Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-08

she would feel, but Ear greater evil in the en-
tire subverson Of our industrial pursuits, the
Withdrawal OF labor not in competition with
her own, and tho introduction in its place OF
swarms of hungry and desperate competitors.
What she needs is capital. not competition,
and if the East lourishcs, its capital will seek
Investment in the " est.
We arc now crushed by Northern compe-
tition, cut off by high tariff from Europe, and
.hc Southern States our Gully customers, and
with manufactures springing into existence in
the Southern CoDfcderacy under the protection
Of their revenue tariff. We are between the
upper and the neither mill stone and | verify
believe we shall be ground to powder. We
must bear in mind that We are not assembled
% consider whether We will remain US we were,
hut whether We shall rest in the new and
perilous position in which we now And our
selves, meneced Ivy political overthrow a;.t
commercial ruin.
Three courses are PROPOSED to US by the
Committee on Federal Relations. First, that
We shall demand guarantees, (most insufficient
in nv upinion,) and give the North their own
time to answer. Second, that we shall demand
much more satisfactory guarantees, and hA
time for the response; and, third, that we
shall make no further tiruIands hut shall dis
solve our connection with the North.
My objections to the FIRST aud second plsrs
proposed are very great, to the first they arc IN
surmountable.
believe that no application for adequate
guarantees to lhe Northern people will DC sue
ccsslul. 1t is an appeal 10 the constituent
BODY from the public functionaries who have
. le,lied such guarantees. II is, in efsct, to
stirmatizs the leading public mcn Of the North
to charge them with nisreprescutins Their peo-
, ole, aud to challenge lheiu TO trial 81 inc
charge before that people as judges We Win
40 means of access to the Northern people,
with all their prejuiices, sectional, scclal ana
nolitica against US, expect to prevail over their
Tried aud trusted leaders, connected Win 'aem
: by ties of blood party, Of social intercourse,
sharing their syupathies and prejndiceS. ~ielo'
:. ing the power Of State and Federal Govern
: ment, and forced by cuc ttiaI 81 '''S i'sH.n.
y where victory or political death arc t'e o''y
alternatives To expect success IN Such con-
test seems to me chImerlca III inc last .; S'es'
. But this plan not only pi"l''''' !" 'lAe us
+ again, cup in hand, through the weary ,on:'u
a of supplicaton, but fixes no limit u 'n'S ,''S.
' astrous if not degrading experiment NJ"
. long Shall it last? Is It 10 he one, W. VI
:, three years, us Mr.. SeHard 6usseS'S: M.
!. to stand for an indefinite period, Win o.' III
. dustry paralyzcd, our people ieSerish auu ...,
,,a:icnt. our manufacturers r"',ly ~ .h'e'"
4 in sssrrh Of their customers? Such delay will
J. he rninons il will bankrupt our met camille
u community. Already they have chNuFSo
sconies and bav. shawn extraordinary powers
!. OF endurance But these powers ought not ~
be taxed beyond all reason.
And while ne are thas dallyinS by the way
u s;d. the i,ppcrial throne "f Southern com
merce, now vacant for our occupahc., WAL De
II seized by some more cnterprlsEs riVa'' ana
: when at the end Of cur unwiSe delay, We ma
ourselves compelled to quit the Morrill, at'u u. Il
J.; with people exhausted End ln,po'grlsneu .!
Il they dreadful process to which they nave oeen
. subjected to grasp the advantages CT 'he
Southern trade, we shall End |. occupied 70 ali
j. its branches and be forced to contend win
: riv.,;s where We could have entered US lriehus.
But sunpose we obtain favorable answer from
: the North and the South, in the meantime nav
: ing consolidated it's Cuniedtracy and resting
y in Quiet from the assaults Of abolltio;l, dc-
: cline 10 live again urdsr Northern rule.
what then will be our Situati0n-separated
: from our friends. connected With our cneailes,
cut off from our customers, delivered over 10
: our competitors and forced 10 compensate our
selves for this vast injury with proper. suaFah-
tees of our lights to be interpreted BY those
. from whom they have been eStoEtea:
Mr.. Chairman, far better will II be ior Us "
: risk rupture with the North than separation
from the South One will not irJure US per-
; manently-the other will undo Us quite.
II. however, we are to make another hppl!ca-
: ton TO the North, let MS at least hint Tue
!, 4 time for the response. Let our people see inc
y end of this state Of suspense. Let Inc entsr'
;. rising company which has jus; liianGura'eo IL
y heavy expense direct trade between TINS E'o;!
! and Liverpool, know whether their SHIPS shall
. load their return cargoeS, under prohlollo'S
, u under a revenue tariff; whether tug return
{ trade is to be annhi,nted or fostered Give our
= people reason to expect speedy emo 70 'n a.
" middle stale between the North and South,
e and tLey can shape their business accordingly;
keep them in suspense anu 1t viii ere lo!e
E shape itself =,
a In NV Judgment, the safest, the best ana t'1S
most honorable course, is to abrogatc the exist
ing Union, so far as ne are concerned, anu &c
> mite ourselves with the Confederate States
. # the South.
Our right 10 do so need not u proved a!ie'
the lucid and statesmanlike exposition OF our
Federal SYSTEM by the charman o. me Com
mittee OH Federal Relations. Nor do WISH
=. to detan the Convention by an enumeration o.
the lust grounds for separation rom the North
that has been done so frequently as to require
no repetition.
, One grievance, however, his not yet received
the attention its Importance demands. Inc
greatest of all wrongs, one which in Ny ludg'
; !nert would require separation from the North
il th=y had never otherwise injured Us, IS the
translation of anti-slaycryIsm 10 power the
change from passive Seat!mcht to er'r5etic ac'
ton. While the anti.Slayery sentiment was
n,r,ly speculative VIZ mad no right TO cvln'
nlain: but now that it has become an efficient
; agent in the government, II IS no longer sa'e
for slave State to remain under that govern,
. ment
Take the history Of aboition;zed Govern
ments and it is history Of abolltionlzed peo,
pie. Lock at England, France. Denu'sr';' ana
at their magnificent Colo-.iesi the = iris oil inc
Antilles, sacrificed without renorSe. Lock a.
Russia Abolition mounts the throne and Serl-
dom disappears What right have We 70 r%,
: pect better things from our GorcrnnenE u!
:. the Constitution restrain It Abolition VIII
soon have the power ~ make that What IL
plcases, and as the gentleman from Augusta,
iMr. SrrARr) veil said IL h,S excellent rc?nrt
ud Ia, Harper's Ferry raid, 'lne whole argu'
!, tment against thu ertensionof slaveryis soon 10y
a very Slight DETECTION, made to bear asIli'sL
sthc existence of slavery, and thus the arttex'
.tcl,,ion idea is merged in that OF abolition.
Accordingly we find, notwithstanding tic de-
snial by the Republican party Of any purpose
TO interfere with slavery where it EXISTS, that
'te tendency of its policy Is to lis eA .rEhiT =
st;on every where"
This disposes most satisfactorily OF the denial
OF our Chief Magistrate i'll his inaugural,
pleasantly characterised by Senate. Wilson, OF
Massachusetts,, as III luild and genial ns;ru'
men;,'l Of any intention to interfere Nth
slavery in lllc States. This distinguished