Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1848-12-06

from the Hon. Wm. L, Marcy. Secretary
of War Of the United States. under date oI
The 25th April, 1915, enclosing extracts oI
a letter 10 him from Frederick A. Smith
Captain Engineers, A. G. E.. of The 18th
April, I54S, in which il is stalled that five
acres Of land in Beaufort harbor were
granted by this State TO the United StaIes
onrhc 18th December, 1903, for the site
of Fort Liltleton, otherwise called Fort
fMarinn)-lhat commissioners were ap'
pointed on The part of the Stale TO msrh
out its boundaries, but that all effort 10
ascertain NOW where they were have been
unsuccessful; and he requests that | would
bring the subject 10 your notice, with a
view to some provision for The appoint
ment of Commissioners on the part of the
State, clo,hed with authority 10 ascertain
and locate the boundary, in conjunction
with an engineer officer, 10 be designated
by the War Department. The request
strikes ME as reasonable; aud would re-
commend that commissioners be appointed
for the purpose of meeting il. The com.
municaton Of the Secretary of War is
herewith transmitted.
The constant and never ending aslla'
lion of The question Of slavery between The
slaveholding and noa. slavcholdng States,
apart from The issues really involved, will
of itself in the end inevitably lead to the
most disastrous consequences. The pas
sinns OF communities, like those Of indi-
viduaIs, are reused and inlamed by con-
slant vilupcra'ion, however unimportahI
may he the matter in controversy; and the
degree of resentment cngendered by it. is
in proportion to the magnitude Of The mat
ter involved. TO us The question is vital ;
the issues of "lile. liberty. and property
are involved in it; the poison Of lanatcIsm
is so Infused IN the masses, that have
charity enough to suppose that many
worthy men conscieUluusly believe that
involuntary scrvilude is damnins curse,
and would willingly turn our slaves loose
to cut our throais. But the mockery oil
tho more liberal and enlightened polili.
clans of Tho non sIaveholdipg States, in
disclaiming the authority of Congress TO
interfere with The institution in The States
where i, now exists, but protesting against
its extension beyond its present limits, is
moro CALLING. DO they moi know that the
encouragement and protection given 10
fugitive slaves have rendered property in
them of litle value in the border States !!
Do they moi know that, circumscribed 10
the territorial limits they now occupy,
they will in few years exhaust much Of
The now productive soil, and in their rapid
increase in numbers overwhelm their
owners, and drive them TO seek an asylum
elsewhere and that, by excluding Them
from additional territories already or heres
after to be acquired, they will through the
agency Of Congress, accomplish indirectly
what they concede to be unconstitutional?
! will no speak of our equal rights as cli-
zens Of this Confederation. Toe argument
has been long ago exhausted, and demon.
slratiou as palpable as a mathematical
conclusion will avail nothing.
The probability is, that whether we will
or will mol be permitted TO carry our slaves
into the territory acquired By The treaty
with Mexico, will be definitely settled al
no distant day. ifagainslus, the question
wilsnecessarly arise as TO the measures
we ought to pursue. All The other slave
holding States have precisely The same in
,erest in this question that we have, and
wc know that many, if moi all Of Them,
feel the same soliciude about il that we
do, and i, may reasonably be supposed
they would readily unle with us in any
measure promising relief. With our united,
moral. and physical strength, in just aud
honorable cause, We can successfully op-
pose any power thai can be brought TO
bear upon us. Concert as to time and
manner of action is indispensable 10 this
unity and The question now is, when and
how this is 10 Le brought about? Is the
presen: time proplinus
We know already, or have abundant
reason to suppose, that the present Chief
Magistrate of the United States, adopting
the Missouri Compromise as rule, will,
if Congress iu its folly and madness, in
:o,al disregard Of reason and right, exclude
US entirely from tho Mexican territory in
lcrpose the conservative velo power. II
is known. too, that in the election Of his
successor, many Of the slaveholdins States
cast their votes for The candidate who will
be elected; and hal in all the rest there
was great division; more. probably than
the results have hrough, 10 light; and |
take it for granted that it was upon The
faith, that. being Southern man, he
would not be unmindful uf Southern rights.
1t cannot be supposed, then, that the States
which will vote for him. and the mnuriles
in those States which will vote against him.
can be brought to act together in anlici-
patton that our rights will be violated un-
der his administration, he having The pow
erlo prevent it. The present time is there
fore, in my judgmenr, uupropitious for
action. We oughl, notwithstanding. 10
provide for any contingency. The blow
may be struck when We are unaware OF
our danger. and no time ous ht to be lost
in projecting means to unite the slave
holding States in some common mode OF
action, when the occasion shall arise; and
a free discussion and interchange Of opin-
ion will greatly promote this object in
preparing the public mind to meet lis
consequences. AS before remarked, unity
of lime and concert of action are indispen-
sable 10 success, and Southern Conven.
ton is the most direct and practical means
off f,ht oipinn ~