Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-09-01
.AuRmpl'l Enquiirtt .
MONDAY MORNING, AUGUST 81, 1863
SECESSION A POLITICAL NECESSITY.
BY TYLER L. ALLEGRE.


SEUESSIQN A POLITICAL NECESSITY.
There are many in the CouEederacy who,
while they are now ardent Secessionists aud
faithful Coufederates, and are lighting on
every field for our independence, yet still!
,hink, even yet, that the old Union might
have Ieen preserved if only the Northern
section had faithfully observed the Constitu-
ticua! compact. They regard the late Union
somewhat in the light Of any Ordinary part
rership, which might have carried on d profit
able business forever; but that, unluckily,
one Of the partners acted fraudulently, aud
thus made dissolution necessary. Men who
view events in this way, are prompt to admit
that the separation Of the two sections is now
IN ,fai' dccompli, and that since it has uuhap-
pily been forced upon us, We are now bound
TO stand upon it and fight for it to the death;
bu, they do not seem to see that the great
event which is now irrevocable, was always
inevitable: that from the formation of the
Government it was always sure; and that in
stead Of being hurried on by bad faith or
!andtcism," twas delayed and STAYED of
unnaturally long by a. series Of most inge-
nious compromises, whereby each party be-
lieyed i. was parting with some portion of its
rights for the common good.
They regard the dissolution of the Union as
the .egretable destruction Of great living
power, which it was desirable to preserve
but, in fact, it was the falling to pieces of q
dead ausk when the fruit was ripe. 1t was
neither desirable, nor possible, to preserve
tha; any longer, and it may even be said that
the human actors, to whose fanatisism and
fraud the break up is sometimes attributed,
we're unconscious Of any such work. In the
mids; .: all their compromises, negotiations,
eHrts PASSIONATE pledges oflifc, fortune and
si:re i:nH,r to preserve that decaying shell,
whic; was the object of their superstitious
rev"r"nse, the forces Of Nature were working
irre>is,ibIy, the designs Of Providence (not of
man were accomplishing themselves, the
dead she'll Was cracking, bursting, falling into
ruins, and the new existence which it had
sheltered and matured, came ont into full
lft. as
"Th. qack spring Ike " .eds out CT the dead -
This is the view Of the case taken BY Mr.
~ William Henry Trescott in his letter 10 In
s":>ol Of Pennsylvania. He says:
think, then, may fairly claim that, how
ever different from the anticipations and
hopes oi those who founded the old Republic,
Ii" secession Of the Southern States is the
true ami legitimate consequences of the laws
s nntl"nai progress, and those elements
whIeA were from the beginning incorporated
INTO our national life: that it. is, therefore, q
n"rInaI result a Development rather than a
revolution. anu that thus the question which
itls event submitted to tho world has been
a2STars fully and in our favor"
fully IA our favor, inasmuch as no human
hen'S. not an IDIOT, believes that the old Union
can ever be reconstructed; that is as far
pa': redemption as any other bsoken egg-shell
Hnd though both the contending nations which
na'e sprung out il are suffering bitterly and
may have much still to suffer, Gas new births
are aIways attended with sufering)-and al
though we know not yet tho precise form:
"h''a tn" new societies may ultimately as
sumo Yer We know now, or may know, moi
only thai what is past cannot be recalled, bu,
that ii was bound to die, jus. thus and now.
far-sceins men were aware Of it long ago
AMI some mourned over it and prayed that the
cup might pass from tbenl-likc Calhoun
and wished to die before their eyes should see
'a's great calamity; and some regarded il
calmly and accepted it as fact in the order o'
nature and in the DEGREES of Providence
amongst the number of which latter seems Il
''"S" he"n Mr.. Trescott himself, the writer oi
Tue letter in question; who cites some language
Dse1 by himself eleven years ago to this pur.
p'se' eleven years ago he said
And 50 it will be with o,ir own Constitu.
.S'" NE clements Of constitutional liberty
+;;sF is ne slightly varied in their action under
"e'e"' governments; but they will act with
- ts!: ior they hare been incorporated into
~, ~: national character. The experiment in
s.'.I"a W. By our fathers will receive it's high
w., -, ;,.'1s'Tat'on. and . continent of grea. re-
gu u'N'' equal. independent and allied, will
'"'Sn.'ra'c ,o,, u the world the capabilities of
tt:uIS4can, w. constitutional government. That
w., = ss"!nt,on of the Union must come. even
40, s,,''0s the present agitation, Mt no distant
l:.. l:s i almost historical necessity: for the
.'''E Of the world is the record of the ac.
S,.;Sn S5s,Gn and dissolution of great empires:
ns s"p.i'ai Individuality seems to be the agent
=. ,,1 1ItI'Fidence in the conduct of the world,
r;,u r:o "a',nc in the extension Of our terrific
nI,,.'he !" 'he evtremest Western verge accom-.
b,"sa ab,n, the first part of our destiny, we are
ss,s. "S. !" t"lh'l the second in creating those
;pn'a'e t;dp"S1' national interests and individual na
is is ;a neeu'arities, tn the a,trition of which
mnI. tIs The varied and brilliant civilization Of
s,, "a believe that the interest. Of the sobtb.
dan. m V'untrv demand separate and indepen.
bs, soSernm"nt.. We believe that the time
sb .,ms .n when such government can be es.
j, .ssa ssaea 'emperatsly. wisely, strongly. But
esae TIM separation, we waaia not dis.