The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-27
This CRY of Union.

battery from which the enemies of the South
assail her," we suboin the canting professions of
some of the leading abolition prints. The Phil
not better-or rather worse-abolition paper
in the country, thus commences an editorial
THE APPROACHING CRIsIs.-On Monday next
the second session Of the 3lst Congress will
open at Washington, to continue until the sue
ceeding 4th of March. AS only three months
can be employed for the purpose of legislation,
we indulge the hope that they may be employed
practically and proftably. During the last long
session-the longest, by far, in the whole history
of the Goyernment-the agitating subjects which
marked it rs an epoch of extraordinary interest
in Legislative annals, and convulsed the public
mind in all quarters of the Union, absorbed the
attention of Congress, and prevented the just
consideration Of those questions of public policy
with which the interests and prosperity of the
country are so intimately identified. The storm
which ragged so 6ercely during that period, has er-
hausted its fury, and the people of the North and
South, between whom unhappy contentious were
excited, are not only willing butanxious to bury
the Ratchet and to meet upon the common ground
of patriotism and devotion to the Constitution
and laws Of the country. There rs no diSPosi-
ton among the Union loring masses 10 cottnte-
nance the projects Of designing agitators, no mat
ter in what garb they may appear, or what pre-
text they may assume. The result of the Nash
vile Convention, and other indications, furnish
the evidence Of a healthy reaction in the South
while in this section Of the Union, disloyalty,
if disloyalty ever existed, has been condemned
by expressions of sentiment which admit of no
misapprehension.
Even more scornfully does the Albany Alias,
Ga more open abolition PRINT, repudiate the idea
that the Union is any danger, or that the loyalty
Of the North to it can be questioned. We call
the attention of all Southern men to its signif-
cant avowals:
UNION MEETIKGs.-Who that considers the
preservation of the Union as the most praise
worthy object, can take exception to the HARM
less ctfuson and patriotism which just now finds
vent through the medium Of "Union Meetings"
True it may be urged that devotion to the Union
is an aL-perrading sentiment IN The Northern
States, and that where all are agreed in opinion
upon the topic, there can be no pressing neces,
sity for an ostentatious parade of such devotion;
but such persons forget that there are other oc
casions upon which we display similar propen-
sity for general demonstration.
The Union has been so often on the point of
dissolution and so frequently saved, that people
who prlte of its eminent danger, and endeavor
to work themselves into fever for its preserva-
ton, simply render themselves ridiculous in the
eyes of all sensible men. Even at the South,
the cry which few fanatics have sought to echo
in the ears of their subservient Northern allies,
has become weaker and fainter, until with the
explosion of the Nashville Convention, is has
dwindled down into a recommendation not 10
unite in q National G. nremion for the nominal
ton Of a candidate for The Presidency! In Mis-
sissippi, notwithstanding the ardent instigation
of its Governor in his recent Message that some
thing effective should be done to heal the
wounded honor of the Southern States we have
by telegraph under date of JACKSON, Nov. %,
such indications Of returning sanity rs the fol-
lowing:
capitol Hall was thronged this evening with
people, to hear the speech of Senator Foote.-
The enthusiasm of the large audience was I'M
bounded, and wheneverthe General had occasion
to use the word "Union" the very roof seemed
TO raise, in order to give vent to the tremendous
and universal shoutsofapplause that broke forth"
In the SINE spirit is the recent letter of
Senator Downs, Of Louisiana, to his constituents.
But if all danger, real or imaginary, from the
South has passed away, how doubly ridiculous
is the attempt to get up an impression that the
Union is to be endangered by the action of the
citizens of the free States. Such position is
too absurd for discussion.
The Buffalo Republic (another of the same
SCHOOL, says:
THE New DocTRrNE.-A certain class Of
papers in this State, are again raising the ghost
of disunon. Having taken a position on the
slavery question which they cannot mantan-a
position at once repugnant to the feelings, prin-
ciples and judgment of Northern frcemen-thcy
see no salvation for themselves except in the
suppression of all discussion of the subject
matter, upon the plea that such discussion ,viN
endanger The Union This plea is, TO The last
Degree false one. There Is no danger Of a
dissolution Of the Confederacy through the agency
Of free discussion. If our institutions arc so
weak that they cannot stand untrammeled utter
ance of the opposing sentiments of the people,
North and South, upon the measures which
passed Congress at its recent session, they are
not worth preserving. Let them fall at once,
and let us establish in their place those that will
be able to resist the shock of constitutional and
rational "agtation."
awe are not to be prevented from the ex-
preston Of our opinions by any such threat.
The journals in the interest of the Fillmore and
webster Administration, may Ialk aS nucn rs
they please Of the dangers of disunion, and
thus seek to withdraw public attention from the
apostacy of their leaders, but we shall continue
to discuss the measures of adjustment" and to
"agitate" the question of the repeal Of. ut least,
one of them. The Texas boundary bill is, pro-
badly, out of the reach of Legislation, but the
Fugitive slave law is not. We shall, therefore,
demand its repeal, and encourage "agitation" to
effect that result, because we regard it as n blot
upon the statute book Of the nation. In the
meantime, Southern demagQgues may buster
and Northern sycophants may affect to be
alarmed, but the doctrine that n free people
shall not be permitted to discuss and to dissent
from the acts of Congress, because the "chvalry"
threaten a dissolution Of the Union, will be re-
pudated, as such monstrous doctrine should be,
by every Independent man in the country"
On the other hand, listen to the voice of one
Of the few true friends of the South and the
Constitution, still left at the North. Can any
Southern submissonist listen to such language
from a true-hearted Northern man, without the
blush of shame mantling his cheek or acting up