The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-02-06
THE GALAXY.
Tuesday, February 9, l849.
THE SOUTHERN MANIFESTO.
MlDDLEBURY, VT.

er column is 0ouOuees quue az MUCH as most
OF our readers will wish 10 see. We have
read this singular production, from begin
ming 10 end, and with serious effort 10 get
at the real views entertained by the writer,
the reasons upon which they are grounded
and lie motives which acluaie him in his
present course. The feeling most strongly
impressed on our mind by such perusai: is
compassion for the enormous and nearly H.
ex,ricable difficulties which Slavery,-like
destructive and fatal habit for a long time in
dulged, and cleaved to the more closely as
the absolute necessity Of relinquishing ii Is
the more clearly seen,-has eniailed upon
thai portion of our Union; and The conviction
uppermost in our thoughts was, that, with the
whole moral force Of the North arrayed a.
gainst The peculiar inititution," and with
the eyes of our people once fairly opened 10
the folly and crime of extending such curse
beyond its present limits, IFS existence in this
Republic must be very nearly al an end.
We think we can understand something
ofthe motives and views Of Mr. Calhoun, and
how they may come to have a degree of
plausi5iliiy 10 the minds Of Southern men.
He regards ii as the imperious duty Of every
Northern Stale-an obligation voluntarily
assumed, on entering into the confederasy,
and accepting the Constitulisn-to counie-
nance The institution OF Slavery, and 10 afford
the Slave States all needful assistance TO
sustain and perpetuate il. He looks upon
The Abolition movement as u combined effort
of conspirators and traitors, which every
Free State is bound 10 suppress within its
own limits, and for failing 10 do which. they
are chargeable with bad faith. The Con-
siiluiion, in his view, recognizes Slaves rs
property. If, therefore. The reasons) the
newly acquired territory belongs TO The en-
tire Union, they have an undoubled right,
while The territory remains the common pos
session of the Union, TO emigraie thiiher with
their property, j. E., with their Slaves.
All these notions are easily reluied. They
are not opinions for which Mr.. Calhoun's
intellectual acumcR can strictly be held re-
spons IDLE. He has cogita.ed this suLlccI so
long and go intensely-under the influence
Of strong sectional partiality, aud a stub
born reluctance 10 yield his point-has, in
fact, so made this subject the grand business
Of his life, and SO staked his very existence.
as il were, on the success Of his efforts-rhat
it Is quite vain 10 expect him to look at the
matter dispassionately. II is not assuming
very much, therefore, TO say that all the ar
gumcnts with which he sus;ans his positions
are mere faIIacies. The extreme one-siJed-
ness OF his views is well illustrated by the
narrow land in another view iGHghdbie) con-
strucIion which he puts upon one Of the a
vowed objects Of the Constitution. viz, TO ''en-
sure domestic Tranquility" This clause, he
thinks, could mean nothing else, ESQ far at
at least. as the South is concerned,) than 10
prevent every movement calculated 10 unset
tie the Institution Of Slavery and promote
disquiet and rebellion among the Sdres.
No construction of The Constitution could
be more arbitrary and unnatural than that
which represents II as making the Free
States bound 10 uphold and defend the insti-
tuition Of Slavery, and never to speak word
10 its discredit. is not true, even, that the
Constitution recognizes The right of the citi-
zens of any STATE 10 hold Slaves-nor does
it once speak of them as property. 1t was
not contemplated, we are confident, by the
trainers ofthe Constitution, thai this institution
should have any permanent influence over
our national afiairs-ahd we believe il was
devouty desired, on all hands, 10 get rid oil
it as quickly as possible.-To make every
State government responsible for the sayings
and doings o: such fanatics as Garrison end
his colleagues, is an absurdiy to laugh al,
and not 10 attempt 10 reason against. MIR.
Calhoun, too. is the last man in the world. TO
talk about the disorganizng efforts Of lanat-
les, and TO demand that ihel mouths should
be shut by the strong hand Ct the law.
The chief items Of complaint, in This man
iiesto are, first. that The North is making Wig
! orous efforts 10 limit the area oil Slavery, and
secondly, That the Constitutions of certain
States have provided no adequate means for
assisting 10 catch and deliver runaway slaves
Onihe first point we have only to say,
that the first grand movement infavor OF the
restriction Of Slavery within lis present linn
it's, was made by Thomas JefiersoR-a ciii-
zen of Virginia and Shareholder; and fhe
movement (eiiher through The Identical ''Or-
dinance OF 1887" or through similar enact
meni, having the same general object in
view) has been "approved by the several
branches Of the General Government, and
acquiesced in by The people" down TO the
present time. The North. therefore. needs
no defence, on account OF its zeal in this par
! tcuaT. As TO aid in catching runaway ne
groes, which is the only peint OF any strength
in Mr.. Calhoun's list Of grievances, we must