The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-09-01

: and opposition, to claim powers which Il
e Constitution clearly and expressly will
: holds. With slavery in the States whel
$ It now exis-s, they as yet have set up n
claim or pretension TO interfere; and shoul
, we Of the South waste our strength in col
tending for doubtful right, (Which, whe
, attained, would not benefit us,) when b
! doing SO We provoke aggression on our req
and valuable rights, and thereby put ther
in temporary jeopardy? The prohibition Q
slavery in tho Territories now free woul
operate no real or direct injury to US, bs
cause without the prohibition, we could nc
take our slaves there.
| IL the people Of the free States believ
their political advancement, their increas
in population, wealth, comfort, and pros
perity, ire mainly attributable to their free
dom from slavery, surely il is not surprising
that they should desire to prohibit the eI
tension of it. And so long as they con6n,
themselves, in these prohibitory efforts
within the limits OF the Constitution, ans
50 long ashley do not infringe on our es
fiskts-rights conceded and es
tablished by the Conslitution-why should
we be excited to Incorporate remarks in
our opposition to lheml IL our real right.
were assailed, if valuable concessions were
about to be ~rested from US, crisis would
THIN arrive when every true SoutherneI
would be found striving who should be in
the front ranks Of opposition to such invs.
sions, and in defense of om interests and
our property. Until this crisis arrives, why
spend our strength in useless opposition?-
There can be no invasion, no infringement
OF our just rights, without the destruction Of
the Constitution, or the remodeling of it;
ard when that period arrives, il will be
time to talk Of separate Southern Re.
public
In regard to the prohibition Of the slave
trade in the District of Columbia. Con.
gress certainly has the same power over il
that the Legislature Of Mississippi mas over
the subject within hsr limits. The corpo-
ration Of Natchez prohibited. by an ordin.
ance, the slave dealers from making Nat,
chez "a depot for the sale of slaves II
was considered nuisance that ought to be
abated, and was absted. Has not Congress
tho same power over the District Of Colum
bal And when the people Of the District
petition Tor an act TO srancipafe their slaves,
Congress has the same power to pass il that
the Legislature Of Mississippi would have
may, has) to pass similar act, upon the
petition Of a majority Of the people. Why,
then, should We be excited to angry feelings,
when the attempt is now made to break up
the mart for slaves in the city Of Washing.
toni What was denounced by the good
people Of Natchez, composed as our pop.
ulation is, principally Of shareholders sure.
ly cannot be looked upon in less favora.
bic light by the majority in Congress, com.
ing as it does from the non-slaveholding
States.
Let US reason together on this subject,
and let US do it calmly and dispassionately.
Let us make due allowance for their preju.
dices, and not be too far carried away by
our own. Let Us al least show some respect
for the feelings of Ihose who do not con-
denim the institution as immoral, but who
entertain the belief that il is DO
litscal sril. We ought to bear in mind that
a similar belief prevailed after the adoption
of the Constitution, when the provisions,
the design, and the spirit Of that instrument,
were at least as well known and understood
as they now are. The prohibition was then
enacted, (and carried, too, by the votes Of
the slave Sta.es,) without exciting the alarm
thst now prevails. A reference to the Jour-
mails Of Congress Of that period will show
that the Ordinance in relation to the North.
western Territory would not have been
passed, but for the vote Of the slave States;
and that many Of those who voted for it
had been members of the Convention that
framed the Constitution. We should not
now be so excited by the efforts Of the pre-.
sent day TO enact similar measures. Ii is
that oil that has ever been gained
by the South was from spirit Of compro-
mise; and by the same spirit we may yet
secure all that is desirable for US to possess
or contend for. We are too fond of pro-
'crises-and it may be, when the
real crisis arrives, we may be found with
impaired il not exhausted strength. The
lawyer wholabors to make the ,ceak points
of bis case strong, and neglects TO enforce
he strong ones, is not apt TO succeed before
! jury. And are We not likely to leopard
our real and substantial rights, by opposing
tights claimed by others, the concession Of
which would not injure us? 1t has been
'sid. that even by conceding what is Of
doubtful exPediency, we lay the foundation
or tresPasses on rights Of vital importance.
This is not necessarily the result. The
language Of Gen. Jackson was, Claim
aothing that is not clearly right, and sub
ait to nothing absolutely wrong
From the National Era.
The Popular Side.
Let any person for a moment enter the