Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-05-21
rertre Aession of the Provisional Congress
OF Confederate States
rutpTreSTH DAY.

ses.ion of the Provislonal Congress
OF Confederate States
THIRTEENTH DAY.
u~osrooyrRT, Ala, May l9.-Congress met
to day at noon, and alter prayer oy the t.ev'
Mr.. Till, the journals we're read and approved
Mr.. Rhett of South Carolina, moved that an
additional nc mber be added to the committee
On foreign affairs, which was agreed to.
Mr.. Hale, Of Alabama, moved that the Pres.
;dcn. a~ppoint a member to ill the vacancy
caused 10y the resignation Of Mr.. Clayton on
the committee on the judiciary.
Congress then wont into secret session.
Congress- subsequently removed secresy from
the following report. although tho report had
not been adopted:
Tile Report Of the Committse o" FoTs'gn
dfui1s on the President's Message, Retd
tina to the AJairs bst1osen the CVnftdsratt
and the United States.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs 10 "non
voa referred so much of the Presidents Mes
SAFE as relates to the aff,lrS OF tue Confederate
States with the United States, respectfully TO
port: ..r,o,;o, rs ,bc
facts and principles involved in the contest De
tween the Confederate Stata and tho Un'teo
States. which tho Presidents Message con
,a;ne constitutes q vlnd!catlon OF tho course
nf The Confederate States, which ought to sat
isfy the world Of the justice OF thelr cause
But all who propose to change the genera
order Of things amongst nations, stand OF as
advantage. They are looked upon as assalllng
,hs neace of the world; and hence those whc
weak Nm q long established Government and
fact thereby the interests nf other nations, owe
- ~ ,ba,u a. well rs themselves, 10 mako the
;,s,;fcotinn Of their course as complete as pos
lille The contest between the Confederate anu
the United States, is not merely q contest o.
car Wars too often determine nothing, but
which cation is the stronger OF oravest. LUIS
contest is q contest for Constitutional govern
mont. in which the interests OF all MANKIND are
concerned. Your committee therefore pro-
pose, on the wide subject committed 70 lnem'
briefly to present some yless IN support OF Lie
Presidents positions, which may not De use
less in Calculating tho relations between Inc
Confederate aud tue United States
The rea, issue involved in the relations
between tn. North and tho South o.
the American States, is the great principle OF
selfgovernment. Shall a dominant party OF
the North rule the South, or shall the people
of the South rule themsclyest This is the
great matter in controversy. After !ae lapse
Of eighty. four years, this party oil the SortH
set up the same pretension the britlsh tarita
ment claimed over our ancestors m ltio. !s
the British crown c%onteDded, that the British
Parliament was ounipo,ent in It's legislation
OYER the Colonies, 10 lt..' Northern people no"
contend, that the Congress OF tho Oh'teo
States, through their insjprity, is osunipoten'
in its legislation over tho people OF the SOUTH
Whilst tho North-tht stronger section oi the
Union-wus not united in using its power III
Congress, the Southern people tolerated tho
union with them. Although n sectional mi
noritY, they were not necessarily ruIcc BY Inc
majority section, however despotic were III
principles, until that section became united II
the use Of its sectional power. That union
was effected in the late Presidential election
On the fiscal operations Of the government 10
the laying and the expenditure ot the taxes
they were previously not sufficiently united
completely to rule the South. The party weight
OF the South, and Inc ability and skill OF its pub
lie men, kept them At bay; whilst the people I"
the Northwest, being like the people Of tho
South, al agricultural people, were generally
opposed to the protective tariff poilcy--tb'
grand scc:ionaliSi1s fundamentally OF tH'
North. They we're allies Of the South, to ds!ea
this policy. Hence it has been Only partially
and occasionally successful. To mako |
complete, and to render the North omnipeten
to rule thu South, the division in the NORTH
must be healed. To accomplish this object
and to scc:ionaiise the North, the as'taiIoT
concerning African slacery in the South ~a'
commenced. This Institution was purely sec
,ional, belonging 10 thu South. Antagonist
to it IN the Noctu Must also uc sectional. Ih'
agitation would Unite the South against tint
| North. AS much rs it united the North againsI
the South; but the North being the strorgei
section, would gain pnwer by the agitation
Accordingly, after the overthrow OF the TART
of 1928, bY tie resistance Of South Carolina II
1s9a, rho agitation concerning the institution
Of Africac slavery III the South was iinlna
diat.ly commenced in the Congress OF the
United States. It was taken up by Int
Legislatures Of The Northern States; ant
upyn one prctext or another III mud ou1
Of Congress, it has beea p~ursaeti ir0rr
that day 10 the fall Of 1850, when i; ended
in the election Of Il Presidsa. and VICE Prssi
dent Of the United States, by u purely sec
:;onaI support. The great end wns at ls'
| obta;uec. IT q united Nori!: Ia rule the South
The first fruit The sectional despotism thu'
elected produced, was the tariff lately pasSe!
by tho Congress- Of the United States ~
this tariff the protective policy is renewed II
its most Odious end oppressive forms, ana tht
AGRICULTURAL States are nat!c tributaries to the
manufacturing SLates- Il has reri7ed the EyS
tenn of specil: duties, by which, the cheapei
HI article becomes, from the progress OF art OF
the superior skill o! forcigls manufacturers
| the higher is the relative tax il imposes. Spe
cifc duties, is tho expcdieut Of high taxation
to enforce its collection. This tariff illustrates
the oppressive policy Of the North towards thu
South, and aboands in high taxation by specific
duties. IL is q war or tue foreign o
the country, in which the Southern pe"plr are
| chiefly Interested. Exclusively sn agriculture
people, it is their policy to purchase the mana
~iacture,l commodities they need in the cheap
est market. These ara amongst the nations d
Europe, who consume hve-siXtha O. th'
agricultural productions Of the South
Tho late tariff rassei by tbs Congress o
the United States, was designed 10 force
the Southern people, by pronibitory duties, 't
consume the dcsre7 manufactured coInmo1ltles
! Of the North, instead OF ttls cheaper contnodl
ties of European nations What is this bu'
robbery Doesit not take from one citizen 81
section and giTe 10 another? The i"rrIgr
trade Of tho United States, has always eceI
carried on, BIZ our agricultural rroductinns.-
Our exports, are the basis Of tho imports, .
the United States. Upon what principle .
Justice or Of the Constitution, have the leop't
Of the North interSereh between lis and GU
natural customers, AID forced us by the use o
tn, Federal Gocernnent-!aYing ProhIhi;2rj
duties en- he production Of foreign liaticnS-
to cousun,s their productions: Shall We no
have the right to deal directly with laos" "h'
CONSUME our agricultural! productions, and "h'
IN return can supply us with their cheate
manufactured commodities. If foreign nat'on'
can sell US freely their manufactured eommo
ditivs, in consequence Of their greater cheap
hess, call they not atf3rh TO give us more To-
our cotton? And if va pay less for tbcir
manufactured commodities, are We net 81