Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-05-07

1857, the several States appointed delegates,
who attended a convention 'for the sole and
erpress purpose of revising the articles Of
confederation, and reporting to Congress and
tho several Legislatures such alterations and
provisions therein as shall, when agreed to in
Congress, and confirmed yths States, render
the Federal Constitution adequate to the ext
gcncirs of government and the preservation OF
the Union"
It was, by the delegates chosen, by the seDe-
raj States under the resolution just quoted,
that the Constitution OF the United States was
framed in 1877, and submitted to the sersrat
States for ratification, as shown by the Tth ar
ticlc, which is in these words:
"Thc ratification Of the Conventions Of nine
States shall be sufficient for the establishment
Of this Constitution BETWEEN the States, so
r~atiiying the same"
! have italicised certain words in the quota
tons Just made, for the purpose of attracting
attention to the singular and marked caution
with which the States cndcsvored, in every
possible form, TO exclude the idea that the
separate End independent sovereignty Of each
State was merged into one common govern
mcnt and na,ion; and the earnest desire they
cyinced to impress on the Constitution in its
true caaracter-,hat vi Z compact BETWEEN in
dependent States.
The Constitution Of 1857 having, however,
| omitted the clause already rccitcd from the ar
ticicS of Confederation, which provided in cx
plicit terms, that each State retained its sove-
reignty aud independence, some alarm was
fit in the States when invited to TatIty the
| Constitution, lest this omission should be con-
! s,rned into an abandonment Of their cherished
| principle, and they refused to be satisfied until
amendments were added to the Constitution,
! placing beyond any pretencc of doubt, the re-
! scrvaIlon by the States, OF ali their sovereign
rights and powers-not expressly delegated to
the United States Ly the Constitution.
Strange Indeed must it appear to the impair
| tial observer, but il is none The less true, that
all these carefully worded clauses proved un.
availing to prevent the rise and growth in tn-
Northern States Of 4 political school winch has
persistcn:ly claimed that the government thus
formed was not q compact bstneen States, but
was in effect Il national government, set up
abore and orsr the Sta!cs. An organization,
created by the States 10 secure the blessings ot
liberty and independence against J1re'gn ag'
erosion, has been gradually pelverte,! into y
| machine for their contro! IN their domestic al
fairs: the creature has been exalted above It's
creators: the principuk have been made sub
ordinate to the agent appointed by themselves.
The people Of the Southern States, whose
almost exclusive occupation was agriculture,
early perceived a tendency in the Northern
| States 10 render the common government sub
servicnt to their own purposes, Us imposing
burthcns on commerce ms Z projection TO their
manufacturing and shipping interests. Long
and angry controversy grew out OF lhcSe at
tempts, often successful, 10 benet!; one section
OF the country at the expense OF the other
and the danger Of disruption arising from this
cause was enhanced Ivy the fact that the NcrtiI-
ern population was increasing by immigration
and other caIlses III ! greater ratio tsiun the
population of the South. By degrees, as the
Northern States gained preronderance IN TIE
National Congress, selcinterGst taught their
people to yield ready assent to any pluuSit'e
advocacy of their right as a u~iaJ"rity 10 gov.
crn the minority without control: thcy learned
~ listen with ilnpatiencc TO the suggestion OF
any constitutional impcdiments to their will +;
and so utterly havs the principles Of the Con-
%s!itution been corrupted in the Northern Iniai,
that in the inaugural address delivered by Pre-
| sident Lincoln in March last, he asserts lis all
axiom which he plainly deems to be undHni.
able, that the theory VI the Constitution re-
| uuires tina, in ali cases Tho majority shall g0:-
crn and in another memorable instance, the
same Chief Magistrate did not hesitate TO likcn
The relations between q State and the United
States 10 those which exist between 4 county
and the State in which it is situated and BY
which \ it was created. This is the lawen;ab!e
and fundamental error on which rests the p1-
licy that has culluinated in bis declaration OF
war against these Confederate States.
In addition to the long continued and deep
seated resentment felt By the Southern States
at the persistent abuse Of The powers they had
| delegated to the Congress, fOr the purpose OF
enriching the manufacturing and shipping
classes Of tho North ct the expense q: the South,
| there has existed for nearly half a century
another subject Of ,iiscord. involving in;ercats
% such lransccndrnt magnitude, as I'll 81!
TINES to create the apprehension in th= .r:::c'
Of many devoted lovers Of the tH;nii, that ITS
pernanence was impossible.
When the several States dcicsstsd certain
powers to the United States Congress, a large
portion Of the laboring population consisted .!
African slaves imported into the colonies by
| the mother country. In twelve, out OF thirteen
States, negro slavery existed, and the right OF
property in slaves was protected by law. Ihl-
| property was recognized in the Consiltuiion,
! and provision YRS made against its loss BY thu
cscapc of the slave. The increase in the num-
Der Of slaves by further importation from
Africa was also secured by = clause iorbidding
Congress to prohibit the slave trade anterior
10 a certain date; and in no clause can there
be found any delegation CT power to The Con
gross authorizing II IN any manner to !eglslatc
to the prejudice, dctrilnult or d;scour9gemcnt
Of the owners OF tia; SPECIES Of property, or ez'
Guiding 1t from the protection OF The govern
lnent.
The climate ard soil Of the Northern States
soon proved unpropitious TO the continuance
! of slave labor, whilst lhe converse was the case
at the South. Under the unrestricted free
intercourse between the two sections. the
| Northern States consulted their OWL interest
by selling their slaves 70 the South, and prohi.
/ biting slavery within their l.nli's. The South
were willing perchascr, Of a property suitable
to their wants, ard paid the price of the ac1ul-
sition without harhcring q suspicion that
their quiet possession was 50 he disturbed by
those who were inhibited, rot only by wan!
Of constitutional authority, but BY good faith
as vendors from disquicting a title emanatint
from themselves.
As soon, however, MS tie Northern States
that prohibited African slavery within Their
limits had reached a number sufficient to give
their representation n controlling voice in the
Congress, II persistent and organized SYSTEM oil
hostile measures against the rights Of The own
ers Of slaves in the Southern States Was inau-
gurated, an! gradually EXTENDED. a con;inu-
Gus series Of measures vas devised and prose-
eute1 for the purpose Of rendering insecure
the tenure Of property in slaves: ianat!cal Or
CARNATIONS, supplied with money by ~volnnta-
ry subscriptions, were assiducusly engaged in
exciting amongst the slaves a spirit Of discon-
tent and revolt; means were furnished for their
escape from their owners, and agents secretly
employed to entice them TO abscond; the coll.
stitutional provision for their rendition to their
owners vas first evnded, then openly denoun-
ccd US a violation OF conscientious obligation