Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-08-18
and Connecticut as law for Virginia and the

o.. 49,
/ and Connecticut as law for Virginia and the
South. :.
This new power, IN such hands, IL
destined to become an engine Oh pcrSecu
ton to US of the South, aud 1t requires
40 gift of secund.siSht to tell the uses o.
tyranny to which it will soon be applied
among their own people in the free States
Northern men may now look with complacency
nm this policy exertcd at the South. They see
our captured cities garrisoned by negro regi
ments, and our people insulted in their help
lesstcss. They may oven rejoice IN negro
conscriptinn, as to that extent it relieves then
own population. They do not see, however
That this new power. controlled By this ambi.
tious party. may, and soon will, be turned
upon their own liberties und their own safety
1t must be borne in mind that there IS q
fearful contest going on i'll the Tree otates to
Dust the Abolitionists from power. lie grea'
body of the people in those States are averse
TO slavery en- principle, and would GLADLY see
it abolished by the free and unconstralneo
choice of the Southern States but they icei
It. to be a subject over which they have No
rivhtful authority, and with which they have
no lawful co~ncernment. II {. be sinful, 1t Is
not their iniquity; if it be Il banelul aud
blichtiug evil, they are free from its bitterness
and untouched by its poison. This majority
are content to keep their own garments white
| and ~unsullicd, and to leave 1t with the South
| ern people to judge for themselves OF their
own morality and Of their own best interests.
The great body of these people in the be-
| ginning had respect for the law and the Con-
| stitution, which bound the States together,
and forbade one section to impose upon ano-
| Their its peculiar habits Of thought, its peculiar
morality or it's peculiar religion. They were
| ,nyeigled into this war under n belief that Its
| aims and purposes were lawful and patriotic.
rhev. however. now find the war prosecuted
| for objects unsanctiCned by any r~retence OF
lawful authority.
The abolitioniSts who subordinate all other
| rights to the supposed rights of the negro, Will
hold to the power they weld with desperate
| tenacity. Their dogma is that the end Justl-
ies the means. They have not been stayed by
constitutional inhibitions to assault the safety
# the Southern States-nOr has the constltu-
ton been heretofore regarded in relation to
heir own people. who have ventured to oppose
their reckless u$urpations Of power.
Will there be in the future : greater regard
for the rights Of the Northern citizen? Viii
this party, possessed of powcr-dHe. possessed
Of Mis nc1r ~rorni!' the negro $"kiier'' quiet
" submit 10 &c dragged from their high places
and to have their Who'll" plan "r abolition sub
ycrted merely out of respect to 4 constitution
and laws which thcv'thuS hab!tuaily violate
and trample upon!
The peace party and the party who desire
to conduct the war for lawful ends, | have not
l doubt, arc greatly the majority in the free
States. If the laws are rcSrcctcd they will
| take the reins of government in their "
hands. Will the governing party submit to
the laws and be thus deposed? Hare they here
taf6re Submitted to tie trammelS ofiar! BE as
,ur.d that excuses will not be wanting 10 intro
| luce the solder on this field ofangry contest.
| Then, when the negro soldier, armed u tho
teeth, and commissioned by abolition authority
stands ut the polls as arbitrator Of elections :;
and when q black police, to protect the negro
citizen. parades their STREETS, the Northern
maioritics will feel the sting Of their own
Observation-Disclosures. They will then realize in
heir own cases the beautiful alleSory OF the
French moralist, who, in illustration of the
necessity of a watchtul forecast on part OF
rulers, tells his pupils the fable of the country
nan and the king Of the forest trees which,
Cor its appnSitencss, | will abreyiate:
On n certain occasion, in the early history
Of the world, q countryman was seen roaming
through q beautiful forest of stately trees,
with an unhclvcd axe in his hand. The man
coveted the rich soil OF. the forest for purposes
IF agriculture, but lacked a handle for his
axe. Keeping his own counsel. he approached
the king ofthe forest trees with 4 request that
he might be allowed the Use of Il small piece
Of wood for Il hclvc for his axe. representing
that, possessed of this agency, he could read
ily cut out the knntty and crooked trees which
defnrmed his mnieSty's domain. The un-
thoughtful monarch granted the request, and
discovered. when too late. that the agency
which could cut out the crooked trees. could
also fell the whole forest, and subdue 1t to tire
purposes ot the designing countryman.
| will not dwell on the moral Of this fable.
1t must be clear to the understanding Of all
thinking men that Lincoln's Administration
has proceeded on a well digcs;cd plan of ac-
ton. Destruction Of sldre,y IN the Southern
States has been from the first the fixed object
Of that fanatic,l party. The war, rs l have
demonstrated in these chapters, was an indis-
pensablc step in the progress to their purpose.
Management. and system, and design, mark.
cd every step of their advance | caution the
Northern mainritics that all this method, and
system, and progress has not been by chance
and accident. Ii behoovcs them to watch
,hese cutters down of 'fhc crooked ami DE-
formed trees" lest the forest Of their own lib
critics be the next sacrifice. Constitution and
laws have been no protection TO the South
WHY should they be any obstruction at the
North to their unrightcous purposes.