The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-07-18
From the Charleston Mrrcury.]
PUBLIC OPINION.

The Washington party presses have
never ceased to claim the support of
public opinion at the south, in favor Of
one or the other Of the .favorite scheme
there for evading (hey call it mosl
falsely settling the slavery question,
Mr.. Foote'S string Of certificates has
been held evidence of the general feel
ing, and anonymous letters making the
most notoriously false statements Of
the sentiments of the people ale parad-
ed with triumphant fionrishes, and
thrust upon the southern delegations in
Congress as instructions from their
constituents. Those have had, in
part. the effect they were designed to
have. They have created confusiohI
and doubt: have weakened the cog6..
tlence of southern representatives IN
their constituents: have among the lat
ter, repressed the exhibition of opinion
by sowing susPlcions ol each others
firmness, and the action and resction
has in many places. elfectually shaken
the tone of the press. There was
time when weakness and hes Itation
seemed the striking f a.ures of south>
ern politics, aud the advice to take the
compromise as the best we can get,
seemed nstural enough to give and
likely enough To be followed. That
was the promising moment for the
compromisers; When Mr.. Richie head
ell his articles with skies bright and
the letter writers counted up The antic-
ipated maiorities, and Mr.. Clay spoke
of the oponeuts Of his bill as small
fraction of the Senate, subsistiDg ofhis
forebearance.
The aspect of things is very much
changed now. The real character Of
the compromise scheme has been stud.
led by the people. The declarations
of Clay Cass and Webster, in effect,
that under this bill the south would be
excluded from every foot Of the terri
tories, have been compared With the
southern apologies for the measure.
of honorable settlement.
The session Of the Nashville conven-
ton has given new spirit and deter
mlnaIiop to the people. It was no.
BILE spectacle, that meeting ofChosen
champions Of the south, and the effect
of its dignifed bearing, its union, and
the moderate, but decided and clearly
defined position it took, was instanta-
ueous ami deep. The southern Peo-
pie are gathering around the southern
Platform. They wilpnot easily dese''
OF modifyit.
In no part ofthe southwas the labor
of the compromise party apparently
more successful that 10 Georgia. Y
seemed as ifthe high spirit that moved
the legislature Of that State had van
ishsd, an in its place apathy reignsd,
The deceitful apologies for The com
promise were submitted to; the press
spoke in tone Of utter discourage.
me1t, OF was silent. Those who stlll
faithfully proclaimed the true interests
and defended the sacred rights q the
south seemed like men preaching iinl
the wilderness. Georgia bears no sucn
aspect now. The southern platform
shas been embraced by nearly every
democratic press in the State and 0y
a part Of the whig press. The oid
spirit again animales them and mas
free expression. Ithnds too, warm
welcome with the people. It has been
their spirit all the while, only repress'
ed and misguided by the decelttui La as
pect given to Mr.. Clay's scheme: we
look spon the position Of Georgia now
as distinctly and decidedly hostile @
that scheme. and II isa position stle z !
| moi ia temper to abandon q sdeiehd
fesbly. The feader Will find an ex-