Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-05

sarchulding population IN The hrst instance
and the eventual surrender of Onr country 10
barbarous race, or what seems 10 be desired
| On amalgamation with :hc African
And II has ut las, eliminated in tine elect'o'i'
by sectional! najorit: in the free states alone
to the first otlidc IN the Republic, 81 the author
| Of the sentiment that there Is an "iriepreSsihc
conflict between free and slave labor ana lN't
| there must be universal freedom or uniferSa'
slavery; sentiment which lnculcatcS, IS
necessity of our situation, warfare between .''
two sections of our country, without cessation
| or intermissi until The weaker Is reduced u
subsection.
I'm view Of this state VI lh;nsS, we are not
inclined TO rrbukc or ccnsurc the people o. any
Of our sister States in the South, suffering lroih
injury, goaded by insults, and threatened Will
such nutrascs and wrongs, for their bold ue.ef'
mjnation to relieve themselves from such MUS
lice and oppression by reSoring 10 their u'ti'
mate and sovereign right to dissolve The com
nae; which they had formed, and TO provide
ncw guards for their future security.
Nor have We any doubt Of the right OF any
State, there being no common umpire helMeeh
coeIlai sovereign States, 10 judge Tor ltSeif, OF
is own responsibility, as 10 the mode ana inca
sure of redress.
"The States, each for itself, exercised tins
sovereign mower when they dissolved their co''-
ncc,lnn with the British Empire.
they cxcrcisr, the same power When nine
of the States seeded from the Confederation,
and adopted the present Constitution, though
two States at first rejected H.
"Ihe Articles of Confederation stipulated
that those articles should be ln1iolably observed
by every State, and that the Union should be
pcrpc.natcl and that no alteration should be
made unless agreed To by Congress an! con.
lirlncd hy every State.
notwithstanding this solemn compact por.
ton of the States did, without the consent Of
the others, form new compact; and there Is
nothing to show, or by which it can be shown,
that this right has been Or can be diminished SO
| long as the States continu: sovereign.
THE confederation was aSsenied 10 " The
Legislature for each State.
"The Constitution by the people ol eact Sale
for such Stale ALONE.
"Dnc i as hlnflinr NJ the other hIIl liz more
So
"rhe Constitution il Is true established q gov.
eminent ard it operates directly on the lndl-
yidual the confederation was league opera
ting primarily on the States But each was
adopted by the State for itself in the one case
by the Legislature acting for the State; in
the other 'i,y the people not as individuals
composing one nation, but Us composing the
distinct and independent States To which they
respectively belong
THE foundation, therefore, on which 1t was
established WAS .ttderak and the State III the
exercise o! the same sovereign authority by
which she ratified Tor hers-! lray for herself
atroya!c and annual.
The operation Of its I,5mers whilst the State
remains in the Conftderacy is natto"tEj and
consequently q Stale rcltalning in the Conle'ie-
racy anh enjoying its brnehts, cannot by any
mode of procedure Withdraw lis citizens from
the obligation 10 obey the Constitution, nrd
the laws passed in pursuance thereof.
"I,ut when State does secedc, the CunStl.
tuition ard Laws Of the Cnircd States cease 10
operate therein. No power is conferred On
Congress TO enforce lheu. Such authority
was denied 10 the Congress in the convention
which framed the Cunstitu;ion, because it
would Gc III act OF war o. nation against M
tion-a0t the exercise D! the legtimute power
of government 10 erirrce lis laws OH these
subject 10 lis jurisdiction.
The assumption OF silc!: i'o%rr would be
the assertion Of q lrcrogaiire claimed By the
British Government 10 lcsi>late for the Colo
uicS in al Ca-r: whatever II would constl.
lutc oi itself Il dangerous attack on the
rights of the S:a!cs, and should lc promptly
repealed
These principles, resulting irc'n the nature
Of our system rf confederate States canro; at
init of question. in Virginia.
"Ohr people in convention, lay their act OF
ratification. declared and made know n that the
powers granted uudrr the Constitution be.
ing derived from the people OF The United
States. may be- resumed by them Whenever
they >ha! i;c perverted % their Injury andop.
preston
From what people were these powers der.
we'd ? ConfeSscdly from the people Of each
State acting for themselves. by whom were
they TO be resumed or taken back Dy the
people Of the Stale who were then granting
them away. Who were IL determine whether
the powers granted had been perverted TO their
injury or oppression Not thu whole people
Of the United States. for there could be no op.
preston OF the whole will. their own consent !;
and it couid Tot hare entered into the
conception of the convention, tha; the
power granted could not be resumed until
The oppressor himself unileI in such rrsump.
tim.
They asserted the right to RESUME il order
to guard the people Of Virginia. for whom alone
the convention could act against the oppression
OF an irresponsible and sectional majority, the
worst form Of oppression with which m angry
Providence has ever afflicted humanity.
Whilst, therefore, We regret tlia' any State
should, in a matter OF common grievance, have
deter mined to act for herself without Consult.
ing with her sister Su.tcS equally agsrcvcd
we are nevertheless constrained to say that
the occasion JuStiiicS and loudly calls for action
Of some kind.
The election Of President 10y !; sectional
majority as the representative Of the principles
referred to, clothed With the patronage and
power incident to the Office including the au-
lhority to appoint all the post-lnasters aud
other officers charged with the execution oil the
laws Of the Untr States, is itself standing
menace To the South-a direct assault upon
her institutions an incentive to robbery and
insurrcrtinn, requiring from OF" own lmmedi-
ate local government in its sovereign Character
prompt acion to obtain additional guarantees
for equality aud sccurity in the Union, Or to
take measures Tor protection ard security
without il.
in vicS, therefore, Of The present condition
OF our country, and the causes u II, We dr.
z,
tanned in an address TO the irerholders of Bote.
lourt in February, i11II5, to the delegates from
Virginia 10 the Continental Congress. THAT ne
desire no change in our government whilst left
to the free enjoyment Of Our equal privileges
secured by the Constitution. But that should
a wicked and ,yraacll sectional majority, IN
! der the sanction OF the forms Of the ConStitu.
ton, persist in acls OF injustice and violence
towards us, they only must DO answerable for
the consequences That liberty is SO strong
" impressed on our hearts, that wc cannot
think Of parting with it but with our lives;
that our duty 20 God, our country, ourselves,
and our posterity, forbid it. We stand, there
fore. prepared fnr every emergency"
Resolved, therefore, Thatlnvicw 0! tue facts
set out in the foregoing preamble, it is Tie
opinion ii TINS meeting tia: 4 convention o.
the people Should 'c called iorthwith; that the
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