Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-05-02
Lrrcin ,h. Hartford tccuu) Times, April lsl

rrcin IL. IIaGt'o:d tcCpu) Times, April ~
.iaOL!ri0T OF SLAVE fN W-iSHiNGFOH.
uo President has signed the hill aholshine
slavery ii the District Of COiumhia.
We look Upon this measure as orc oi the
,GGsl important rvcr passed hy Congress. II
involves vital interests 10 The Union. Under
'fln Comr!um;3n ACT VI 1850, il wsa fairly m
,'s,8;,,,d that S!aTcry in the District Of Goluln
h", surrounded hT slave States, should not b;:
a0oii:hca.
/. Sas taf2 hat tbo Abo'itonis,s began
t,,cir work, years ago, which has eliminated
ia cur present gricvous troubles. Here the
;'ou;huFn maG became rCstivc uujer Inc Abo
lton attacks, ard the Ena consunm1tion Of
:he ACT SO long and persiscnliy pressed by the
thc'itlonists, viii add a very treat obstacle
:, The difficulties which mns1 necessarily Mt
send the efforts to secure n fn&l settlement
altar the Southern armies arc defeated. 1t
viii 81 'eng;hen The disunon Rcntimnnt g, the
SjI::I, n !. tine when the general measure OF
Government shuad he so d!rcctrs! as 10 y a:k.
~ ACCESSION and add to tic moral i.G~er Ct
tEc llonsts.
H. lie President really anticipates s.ttla-
.;;i, bringing back The old Unica rs il MAS
f'' lAsbt lhc NV w IL lilC
South IN the strength Of Tho rohl:c continent,
anu without lha presence OF standing army,
We ere surprised That 10 should have sane
toned this measure Of Abolition Practically
II frees no slaves except those who arc bur-
then q their masters. The able and valuable
slaves viii DC sent away. Indeed, thnY have
already been sent into neighbOrng slave
States leaving fe Government TO pay $3.50
each for 10000 GGelc"S and worthless negroes,
VITO might have 5etn obtained ufon & good
h"!d lls; they uould he well cared for durlag
lfr. Bu' The payment from the United States
Treasury oI S...5pO,upJ makes them free, and
most Of them will eventually bacdmo tax
nDoR t1e District
Marriend hrd Virginia hnvc siwnys hcen
sensitive upo:: this question Of Abolition in the
District O! Columbia. II max es FL area Of 0
miles square Tor .uelr runaway negroes, and is
piuw upon tEaii institution Of slavery. It
rIi anscniler biler feelings in. those States,
md gvc every ranling secessunist Of the
South one Of the strongest arguments to prop
up his canse- Swiftly this news will spread
over the South, and it will be seized upon to
lntame the public mind upon The great issue
which they have pressed that the party in
power has one Object, and that is abolition
The claim that TINS ch,rgo is uatru. will not
!rGatly weaken iis torco Mt the South, whero
!, will be claimed that all parties heretofore
:.Tu stood pledged against the abolition OF
slavery in the District, ard that the Repnbli-
cab party a; Chicago did not dare to put such
an issuo in its platform Of MEASURES. Had it
,'onr 30, divided and unfortunately weakened
rs lie Democracy were, in that campaign, MIR.
Lincoln would have been defeated.
Bat il will be said the rebellion is so wicked
tfs' tia South have forfeited all claims upon
tic Compromise Of 1850, and they have no
right to ask that an abolition act shall not be
passed. 1t is true there are men at the South
--dissolHtionIs'a al heart, unconpromi misngly
so-whose feelings are not to be regarded
Bui STILL, il rs Important, If our Union is
really to bs preserved, to impress upon the
minds OF the people Of the South-those who
arc 10. ancompromisingly dissolutionists-
the fact, ii it is fact, that this is not an abo.
lition war. The majority Of the Southern
people must act with us as friends--they must
protect the execution Of the laws, IS we do Mt
the North. OlherTise vast standing army
must be kept in the Southern States TO pro.
tcct the mails, tho custom houses, and the
United States Courts. |: is no settlement Of
difficulties 10 doica; the secession armies
Unless majority Of The people at the South
are willing to come back TO the Union-to
elect members TO the Federal Congrcss-to
eustaia the Federal courts, we shall haze no
Union.
And hog long can the North support an
army at the South, large enough TO keep an
n nnfyiapdlr nennlu in auhitctioD To Co1stitu
tionsl laws Not long. In this view Of the
case, va lock upon tho nte Abolition act as
irsugh, with consequences OF vast evil. In.
deed, We hope and trust that the Administra-
ton does not already contemplate separation
ol even 1nc cotton States from the old Union.
Let lis sustain the Union rs it was-all parts arc
essential TO the great prosperity NO havc wit
reSscd iii past years-essential 700, for tie
glory snd powcr of the Republic.