Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-03-01


and temperate report, cmanating from This
body, having the high sanction Of the Ma
tional Legislature, and calculated, both by.
its own arguments and the high source
from which it issues, to produce tina, sound
and rational state Of public opinion in tho
non-slaveholding States, which is equally
due to the South, and to the preservation OF
the Union; and, for this great pu.pose, sir.
l would cover the whole ground. ] wouli
embrace the States as well as the District OF
Columbia. know no reasonable objection
to doing so, and it is justified by precedent.
It is the very course that was adopted by
Congress in the memorable resolution OF
1790-a course that was sustained q be.
lieve proposed) by the venerable Madison,
and that received the unanimous sanction OF
the whole Southern delegation Of that day;
and l can see no reason why the same
course should not receive the unanimous
sanction of the whole Southern delegation
now. In my humble judgment, it is the
only course by which we can bring this mat.
ter to an advantageous issue. Hitherto VIC
have been fighting about mere distractions.
Hitherto we have been contending about the
right OF petition, and other minor and unim-
portant points. We have been wasting our
e.erg:es, and losing ground upon fuse Is.
sue, an issue upon which We never can ar-
rive at a practical resut-an issue upon
which the whole North is united, and the
South divided; and the very debate upon
which, so far from doing the least good, on-
ly increases the spirit of abolition at the
North, infames excitement at the South,
and is daily widening the breach between
the different members of the Union.
Now, sir, am for cverstepping these
minor, abstract points, and taking higher
ground. am for taking the question upon
the whole subject. l would let the right of
petition alone, as no way material to the true
issue. Iwould have broad and compre.
hensivc declaration, that Congress possesses
no authority ouer slavery here or clseacsese,
and aciH not interfere ,oih it in any 'oay
achaterer.Is not this the true position for the
South, sir? / think it is; and my constl-
tuents, too, Gall of whom oacn s1apes, J ,c'U
think upon it too. Sir, the cmanciPadonists
aim at general emancipation. No candid
man can doubt it, or deny it. All their
writings and publications prove it, You
cannot read the proceedings Of single an.
ti-sIavery society, or single production OF
the incendiary press, without being hlo-
roughly convinced that they contemplate ab-
clifton in the States Us their grand ultimate
object, and that they never will be satisfied
with any thing short Of it, as long as they
have the slightest shadow of q hope. Now,
sir, would meet them, and defeat thcny at
once and forever, upon that. / consider
that we do but little, if We do not crash
their hopes in relation to the States. There
can be no doubt that all their attempts to
procure abolition in the District are, that IL
may constitute foundation for their general
scheme. They regard it as ON entering
wedge by which they may carry on their
operations afterwards to an indefinite extent.
Give them this District as lever, and they,
will never cease until they bring this Gov
ernment to act upon the States. would,
therefore, cut off all their hopes at once. as.
regards the States, by saying to them, plain,
ly and distinctly, that this Government pos:
sess,s no power whatever, by which they
could be aided in their views. Satisfy them;
that they have 70 hopes in relation TO the,
District. But, "to make assurance doublF
sure" would also destroy their hopes as
regards this District. l would meet them
at every point, and put them down on al. L
would say to them, that SO far from their ey-;
er obtaining the aid Of this Government IN
their designs upon the States, they shall nc.
yer be permitted even to obtain a foothold
here. They shall never be permitted to use
this District for the purpose of CONFUSION
and disunion. And, surely, MIR. Speaker,
if any thing on earth can reprcss the spirit
of inccndiary agitation, such proceedings
ON the part Of this House must produce that
effect. And not only that, SIR; i will not
onl: tend. as firmly believe, to check and
reprcss the fanatics, but, what is still more
important, it will tend, powerfully and ire.
sistibly, to produce a high-toncd, generous
patriotism, an enlarged, magnanimous A.
merican spirit, in the great body OF the nol,'
s!ayeholding States, eminently favorable to
the cause Of peace, and to the constitutional
RIGHTS and interests of the Southern States.
Only let this House adopt the course indi-
catcI in the resolutions / have offered and'
nv life upon it, they viii be sustained 6y
cyery honest heart, by every true American
patriot, in every non.slaveholding State OF
this great Republic. -
Now, sir, this is the very result ] desire to
rroducc. The battle of abolition is to be
fauobt. not at the Sonth, int in the non.s1auc-l
holi;ng States. The People Of the nom
slavcholding States arc divided into two
CLASSES !: the incendiary fanatics, who are
plotting our destruction, and the destrucasa
Of this Union-and the great body Of the