The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-02
Political Tactics.

The Anti-Slayery or Free-Soil party of
the North finding itimpractcable to Obtain
their object directly by the passage of tho
Wilmot Proviso, have resorted to strata
gem to obtain their end To secure for !
the North the whole Of the territory in con-
troversy, they have resorted to the maneu-
vre Of havingthe inhabitants there 10 present
those territories as States with constitutions
excluding shareholders. By going through
this form, which as mere form is not OBJ
jectionable, they expect to disarm the OPP
position of the South, or at least to secure
before the country the advantage Of position,
and oblige the South to be the first to re-
sort to the remedies outside the usual forms
of constitutional and legal proceedings. This
stratagem, cunning as it is, may however
easily be thwarted, without going out Of the
line ofaction already recognised in the Con-
stitution and laws The Southern Repre-
sentatives, though in a minority, have it in
their power, by we'll known parliamentary
tactics, to prevent the success of these out
RACES on their constituents. If they cannot
move the Government in the direction which
right and justice require, they at least can
stop its hostile and injurious action. They
have it in their power, by exercising their
undoubted rights, to make such motions, from
time to time, as may effectually prevent the
admission of these States, and even the pas
sage Of the usual appropriations, until those
having the control consent to do Justice to
the South -. ..,. ....,. Il.
Could the majority nave the face to complain
if the minority should avail themselves of
this right' 1t cannot be pretended that they
have not been guilty of gross abuses of the
usual forms of our system, to enable them
to trample on the rights of the minority.
When Louisiana was acquired, what if Mr.
Jefferson had caused, as he might have done,
that whole territory extending to the Rocky
Mountains, and even including Oregon, to
form State constitution, and thus secure
it all permanently as slave territory? In
stead Of this, however, it was kept as ter
ritory for twenty-nins years, and then sim
gle State, viz: Louisiana, was cut of from it.
Subsequently, when Missouri was admitted,
all north of sc deg. 80 min, being more
than four-6fths Of the whole, was, by an
act of Congress, made free territory for the
benefit of the North Will it be pretend
ed that there is better reason at this time
for admitting the Mexican territory as States
forthwith, than then exsted' Would any
man, North or South, think of the move
ments in California and New Mexico, as
anything but acts of extreme impudence, ifI
it were not for the desire, in certain quarters,
to exclude the South from the whole of the
late acquisitions? Rather than submit to
such an outrage, do not Southern men owe
it to their constituents, and the rights of their
section, to use all the parliamentary means in
their power to prevent its consummation?
Would it not be we'll for them to take such
course as will teach the Northern polti-
clans that they cannot administer this COM
plicated Government successfully, if they at
tempt to trample down the rights of so large
minority as the whole South'