Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-02-14

puiuiiiSS. puTCndseu ny ConSiCSs VIII VIC
consent of the Legislature of The Stale.
This resolution was passed over under
The rule Of The House without being put to
vote.
The votes in favor Of all these measures
were confined to the members from tue
Northern States.
True, there are some patriotic members
from that section who voted against all OF
them, and whose high sanse Of justice is
duly appreciated; who in The progress of
the asgressions upon The South have. by
their voles, sustained the guarantees Of The
Constitution, aud OF whom we regret to
say many have been sacrificed al hume by
their patriotic course.
We have now brought TO q close a nara.
tive Of The series of acts of aggression aud
cncroachmenr, connected with Ine sub lcct
of this address. including those that are
cOnsummalcd aud these still in nprosress.
They are numerous. great aud dangerous,
aud threaten with destruction The greatest
and most vital of all interests and inslitu-
tions Of the South. Indeed it may he
doubted whether there is single prnvi
sion, stipulation. or guaranty OF The Con.
stitu,ioD, intended for The security OF the
South, Thar has not been rendered perfect
Iy nugatory in all hut two States. 1t may
even be made serious question, whether
the encroachmen's already made, without
the aid Of any olher would not, il permit
tod to operate unchecked. end in emauci-
patton, aud that al no distant day But
be that as j, may, il hardly admiis of
doubt that. if the aggressous already COM
menced in the House, aud now in progress,
should be consummaIed. such in the cuJ
would certainly be The consequence.
Little. in truth, would be left TO be done
after we have been excluded from all The
Territories. including those 10 be hereafter
acquired; after slavery is abolished in This
District. and in The numerous places dis
persed all over the South, where Congress
has the exclusive right of legislation. aud
after the other measures proposed are con-
summated. Every outpost and barrier
would be carried, and nothing would be
left bu, 10 finish the work of abolition at
pleasure in The States themselves. This
District, and all places over which Con-
gress has exclusive power Of legislation,
would bs asylums for fugitive slaves,
where. as soon, as they placed their feet,
they would become, according to The doc
trines Of our Northern assailans, free; un.
less there ehould be some positive enact.
ments 10 prevent it.
Under such a stale of things the proba-
bii,y is, that emancipation would soon fol.
low, without any.6ual act to abolish slave
ry: The depressing effects of such meas
ures on the white race at the South, and
the hope they would create in the black of
speedy emancipation, would produce
stale of feeling inconsistent with the much
longer continuance of'the existing relations
between the TWO. But be that as it may,
it is certain, if emancipation did not fol-
low, as matter of course, The final act
inalhe States would not longbe delayed.
The want of constitutional power would
oppose a feeble resistance. The great
body of the North is united against our
1 be sinful, and the residue, with cousidera-
(. BILE exceptions, believe it 10 be wrong
! Such being the case, it would indicate a
very superficial knowledge Of human ma.
! iure, 10 think that. after aiming al abuli.
ton, Systematically, for so many years.
and pursuing il with such unscrupuIous
disregard of Law and Constitution, that
the fanatics who have led the way. and
forced the great body Of the North 10 fol.
low them, would, when the finishing stroke
only remained 10 be given, voluntarily sus-
pend it, or permit any constitutional scru
ples or considerations. Of justice 10 arrest
it. TO these may be added an aggression.
though NOT yet commenced, long medtated
and lhreaiened; to prohibit what the aboli-
tionisls call .,s.;o internal trade, meaning
thereby the transfer uf slaves from one
State 10 another, from whatever motive
done, or however effected. Their object
would seem 10 be TO render them worthless
by crowding them together where they
are, and thus hasten the work of cmanci-
patton. There is reason for believing that
il will suou follow those now. in progress,
unless, indeed, some decisive step should
be taken in The meantime to arrest the
whole.
The question rhen is, will the measures of
aggression proposed in The House be adopt
ed! They may not, and probably will no, be.
this session. But when we take into con-
sidcration, that there is majority now in
favor of one of them, and strong minority
in favor Of the other, as far as the sense oil
The House has been taken; that there will be
in all probability considerable increase in
the next Congress of the vote in favor Of
them, and that it will be largely increased in
the next succeeding Congress, under The GEN.
sus to be taken next year, it amounts almost
TO a certainty, that they viii be adopted, un>
less some decisive measure is taken in ad
vanco TO prevent 1t.
But. if even these conclusions should prove
erroneous-if fanaticism and love Of power
should, contrary to their nature, for once ,e-
spec, constitutional barriers, or if the calcu>
lations OF policy should retard the adoption
Of these mea sures, or even defeat them altos
ae,hcr, there would still be left one certain
way 10 accomplish their object, if the deter.
mination avowed by the North 10 monopolise
all the Territories 10 the exclusion Of the
South should be carried into effect. That Of
itself would, ut no distant day, add 10 The
North sufficient number Of States TO give
her three-fourths Of the whole; when, under
the color Of an amendment to the Constiu-