Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-12-23
MISCELLANEOUS
=. .ls adfory oJi4e Enynir.j:


10 tie Editors ei'I4e H"q"irs':
ra.u orTE &. f.. Virginia, Dec. II. iSO2.
J., Tho seri-weckly ~"f,nIuiIcr" vi the l2th
Instant, | rcsd the article oi"iii:torii's nom
H.. London Times" aad PROPOSE t" cir
Some .omulen.S upon II. | Snait pass over
I'M, main BODY Of his argument rs referring
altogether to a fraction 81 I community h.eAN-
ING off from an iuteg,a; Commensurate AMI
- wholly inapp'icanis to States winch merciy
change their federal relations "'ih "ScH other
and ms Illustrators o. the recognition OF ms"
States. by the British Government. which you
hav. undertaken TO combat, and Viii ct'IFliic
myself TO certain passages, which Tor '"r
reader Of these remarks, aud IN 4 SlaIll ~
fairness, | quote At length.
"Ano:her argument in favor of recognition
has been sought more plausihly than logically
~ the doctrine CT the original sovereignty OF
tho several States. Like most Iallacloils rea-
,,r;ugs, this pretex, has the capital iAult al
,rnvinr TOO much. 1t is introduced to supple
men; and exc ont an insufficient ease. WREN.
:, :,rt. If il were well frunGcd,l 1t would be
>u;sclcn, in ITSELF, without any n%Hju"c.. II
South Carolina is, ami always was, and !nie-
pendent sovereign State, no struggle .or iitie-
DsnOSlCC WIS IisCCS~-- ,
recognition by the European powrrS. In t"IS
view Of the case she might Ct aly time. with
ont An Effort TO throw oil the yoke oIlh Fed
a,., Union. have negotiated 4 treaty "t'
Zealand. AMI Charleston, for Instance, might
h,ye proclaimed q free trade .s,iii, While the
government vi Washington was exactIRg o pro-
l~eciivc duty. Thc argument ulst 60 TINS
ler,,n. or il is rood foT nothing 1T all
,r, .-., :, 49, E,,.., tps tIJ,,p tpn. ha - Mos
chose, To- .hc;r own interests aud 81 G'HrT
10 enhance their ;i.pSIlaTcs, 10 ofSah'H: al-
or.,cp, themselves to the World 81 Il co'lrc
.,ye federal government foreign aat'onS have
ceased 10 have anythingto d"."xr"Ht wlih tiat
-cy.rn1nent, which, for the purpose 0i e.!
foreign relations, the States themselves c"t-
sti.uted, then representative and p!ei';Pc-
en-!a-v. Foreign governments can tHSt
10 more cogniZance OF she internal r"-
l.tions OF the States to the Federal Govern
;ncnt than they can to the PROVINCES q: Aus
.rie, or :hu departments OF France. u IS
strange TIA; those who insist upon This argu-
u,.o. 90 not see that it is absolutely Iata' /"
th., recognition of the South lftle States
are 10 be recognized on account OF their orlSl.
nal sovereignty, it is the several STATES, and
o,t tue Southern Confedcracy which must be
r.r~rn zed. If they ore not to bo bound, aB
regards foreign powers, by their cd articles
# federation, SHY is the new Confpderacy to
he mere obligatory: This doctrine. If '.
proves ANYTHING at all, demonstrates corcln-
siyclv that the South is emily Il partnership
dlss1iubie at pleasure, ans is not I govern
;ara: o: such Il Stable ard permanent i"rm as
ANY foreign State could OF ought 70 rcc"g-
n.Zr."
Here is al explicit admission that, if the
States were sovereign, any reasoning from
SUI premises were swell founded. and would
s.u Sufficient in itself, without any adjunct.
- ensure = recognition OF tbs South. TIL"
sriter then praceeds to lmpugn the sovo'-
eighty Of a State bv saying that South Caro-
hi. might, withou; an effort to throw cit tn:
woke of the Fed raj Union, have negotiated a
treaty with Eug.and." UnquostionatE she
might; but il Is singular thatit did not occur
20 so able p ~r5Y:trr as "iIisturicus, that, when
a State has dcpu,ed certain persons to man
are cer:a'u departments Of lis business De-
yond it's limits, a proper respect Tor itself nv
we'll rs for its co-partnerS would induce the
State first, formally and in the face OF the
world, to anuul the existing arrangc'net, be-
fore it proceeded 10 adopt a different system
ror accomplishing the same Objects. 1t Is
uia,r, at least, shat there could he no deroSa-
tlon from thu Sovereignty Of y State by act
;ng in respect OF its federal arrangements, M
cou-teously and as deliberately as in respect
OF ordinary treaties which all States observe
until they a:o duly annulled.
Asaia, the writer argues that "iroln the
date Ct the Federal Union foreign govern
merr; can oniy act upon Inc States lndir'dn-
ally .hsuugh tiat government, which Is
incidentally true, 50 tong as thai g"rcrmmen!
crisis but toe instant that government
ceases to exist, that is rs soon as the States
change their mode Of conducting their icde'
raj relations, the argument ceases To apply
As &c thc provinces II Austria and the &c
uar:mrutS Of France, to- which the ~rlteI
iikens the several S:a.r", it is obvious to a!
that thoy are but parts OF one integral State
baarin. the same relation to Austria ant
t., France rs the duchy Of Cornwall or The
Welsh counties bear to England, and Cannot
be Chased with States Great Britain has re
cognlz.d, by name and continuously, foi
uiyrc than seventy-Seytn years.
The writer then argIts that, III The South
ern States are to be recognized on account 0
their original sovereignty, it is tho sewers
States, and not the Southern Consederacy
which mnst be recognized" On tins sup
u,siiion OF the writer, that each State l.
sovereign, does it follow that they may no
unite in another federal plan, and act in uni
son hereafter, as they have done heretofore
in ,hei: two previous federal compacts'-
Uaul II. can show that ~ or more sover
eiga States cannot make a federal arrange
men. among themselves for cond' citing thel'
foreign affairs, his inquiry has no'force what
ever.
The mex. point Of "lIistcricus" is not NOR
formidable than the last. lie argues that, ~
tie States are not to be hound. as regard!
foreign powers, by their old articles Of fode
ration, why is the new Contederscy to h'
more obligatory :" This doctrine" he adds
"ifi it prove anything at all, demonstrates tina
the South is only q partnership, dissoluble q