Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-12
The New York Herald eXonerates Gov

than he do over MS nasty plate Vi eoeP' 49,
Herald does this justice upon the assurance
Of the Enquirer" that Gov. Wise had no
knowledge of any such conspiracy, and no sym
pathy with it, If any such existed.
We hope Mr.. Buchanan has dismissed his
silly fears and that General Scott is likewise
satisfied. that Gov. Wise does not contemplate
capturing either Mr.. Buchanan or his success
SuT.
But the Herald" is greatly agitatcd over
our announcement tina. the presence of fede-
raj army Of coercion at Washington made
that city an object of just apprehension to Fir-
GINA, and if the keeping Of the Federal horde
81 Washington was persisted in, that no alter
native WAS left Virginia but to drive forth tho
menacng army. Among independent nations,
the collection of large ornaments upon the
frontiers, IS just cause Of apprehension. HOW
much more threatening is such an army lmme-
ais,elv upon the borders Of Virginia, and that
too when her public aclion, both BY her Legis-
laturs and her people, has recently demonstra-
ted her earnest desire for the preservation OF
the public peace and the perpetuation oil the
Federal Union.
The Herald designates our remark as "a
fearful warning, buta very foolish one tJear
ri is not foolish, and If foolish it cannot be
f,s-e,, . but the "IIcrald" is not looked to
either FOR wisdom or courage, and while its OBJ
seryations may have no weight with the public,
they certainly ought to be authority Tor itself.
II ,hcre is no justification Of our remarks upon
tie PURPOSES orthis Federal army OF coercion,
now at Washington, what is the public to IN
lerstand by the following extract from the
some ;ssne Of the Herald which commented
rpon our editorial
* THE PRESENT CRISIS IN THE COUNTRY
TO END IN 4 MILITARY DESrOTlSM!
What cou!d have torseen, one year ago. that ele-
ncut. would shortly dovelope themselves; WITHIN
enc United States Of Arne:ic!, directly tenolhS 70
wards division OF the republic into military chief
tin.hps Ans; Tia: either anarchy similar 10 that ex-
.:inr i, Mexico such dsspotlsn 9" crushed out
the life OF ancient Rome. would succeed to the go!!es
hcGucatheG 20 US By the heroes who 'aa Tue ionhaa
t;on. of our nationality: The forthe'7 States, at
lcs.r san 70 b. ar.GdY ir'ng to'cer.ts fht esft-
i:SLm.nt ot c coet,1imsnt uhtch ca" only oe man
:GiatI ia Grtii.v and ih> ddyontF ah1 the Srsmp'e
Of pat Gg.s ouqht 10 all g@od eHi-sn* u dan-
g.ts, ssch it will require the most strenuous enasa
yo,s on their part TO avert. II vas clearly evolved
from ,bc discussion between Senators Seward and
Tascn q week since Mat he future premier andtF
IF. Lincoln Gas calculated cirit 'rar az among TIE
probabilities Of the vur. and as an 1ntrLEddts const-
man, Of persistence on tie part Of the SnutA ~ ITS
:.:s.,nc. 81 yartLsrn aggression. Officers high in
rank III the army Of the confederation, cmulatnR inc
suoerhuous zeal OF General Scott have Paradsd 10
The world their readiness 20 take part IN war OF sec
tons and ba.nbrrner rngleadsr III the Cabinet OF
Mr buchanan has issued pereinptory Instructions 10
his subordinate at New Orleans to snoot
down ut once any individual who would seek
20 carry out actively the secession programme whcn
Louisiana has recently adhered TO. Everybody
exclaimed Mr. Seward, who shall resist, oppose, or
stand in the way OF the preservation OF tie Union,
will appear rs The moth upon summers eve ere IS
swe,,; away by the whirwind. How awfuly disas-
,rous would be the necessary consequences OF sueh
teaching An army OF Virginia and Marvlana: hosts
pouring into the Slave States from the North and
North West undcra dozen different lenders hostile
arrays Of troops vending Northwsrd from the Caro-
linas. Mississippi. Georgia, Louisiana and Alabama,
the border States, swollen With tina implements OF
wholesale slaughter; commerce, trade, manufactures,
agriculture FRUSTRATED: Datienal capital no Urea
sury, no country: but everywhere trained BANDS eS-
hs,s;;uc the resources Of localities to elevate some
petty esdy 10 power, and cater to individual dema-
gocueSm
If such statements as these be facts, and the
Herald cannot question or deny them, then
there is ample cause for apprehension on the
part Of Virginia, and the Enquirer is justified
in saying that ''if the army shall remain in
Washington, it must be driven out without
counting the cost
IF, as the Herald asserts, mine out OF ten
of the people Of the Northern States repudate
tine coercion sentiments which are hurrying
the republic so rapidly towards precipice,
will our contemporary explain why not one
public meeting in the Northern States has pub
Nsbed their repudation or condemned the ten
der of men and money by the States OF New
York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, for no other
purpose than coercion?
The public has seen no evidence that justi-
Gcs the Herald" in asserting that the "views
promulgated recently by Mr.. Seward, have
excited the deepest feeling Of distrust and
alarm, and it is the common utterance OF mems
mouths that any attempt to carry out his the
ory will meet with no less resistance in the
non slareholding than in the slaveholding
States"
So far from any expression Of Northern SEN
tinent iustilyng this statement of the Herald,
every evidence that has reached the public mind
has been directly the opposite.
The conservative city Of New York has qul-
etiy permitted the unlawful seizure of private
property, and its coo6scation. What is this
but en- act of coercion, since it leaves the South
ern States without arms, while the North is
making as the "Herald" has previously shown,
active p.epations for invasion
The ''Herald" says:
THE assembly Of troops at Washington,
under the pretext Of preventing an invasion 0,
the capital: the esgerness for action OF military
men; the idsa Of bloodShed with which the
public mind is becoming familiarized; and the
fippancy with which Il portion of the press
and of our national representatives discourse
respecting the greatest disasters that caa befal
mankind, are premonitory signs Of national
suicide, so a:rocious. so wicked that they have
caused sober minded men everywhere to shrink
with dismuv from the prospect which is open
ing before them"
And vet the Herald" with all these cir
cumstances before it, complains Of the "Ep
ouirer," for counseling and advising the drlr
ING GU: of the Federal army Of coercion, ate
Virginia has exhausted all efforts oil peace
compromise and adjustment
zen
The Washington Confederation.
Such is the title Of new paper published II
Washington, which was heraldcd by the cor
respondents of the New York papers with tb
...,-l- s,tbo+ Mr. Rrchonnn had stimulated 70