcrous
"a plea of desposm too false to be sincere battle
cry 100 absurd TO bs inspiring
But there are not wanting at the North men Of indie
pendent and philosophical MAD, who clearly that
sutugaon must precede reconstruction aud thai force
even il successful would but hold in vassasge those
whom il could never win back into unop These gen.
tlemen scout the idea of Of reconstruction, as alb
horsept alike TO reason ard conscience fully recognize
the necessity and the 6ualty Of the existing separation
aud yet vigorous supporters OF war policy, and
that too on grounds plausible not to say rational
than any We have yet examined.
H. 7h. rar necessary protest against tie prinei.
pie Of Secession.
Such war; say these political philosophers, is a dou.
bic necessity, first protest against anarchytbat the
SOLITARY idea Of GoyerGm be emphaszedand again,
more definitely preventive Of disiniegrstion,
the unoa Of The remaining States be preserved. Such
considerations hardly dec: aud simple enough. to
be generally Influential among the earnest practical peo-
nile vet there is all embodiment Of their central idsa
everywhere current popular catchsord Succession
anarchy" More definitely stated the position Is this
'Pese. recognition Of The Confederate States oold
incorporate in our politics prime pie IF dia.tsgrotcn
sud pace the vay for anarchy and shall
make three direct advances this position, and then
tack by way of alternative As these are the last aud
most interesting points Of discussion. beg you will
| give them very careful perusai:
ls Tie right Of Secession exercised 10 The utmost is
not anarchy annihitation. Ia the eagerncss Of alarm
you have overstated the impending calamity. The eI.
tremsst advocates of the right never contended for IT,
except inhering 10 sovereign State party 10 bro
ken contract Therefore, when the principle has done
Us worst the State governments still rsmaia unaffected
social and business relations continue unaltered In.
deed the osa is only that Of the supor naueLcs Of
great nation As las been well said the Federal fabric
destroyed by Secession is not "abuiltng falling apart
Tito individual bricks but into separate and perfect
| rooms"
I'd. The rig of Secession recognized is not neesssa.
riy trressG At this point, too, anxiety has greatly
overeslimated the chsroe Of disaster. Because pecu-
liar combination Of mighty forces has in single instance
wrought long oreseen separation you gratuitcuy
sume that if recognized this will be the signal for
general dissolution Of political relationships But Sc
cession, as Practical ISSUE Is obviously complex
involving both the right and tie desirsbleness Of the
act Affection, honor. enlightened selfnterest indeed,
every motive that constitutes the true strength Of popu
lar Governments may still bind the individual State 10
the Government after Il has adqittod the right to With
draw. Virginia certainly considered this right guaran-
eei to her by the terms Of her ratification, ard yet for
eighty years. these lofty and powerful tics bound her to
the UAon. Indeed, II State be forcbly held to her
allegiance after such considerations have ceased bind