Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-15

We will deceive ourselves, and bring trouble
upon ourselves and our children If we act upon
any such theory, or take it for granted that
the slavery and the Territorial questions are the
only points upon which the Federal machine
nv, under the control or guidance of hated
faction may be turned against us. With
out any violation of the Constitution, this
machinery is so contrired, that it may, by an
unscrupuloas majority, be turned against US in
a thousand ways As for example. under the
present Constitution, the majority in Congress
might, in times of p, ofound peace shut up the
ports Of the South by simply repeating the law
establishing them rs ports Of entry. II they
have the will and tho votes, they have the
power.
Again. the majority, mpeiled on by passion,
might enact, that no Shareholder should be ell
gible to any Office of honor, profit or trust
under the Federal Government. 1t may be
said that such q law would be unconstltutlon'
al but, in such II case, who would pronounce
upon its consttutionality? ask, what Court
pronounced the personal liberty bills uncohstl'
tutional?
The faction that can make such law,
would not scruple to pack the Courts that arc
to interpret 1t. :,
Nay, has not Virginia declared that she will
resist by force Of arms, if need be, the coer-
cion Of u seeding State Suppose the ConIeii-
ton accepts one or the other Of! these two plans
Of compromise rs the basis Of an adjustment,
will not the North, having the votes have the
power, if they have the will, to pass, under the
forms Of the Constitution, law for coercion,
and would not that law bind Virginia, or drive
her out of the Union In that case, how per-
manent would any such settlement be?
Since the country is thus unhappily divided
the fact of the sectional division has to he recog
nizcd in any plan Of adjustment, and tue South
can accept no pian-thc South ought not 10 ac'
cept any plan. Tho North should not re salts.
fed with any plan which places tine future
peace and quiet OF the country upon Il 'olin-
dation SO insecure as provisions Oh paper.
The minority section must have her own
honor and safety liz her own hand. She can
not, any more than the majority section trust
them ~ parchment alone.
The Youth of The country have, on both
Sides partakcn deeply "f the sectional prcln-
dccs, animosities and feelings whics! are agi.
tatiny the nation In q few years they Will
be guiding the car Of State; they will have
the reim Of government IN their hands, and
We should now anticipate The possibility Of
rougll.driving aud guard against it
Any adjustment that is now made must en-
able the Union to withstand the shock OF any
faction" and of all fanatics or fire eaters, come
whence they mav-wi,h what cry they choose
or under what banners so ever they please.
Thus we are brought TO the conclusion that
neither the Crittenden nor the Border States
Compromise can give, for the future, peace and
quiet to the country, any better guaranty than
Congressional Compromises hitherto have done :;
Like these have been, they may, by factions,
be rendered Of no avail Nor can any other Com
promise, whether made in or out OF Congress,
Withstand the assaults of INSCRIPTIONS and Sec
tional ,najorties, il i, fail to place in the hands
Of the minority section the means Of protect
my itself against assaults. What is the ma,
tuTc Of that guaranty, and what other mutual
concessions and compromises are necessary on
both Sides to give to the present settlement the
elements of stability, will be subject Of the
next number. NJ |.