Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-15

ina t,im OF protection and guaranty, and III
tbo other the alternative Of a peaceful dissoiu.
of this government That is the plan
which | advocate, and upon which | propose
10 act.
But, sir, we are told. there is no use of ina.
king n bargain with these people; that there
is such 4 hatred between the people of the two
sections ; that there has grown up, such an
anti-slayery ianaticism among the people Of the
North as TO render it unsafe to live with them
any longer; that We have got TO be two ma
tons in feeling, and we shall have to be two
in government. We have lived together q long
1t is true we have had our Earrings, our
ouarreling aud our complaints but, it seems,
even in the opinion Of the distinguished gen.
tlcmen upon the other side, We have not in any
thing else, suffered very materially, except that
have been abused in regard to our institu.
tons, and threatened with interference in re-
spect TO our slave property.
But they say there is an irrepressihle con.
h:ct that has grown up between the people OF
the North ard the South, and therv is no lv-
ing together; TINT either the North must sue
coed iu overtnrning the institution of slavery,
nr O Snuth must take tire Institution OF
Saver into its own keeping. | listened, Us ull
If us listened, I have no doubt, with great sa'
t:s:action as we'll as admiration to the u!agnlii'
cent denunciation that was so Justly hurled oy
the gentleman from Albemaric, (Mr. i!oL'
c1MBG,) ut the distinguished Senator from New
York, (Nir. Se~ard,) in regard to his course
upon this subject lie evidently had the aa-
yersary down, aud was likely to Keep him
down, so far as the argument and the denun-
-. L. ,-os. ,or,rDaJ In rha DAYS OF all
Gent c~i,ivalry the victor knight was entitled
TO the ho,se and the armor Of his yanqulsneo
adversary AS lawful spell Of the conflict were
YOU rot, Mr.. Chairman, reminded 81 that an,
Gent usage, when you saw the distinguished
gentleman from .Albemarle brandishi!g aloll
the sword of Seward over the d"nc body OF
his antagonist, proclaiining the irrefresSioie
conaict-in q Southern aspect! iAyp!ause
Is this irrepressiblo ~confi!ctn living thug, CT
is It as dead as the Senator from New York
WIS laid out the other day Its antnor-no'
,.ot the author, hit its great pS"u''ter-in his
alarm at the awful condition Of public atlairi,
has expressed MS willingness, aye, his deter
mination to sacrifice and abandon It; and his
party, in the last CoH9css Of the Unitec
States, have expressed the same willingness:
and the same purpose III an unlnlstakah!c man
per.
We have in ths last Congress this remark
able fact, that vii! not hc controverted, tiiat by
a vote Of two thirds Of both Houses, they
Rave, with u Republican majority, III each
passed and pr5poundcd ior ratification ty the
States of the Union, a constitutional amend
ment which might we'll b- considered as the
epitaptl to be inscribed upon the tombstone Of
-. n>r.-.tl, ,rpiitf.r N institutional
amendment by which it is provided that The
Constitution never shall be anientied 50 AZ to
give the right TO the General Government to
interfere with slavery in tie States, III any re-
spect whatever.
But, sir, what abou: this irrepressible con-
hicL and this great increase OF danger to the
South from the increase of the abolition Senti-
| deny the fact at the onset Sir, the
gentlemen who have addressed this body, |
believe all from that sidc Of the house, have
spoken Of slavery as il it were on the retreat,
as if it were covering before the advancing as
sault, as il it were losing the argument, and
were giving way gradually before the rising
Of Northern iansticis,n. | deny it. Gu
the contrary, | assert with pride, with pleasure,
with satisfaction, taat the institution Of
this day stands upon i footing higher,
stronger. tirmer, than ever il: stood since the
foundation of the world that it stands this
day higher above successful assault. higher in
the estimation Of tue religious. and moral, and
intellectual, and philosophical, aud business
word than ever it stood at any day in its histo-
". Sir, | can recollect--and am not a very old
mani can remember myself when slavery, and
he evil and the sin OF slavery rested upon the
minds and conscience Of the South like Ill in
| can r~ecollect, sir, when it ives oaly
spoken Of by Northern men 10 deDounce it, and
,y Southern men to ofier up feeble apology for
it, existence. That was The condition OF the
public opinion Of the South upon this
when ! first ~recollect it What
8 it now? Sir, since the day when
the Reformation in the Church was pyo-
by the Reformtis, there neyas has
SO wonderful, so thorough a revolu-
ion in public opinion in any country on any
as has occurred ia the -pinion of the
Of the South on the subject Of slavery.
of its being looked upon now as a curse
n u crime it is not only defended, but ju$li-
led. aye, and approved by the South as a sys.
en Of servitude between M Inferior and u SUI
r 'r"", r,nlerrmg benefits and blessings
p il t rn both. Sir, the conscience Of the
;yuth 10 easy. The South stands se~lfacquit.
cd on this subjec. OF our greatest institution
nd our greatest blessing.
What is the condition Of the Northeru mind?
ir, there arc more-and say it without fear
t contradic;ion-there ere more pro slavery
acn in the North than there were in the
Whole earth when ! can first recollect We
ave not only revolu;ionized the mind Of the
.n,th o,A pr,pony.J bar r,la,,,o1 raraparo
I'd and disenthislled from this oppressive
t!,ut bore her down in times past, but
'e have invaded the mind of the North. We
ave gone with them into the school o. phi
and theology, and We have g'arpled
them there, with success in defence Of
MS great institution of the South. Not only
nat, sir, but we have gone into the world at
,rge-into the world Of letters and Of scieaso
nd have carried The defence Of oGr PR c.pies
very where, 20 say the least, With equal iur-
Ine.
And, sir, under circulrs:aJreS like these, at
.iuie like this. are 80 TO lie told that the in
Of slavery is Threatened with over
and !%cs.ructionT No, no! 1t never
TODD so firm as it stands this very day.
But We are told that while all this is true in
cgard 10 tie colrulticn Of slavery sone twenty
r thirty Yeas ago, willie it is true that all
7ere opposed to il then, and thought it a sin,
ct that It was merely 4 passive feeling, that it
i'd not amount to anything, that they believed
to be a sin, but that thai belief Injured no.
ody. Sir, it is the opinion of almost every
IAN | ever heard speak upon the snljacr, that
: Virginia had been let alone b. the fanatics
{ the North thirty years ago. we would not
ave had a slave today, in the broad limits of
Commonwealth. | believe this is admitted
y every body. know that opinion has been
IMPRESSED BY the distinguished gentleman from
.lbemarie, (Mr. l~IoLcoMnr,) IN an address
has given infinite satisfaction to his
aud the public, delivered in the city of
'etersburg, several years ago. Sir, wo were
u danger Of this feeling which the gentleman
GEMS now to think was a mere passive, theo-
eticsl feeling. having nothing OF active prin'
iple about il We were in danger ct that
ay. That danger, thank God, has gone.
Let us now look to the feeling in The North.
is true that there hes been developed III the
forth an active principle Of abolitioniSm. Ii