Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-07-06


eventually be recognized You support the only
necessary protest against principle which You say
would Instantly rob You of national aaenoe and ut
malely result ia total dsintegrauon. II honest Their
you will gladly welcome any mode OF avoiding at
these etis aud the Here is cssllerge to yorr
siGoeliy. Recogns, the Southern Confidently. aud
then, Immediately callrg a popular convention, go
amend Jour Constitution unmstakAbly and forever to
Danish the right Of Secession. Which Of the evils
you dread is unavoideds National dignity, stability,
cred-all are secured as before That undecided
political association, lately proved poweress rs "a
rope of snd has suddenly consolidated itself into
great national government. What need now Of a war
OF protest tr example, since nothing before done or
omitted properly have the force Of precedent under
your altered constitution. lu word, the peaceful re-
cognition foopsd By the protest of an AMENDED eons'
tuition, farnshes solution Of the difficulty at once IN
Objectionable and efficient. Let examine the alter
native
Temporary Cesreion Of the Confederate States is
neither certain desirtis escape faOm the evils
Which threaten.
Isl. war phieh resn,s in securing independence 10
seeded States wR not deter Others desiring TO seesds
Such war would exert little or moral preventive
force even on cowardice itself State considering her
grievances sufficient to induce her to cut loose om the
parent Government surrender its prorection, and
sumo all the risks aud burdens Of separate existence
will dare your Of protest. with its oregone conclu-
sion of independence Remember, il the dscoursging
prelude Of be precedent the encouraging result Of
independence will be precedent also.
81 Bat trsa This Encouraging prelude Of Dar cannot
be brought to bear upon Gi'af.esd Sasss wm The fores
Of precedent 10 be departed from. War ID, in the
Of ihirg question OF policy, aud men know it.
Secession and coercion will he questions Of grew
Anc,s and probabilities for the seeding States and Of
policy for the General Government No Administration
would consider itself bonnd by the philosophical formula
that "Sar mast foo~ secession" 10 defiance Of con.rol
ling considerations Of prudence as for Instance, In case
of the simultaneous Withdrawal Of q large majority Of
the States. The utmost your can determine is, that
secession like revolution ncurs,the risk Of governmental
opposition aud much is already settled False pride,
resentment the instincts Of despod,m-any all Ct
these may urge you farther suggesting, as limit 10 the
contest "sa,isaclicn for the insult to the flag" or e
reinstatement Of The gOvsr,asat in is erery original
position" The tru, question is, does sound political
philosophy demand that an example be made OF the
South before she is allowed 10 withdraw Does it not
rather point the lees expensive and more efficient prl
test Of constitutional amendment, entirely doing away
with the necessity OF establishing such precedent. IT.
nevertheless the Government choose rather to undergo
what will be- at least ia appearance ruinouS and dis
graceful defeat merely vndicate theory, then know
that practical people, warned by the achievement Of
Southern independence will in the very next instance
refuse to the farce Of barren Of protest
3d. Ersn ifit Efficient pr,ssrvr ofihe terrific
rial Integrity of the nation, coercion Is certainly nofd
desirable one. Look frat at ts relations 70 che central
principles Of liberty and despasm. Tue vital etsencc
,f assro,ism d this: 81 am the Stats"-GspsrHasxt
end &, Hsnna ideas Of what the dignity
Of Goyernnen. requires and Indifference to the good or
the wishes Of the peope-nd the result Of the no in
stneiive unyarying opposition to revolution Does not
the whole attitude of your Administration toward this
movement very perfectly in keeping with these
,5.te Instincts and theories Of despotism Indeed il
not your own opposition to it, in great measure 40
unrtnectpg instinct! Is reconstruction by really
desirable! |, the only efficient protest agsins.
future SECESSION These are questions which mus.
be answered before iHteligen,ly and con.
sciesiiousy on thi, issus. Have you seriously
canyassed either oil them But Christian craftsmanship
holds government TO be device for the good of Ito
governed, and hence the central principle Of liberty
Adjournment BY consent Of The goser,iea" England
once yielded to the instincts Of desposm agars:
Gle e.rnes. remonstrsnces Of Lord Chatham but she
has published to her colonies aud to the world noble
recantation-a full endorsement Of the central erin.
cple Of liberty She has proved that Christian gov.
errm,nt can recognise q bloodlcss revolution. Again
put i. to YOU is not coercion direct denial Of tbisy
Look a. its eacIs upon the defaite charter of your
libertes-the Constitution. We have that the IA.
Tiers who formed that instrument refused to embody in
it. the assumed power OF coercion Mark the proofs
of their wisdom aud your madness Coercion has utter
" set at naoght the fundamental check aud grants Of
that great charter and involved the Administration per-
haps inexucibly in labyrinth Of Inconsistencies In
direct violation Of Art and after your pointed
refusal TO empower him by the Force Bill your Presi.
dent has usuped the power Of Congress TO call forth
the militia aud increase the army and navy aud this
without the grounds required by Art 4, Sec. or the
law of l79S Even while psrsisteny declaring us still
under tie Constitution coercion every day chs US of con-
su.ionsly guaranteed slave property and its blockade
by force of Art l. Sec g. emphatically pronounces us
outside the Union England proVokingy reminds you
Coo reion has dsarmed the citizens Of Maryland directly
in the face Of Art. "a Of Amendments. Dsregardug
At Sec o. the President has usurped the right of Con.
gress TO set aside the Habess Copns and irsted psr
zans would even the venerable and faithful defend
err Of the Constitution. In ransgreSson Of Art T. Sec
g. you even now plotting TO recognize the partition
OF State contrary the will Of is legislature The list
OF shameless violations might be extended but forbear.
You have adopted policy, and the Constitution which
never gave you the right to it, stands directly in the way
OF its execution, neod not develop the Inference
Your own leaders have clearly recognized it, and
Of them quite ready 10 brave the ISSUE, 10 plain
terms, they enthrone Necessity which Law, in
the place Of their 'organc law" the very Constitution
they would viudcate BY the war. They call loudly for an
expost fActo Awan act Of indemnity ito all the
usurpaons Of the President and this right in the face Of
the decision concerning Mr. JeersOns purchase Of Louis
aha that such be passed under the American
Constitution. Nay, they 60 further. Awake Northern
reemen to this startling fact Your leading journals have
deb atey proposed Ian indee suspension of the Con-
stutou"-ihat you Submit for awhile to an Emperor,
a Gar, Dictator, Military Despotiim-anything to
crush au. rebellion" Look we'll 70 your liberties. This
wanionneas Of power-hs conscious omnpoteaoe Of the
people, making them careless surrender Of conslitr-
tional safeguards is fatal omen. Modern freedom we
are told is stable because it Is institutional but
Der the strength Of Institutions and constitutions Is their
sacreduess One voluntary suspension-a single viola
ton uppunishei and institutional liberty as insecure
as the tickle democracy of Greece.
Win you neigh once more in alternative your policy
Of coercion. Ponder the inevitable aud already pressing
qaeuces Of the Wartade Observation-Disclosures
Reconsideration benevolence paray zed-two inpov