Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-05-21

rethcr and make q Union and Constitution.
Can either Of them deny this right to the
other, consistent with any principle of good
faith or honore Is it not q moral, rs well as a
political law, clearly obligatory upon them
1t is true that every people arc not capable
OF self.government. The selfrestraint and ooe-
dience to law, which are absolutely necessary
to maintain free governments, are not common
to all the people Of the world. Instead OF rul'
ing themselves, they may attempt to rule
others; and the right to self-government may
be so abused as to justify the use Of defensive
force from within to enforce justice, or from
without, by other nations, to protect them
selves. The people Of the North cannot say
that the people Of the South are incapable
of ruling themselves. They cannot say, that
by assuming a separation from them, we
take from them any guarantee they possess
for their liberties We leave them in no con-
dition Of weakness amongst the nations oil
the world. We set up no monarchy or des-
potism on their borders, dangerous to their
forms Of free Government. We take the Con-
s~titution under which they live, and purging
it of the faithlcss and vicious interpretations
they have put upon it, adopt it as our own
Such reasons as these do not, therefore, gov
ern their hostility. They sndesvor to coercc
US into a union with them, by military force,
with a view Of ultimately oyer,hrowing our
domestic institutions, over which they have
constitutionally no control, or simply because
we are useful to them, as convenient sub
iccts and most excellent tributaries.
1t is true the President Of the United States
and the great leaders Of his party declare thal
49, b,,, h,J NJ Io,,1p ,rhutovnr fn ooonil or
interfere with the institution Of African slave
ry ia the States But the laws Of party pro
gress, are soruetimes as memorable as the laws
Of nature. That they have no design, al
present, Of interfering with slavery in the
States, nlny be simply because they supposed
that it would dissolve the Union. Nor have
they agitated the subject ofslavery from any re
gard TO the negro. 1t is not humanity which
has dictated this agitation. 1t has been policy,
In the sectional dominion they propose to es
Ia b!ish in the Union every free State is an ally
every slaveholding State an enemy. Hence tbs
struggle in our territories between the free ant
slaveholding States, has not been q struggle
for tho emancipation OF slaves. II has been d
contest for power between the two great sec
tons Of the Union. The South needing the
aid Of slaveholding States arising in our terri
tories, to protect herself in the Union; and the
North requiring them to assist her in the great
enterprise of ruling the South. But there is
marked difference in this contest, between the
two sections of the Union, in the matter O.
principle. The Southern people, in claiming a
right 70 settle in territories with their slaves,
assert n right sanctioned by the Constitution,
The Northern people, in attempting to pre-
c!ude tho Southern people, By the Legislation
Of Congress, from our territoris, war against
the Constitution. This is the declaration Of
the Supreme Court Of the United States. |;
the Northern position has prevailed by the late
Presidential election, US the Northern people
maintain, it has overthrow the Constitution.
For By this result a party hostile both to the
Constitution and the decisions Of the Supreme
Court, have been placed in control Of the gov
crnmcnt. This alone would justify &
dissolution Of the Union. Abolish the Con.
slitution, and tie Union is destroyed. But
the purport of the late Presidential cleo
ton goes further than this. 1t places
a sectional party over the Government,
which claims despotic sway over the South.
This party not only proposes 10 substitute
their arbitrary will for the Constitution, bnl
by the denial Of the right Of secession, to close
up the South forever to their sectional dolHi'
nation.
I, is absurd 10 suppose, that any people
will allow another people, because they
have different institutions, TO overthrow theiI
institutions. Any people may assimilatc theii
institutions amongst themselves; but no peo'
pie have a right to dictate the institutions of an
II ...lo VITAL. Ill ,Ln C,,to, ,o-p
posing the United States, should be slavchuld'
ing or non.sluveholding States, neither the
Northern nor Southern States ought to have
permitted to he q question in the politics o.
the United States. Such a question was deroga
tory 10 both sections Of the Union, and the States
composing them. But when it originates with
the North-the stronger section, whose iDsti.
tutions could not BIO affected By the South,
tho woaEor Eectian-tha intention could moi
be misunderstood 1t was designed, despite
| the Constitution, to unite the North against The
South. That there is o grea: difference between
! the institutions Of the North and the South,
mono will deny; but whether the institutions
of tho North have the elements Of greater
stability for maintaining free popular govern
mcn., may well bs questioned. The South
has tho institution OF African slavery, with
four millions Of slaves. Their slaves hare no
political power. The white man is a priv,
legged msn. lie alone rules the country /;
whilst the offices Of servitude are performed
by tho slaves. With tho North it is differ.
ent. They have a laboring and dependent
class, who perform the services Of the slaves
in the South, but they are voters. With
universal suffrage they influence and may
control the elections, and through the cleo
lions, the government. The evil day, when
those who own no property will be the major
ity a. the polls, may be put of for q time. 1t
has been put off in the North, by our vast
vacant territory, and the Union with the South,
showering upon them III artificial prosperity.
But the evil day aust como at last, and may
not be far distant. Nearly every corner Of
Europe, acknowledges its existence. And
when that day comes, will their free in.
stitutions stard the conflict which must ariseS
Will property be protected from c%onfsca
ton and appropriation Will non property
holders live in want and starvation, with their
government in their hands, BY which they
can, by all the foruIs Of law. take the property
of the country for their subsistence and relief?
No craftsmanship can prevent wnnt. When
the day arrives a, the North, Of a super.
Astounding population and want, what will be-
come Of their free institutions They will,
indeed, have IAN irresponsible conaict'-but
it will be between capital and labor. The des-
p~otisIn they are so ready 10 extend over the
South, may be extended over themselves.
Nearly al the political contests in the Uni.
ted States, have originated from violations OF
the Constitution. Anticipating that they
would be the majority power in tho Union, the
people of the North have steadily upheld the
pnlicy of setting aside the Constitution, and Of
thus rendering tho government Of the United
States omnipotent in its legislation. They have
endeavored to drain the treasury. To carry
on internal improvements, and at The same
time ny its exhaustion, to afford 4 pretext for
higher tariff dutrs 10 replenIsn 1t. They
pushed their expressions. by the tariff, to such
an extent in 1928, that the whole South pro.
! tested against it; and when one of the Southern
States resisted it, and a compromise was effect,
i L. --L.~L 49, o., N ~,.nr, . - ho ,p,l,.o a..l