Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-10
rnE ;. ENQulRENsa FRoGRAMME.

To the Editor Or tte lVhig:
For SOME time pa t scheme for the termination
OF The. wax which now presses upon US so heavily
has been discussed M political Cncles-a scheme 50
,,iI and - much IA cOnIlCt with the interests Oi
tb. southern people, that it was scarcely thought
,rnEable it wound ever Ice seriously submitted Tor
pubhc consideration. Bur 1t has t'length assumed
., Unite shape Ii appears IN he columns oi the
Richmond EUQuWp M the lofm oI clearly stated
r,uositiuu That joE.nal deliberately commits It
eit 10 the support OF the policy Of inviting England
md France TO recognize Us upon misunderstanding
bat slavery shall be abolished IN all the States.
Nothing could more clearly illustrate the Eiqui-
RES spO udent estimate ot the state OF our affairs
than THIS proposition. We are engaged IN great
..sr II has ragged with increasing iury for nearly
t,ur.vesrs IL has brought upon las such suffering
var - Idom brings upon people Unparalleled he
roism mas been displayed Oy our troops. Everything
dear 20 US a. people Is sta6ed upon the contest
N-Ly WAS the revolution undertaken Eet us iOr
oueut recuT ~ the stale % the country when these
southern states sOlemnly seeded IRON the Unlyn
which had been formed under The guiding hand OF
Washington, and which had conducted lis TO d Splen
did national destiny Our power was imperial. Our
.tigbal domain extended IRON the ST. Lawrence,
inch rolls iis waters glong the line where winter
asserts It's sway down 10 the almost tropical plains
ri Texas while the TWO great OF the world
washed our eastern aud western boundaries. Our
FERTILE lands yielded the richest products Of the
world The Constitution guaranteed our rights
The supreme Court had uttered its imposing ylndi-
,t NJ tl our rights as a SlavehOldiRg people IN terms
h. Irsad rs they could nave been written this hand
of Calhoun had traced them. Such was our nation
n pr5sperity. Such was our Stdi1S In the govern
nents.
The triumph OF party which denied our right to
hold oUy slaves in the Territories reused our people
40 an Indignant purpose TO withdraw from q govern
neut which was 10 be administered by chief chosen
IN utter disregard Of the spirit Of the Constitution.
PHe war opened its dread drama. Its grand scenes
have been revealed TO the eyentfui years have
swept on.
Today it is proposed that we shall invoke the aid
n tyo great pOwerS-twO powers most hostile to the
ierv:interest which thought ieoparded by al
iiance with the United States. Upon what terms is
II proposed 10 invite their recognition Of indie
Uendence as people By drawing from them sym
nathv in our unequal but heroic struggled By OBJ
tainug from them sipuations tor the protection Of
the institution which have heretofore seduOuSly
guarded By negotiating treaty with them which
hail enable rs 10 lock shields with theirs and
level our lauCes against cur enemies until they con-
cede 10 Us the right 10 ENJOY the possession OF our
slave property without moleStatlOnf To recover our
hare OF the Territories WHICH lately belonged 10
as a portion Of the people Of the United States p
ON tie contrary, are couH>eiled 10 abandon the
very rightSwhch We toOk up arms 10 vin1cate.
Already have forfeited every foot OF land in the
TerritOres whose possession was The subject OF dis
Dute previous 70 the war That vast heritage for
telectual power displayed III the great argument in
bcLaf Of our rights with which the wasOf the Cap.
itol at Washington resounded. We gain nothing by
the 0bteraton Of the historical line OF SO deg. 80
min drawn BY the hand OF earnest statesmen in an
hour OF national peril, when Mr. Jefferson declared
that the tones Of the fierce dispute alarmed him
if he heard the warning notes Ofthe frebell at night.
We acquire nothing by the decision of the august
court which delivered the opinion in the bred Scott
case--an opinion matured by the lameBted fancy,
aided by ou own Campbell. All this we have al
ready surrendered, and now, having lost the Ter
ritOrieS, it is proposed 10 yield up our slaves
In short, we are to abandon every object which We
had IN view when we seeded from the government
OF the United States Our interest in the public
lands concur slaves to be yielded up. The whole
aspect Of society changed. sour social system sub
vertel and all this barely to be recognised by Eng
land and France Of what Importance would re
Coguition be to without interyentionf And if in
tervention should be accorded 10 US upon such
terms what should We gain by it, Still the inevita-
Die change in the structure Of our social system
would be enforced,
To propose such terms is to concede that the
IS lost II simply means that We propose to Weld up
Our slave property now to avert the unspeakabe ca
lamty Of subiugato1. We are quite sure that moth
ing but most desreISte view OF our affairs could
induce the Ea6uire4 o. make such suggestion. 1t
has been driven 10 this extreme idea by stress of
weather.
We do not believe that tle people Of these Con
tolerate States are prepared for such step Our
affairs have been unfortunately managed. Clouds
hang around the horizon. The future is dark enough;
but lei US be resolute-cam-earneS Let us be
true TO ourselyes. We hope yet to see the triumph
ofthe better class Of men at the North, who are
ready TO coneede to us our rights.
II is true the late political contest there ended
most dsastrously fOf our friends. But they are our
friends still. The upheaving may yet come. the
pent volcanic fires may fame mp and in their light
We may yet witness the triumph of the fritnls OF
constitutional liberty. Let still strive TO preserve
our institutions and 20 maintain the great interests
wbib the Revolution was inaugurated TO uphold and
indicate JUNiVs bkUTts.