Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-19

.ha, Federal troops arc Sui pc'Hl:1eu w oee"'
nc the forts, and federal pcstmasters to distri- |
butte the mails of the Conirderated States
And they argue, with plausibilty, Too, that
these things are permitted Ivy the State Govern
ments because Of fear thar the pressure Incl.
dent 10 their reGoval may create all irrcsistl.
bic reaction in favor OF Union and even Of sub
mission on ANY terms ur without terms Yet,
in the event of an actual conflict Of arms, many
OF these men who argue tins would choose,
and more u; them would be driven, 10 iako
sides at once with their Southern brethren.
And there is another controlling reas"n,
which. Of itself should promptly determine the
action OF the new Government Tile people g
the Com federated States Themselves "iH"s apt
to lose conEGeacs in L gorsramen. r'h!ea SanH
prose inadequate 10 protect them from J9re'S"
inrasion.
From the first wa urged these considerations
uuon our friends ut the South, and especially
in South Carolina We do not Ie!er 10 Tins
for the purpose Of GUSHING blanc upo" the au'
thorites Of that State We believe they acted
for the best, and We know Iliat their action III
this particular Was taken in strict accordance
with the urgent advice Of z large number OIL
the Senators and Representatives IL Congress
sof the border States, our feeble protest being
disregarded by most OF the Senators and Re
representatives. from Virginia. Bat we hre well
aware that some, AZ least Of these gentlemen
now unite with US in attributing the hesitation
now prevalent in the border States ot the South
to the telnporsing policy which the authorl-
ties Of South Carolina were induced 10 adopt
by such urgent appeals from distinguished CIT
liens Of the border States .! the South. For
our own plrt, we are well convinced that had
the capture OF every fort in Charleston haIoor
and the dismissal Of every post master III
South Carolina accompanied the proclamation
of South Carolina's ordinance Of secession, tho
calls for conventions would scarcely have bcea
voted down by the people oil kentucky ana
Tennessee: no reference clause would have
been interpolated il the call for Convention
made by the Virginia Legislature, and lAe
prourpt resistance candidates would hare Jared
nuch better in oar !ate election.
The policy whc: we then recommended 10
the authorities OF South Carolina, VIC now
urge with rcdouhlcd earncstmess Oh the atten-
ton of the President and Congress Of the Con.
federated States. II IS useless to mnce the
matter. The CRY now made for 'peaceable
and honorable adjustment" TO be obtained ny
.'masteliy inactivity" is an arrant impcs-
ture. We have two alternatives bciore US
ONLY tyo-war or Submission. And 80 long as
the newly Ccafederated States stall refuse to
submit, 80 long Is they shall refuse Submission
disguised under the timsy viel Of compromise,
SO long as they shall hold this ca:des,ine spe-
cies CT submission to be even mere dshonora-
bic than openly srowcI submission, then we
have no alternative. Then, We niust have war
as the only, the Inevitable means rf ultimate
adjustment in the Cuion or cut Of it: war
which must come speedily upon Us, and III
which, when it comes, ,hS people Of Virginia
will be compelled to array themselves IL arms,
for or against the people oi the seeded States
II indeed the Fcdrai Government should
promptly acknowledge the independence 81 the
Confederated States, and if the Northern States
should as promptly give every earnest in their
power Of u Willingness 10 recognize and project
everywhere and in their entirety al! the rights oil
slaveholding States, and Oil this bass request
the return O: tie seeded States 10 the Union,
then we might, and We say it in candor, we
confidently believe We would have speedy,
peaceabIe. honorable and entire restoration oil
the Union But who believes that the Federal
Government and the Northcrn States will, un.
der existing circumstances, do this, all this 700
do less would be useless, unless the Contedera-
ted States are prepared for sub.nission.)
And the question Of peace or war does not
depend, MS some suppose, upon the question OIL
coercion or no coercion by the Federal Govern
ment. The government at Washington may
abstain from armed coercion; il may withdraw
every soldier and civil official from each and
all Of the seeded States; it may 80 further
and publicly and so!emnly acknowledge the
nationality of the Confederated
States and receive their Minister Plenipotenta-
~ ut Washington, still ,Eerc will remain ali
obstacle to continued peace,
a fruitful source Of speedy and inevitable war
The ConfederaIcd States have just and
equitable claim to n fair proportional share OF
the emnirc of Territories which still belongs 10
them in common with the States Of the Union.
Now two distinct nations. foreign tho one to
the other, never have held and never can con-
tinue to hold such 20 extent Of Territory in
common. Especially is such thing iinpossi.
bic between two such coniederaces.
There is simple question which settles
this matter, as it were in limtne when ter
ritory is prepared for admission to the Union
or the Conlederacy, which Union, which Con-
fcderacy will admit such territory: or rather,
which Union, which Confederacy will consent
to relinguish entirely the said territory Thus
il is plain that when the States shall he unques-
tionably sepul ateG into TWO ConfeGeracies. the
territories must be left wholly and solely in the
possession and ownership q one If the Con-
federacieS, OF they must LeGvided between the
two.
Now, when the Government at Washington
shall formally recognize and establish diplo-
matte relations with the Government ut Mont
gomery, will the Government at Montgomery
agree TO rclinuqish her share Of the terrific
ries withouta struggle: Will tue Government
at Washington agree to fair division Or any
division at all OF tie territories! Dr will the
dispute over The territories be referred to the
arbtrament Of arms ?
Thus far we have treated this question with re-
ference to the now existing status, regarding the
horj.r ct,t.c Nc minimizing throughout their