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Shall the South give up Kansas?
The people of the South are reproached with a habit of vaporing – of threatening terrible things against the Abolitionists, and shrinking from the responsibility of our own indignant pledges of retaliation. The contrast between our solemn resolutions of energetic action, and our patient submission to insult and wrong, abundantly justifies the taunts and contempt of our adversaries.
It is time the South were relieving itself of the imputation of irresolute purpose. Fortunately an opportunity is afforded us at this moment, to vindicate our suspected courage by decisive measures of resistance to aggression.
The repeal of the Missouri restriction, in relieving the South of an odious badge of inferiority, and restoring us to an equality of right and dignity in the confederacy, was in itself a triumph of no inconsiderable consequence. But the South never meant to rest upon this sort of metaphysical advantage. From the beginning of the struggle we anticipated more tangible results; and we are now to say whether we mean to surrender our partial success, and ingloriously abandon our object, or persevere with courage and consistency in our deliberate purpose.
The Abolitionists were not disheartened by their defeat, but were rather stimulated to renewed energy, and more desperate effort. They saw how they might wring victory from the grasp of the South, and they set about the work with characteristic ingenuity, and contempt of honest principle. All the vagabonds, paupers and discharged convicts who infested the Northern cities were shaken together and precipitated upon Kansas. For a time, honest immigrants were suffocated by the load of filth and stench; and although they partially recovered their energies, there is danger lest they be at last overborne by an incessant supply of refuse from the penitentiaries of New England.
The issue before the people of the South is simply this – shall we remain the spectators of the struggle in Kansas, until the gallant spirits from Missouri are crushed by a multitudinous horde of barbarians from the North? In the name of the people of Virginia, we respond with an unhesitating and emphatic No.
Every impulse of pride, every instinct of interest, every instinct of interest, every calculation of policy, urges us to measures of prompt and effective aid to the slaveholders of Kansas. The Abolitionists have thrown down the defiance, and scornfully challenged us to a trial of strength. We cannot flinch but with this penalty of everlasting disgrace. Better be beaten, after exhausting every resource, than be reproached with too little energy or too little spirit to defend our interests and our honor.
Something more, however, than a punctilio of pride is involved in this struggle in Kansas. The South should be admonished by the desperate energy of its enemies, that its essential interests are at stake. If Kansas is perverted into a free-negro State, Missouri will be dragged down with it. Encompassed on three sides by Abolitionists, it will soon find itself exhausted of the spirit and the ability to defend its institutions. Arkansas and Kentucky in turn will become border States, to sink at last under the same system of annoyance and plunder. The contagion will spread by contact, and, as sentinel after sentinel is driven in, the South will find itself more and more exposed to assault on the very heart of slavery. Thus the narrowing circle of fire may compel the South to inflict upon slavery the self-destruction of the tortured reptile
To avert so dreadful a catastrophe, we invoke the people of the South to adopt instant and adequate measures of protection. With all our pervading identity of nterest, unity, of aim and concentrated energy, it is not possible that we can lose success, if we only rouse ourselves to proper exertion.
The plan is sufficiently simple. Each State must act for itself, but with reference to the common object. For Virginia we cover the distinction of the first step in the noble enterprise, and that glory she may win by organizing a Central Southern Rights Association in Richmond, with affiliated clubs in every town and county of the State. In these societies no other machinery is necessary than will suffice to raise money, to enlist emigrants and despatch them to Kansas.
If every person in Virginia will contribute to the common fund in proportion to his means or to his interest in slavery, one thousand emigrants might be sent to Kansas from this State in the next six months – and sent, not with Sharpe’s rifles on their shoulders, but with the Constitution of the country in their hearts. If they should be driven to repel aggression by violence, they would not want for arms, or for courage in their use.
We submit this suggestion to the press of the State, and shall take their response for an expression of the popular sentiment. In any event let us have no more gasconade, no more speeches, no more pompous resolutions. If the South is to submit to irresistible fate, let it imitate the grand dignity of the hero; and veiling its face, fall with decent composure under the blows of the assassin’s knife.
Richmond Enquirer