The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-02
WASHINGTON CITY.
FRIDAY. AUGUST .. 1850.
Disunion-Secession.

thought it our duty as Southerners and as Amer
leans to rely for the present on argument, to sus
tain the Constitution and the rights of the
South. And we did not desire to introduce any
topics to excite the passions and disturb the
judgment of the people North or South
We replied therefore, to but one of these ar
tices recently published in the Republic, and
waived a response to the other two. But the
Northern papers seem fond of the subject, and
as they labor under great hallucinations that
may lead them to fatal conclusions, we must
again interpose
We shall not now reply to the doctrines of
General JAcKsoN's proclamation, revived by the
Republic, because many of them We're explained
away and renowned by his own authority in
the Globe, even after that document appeared
and have been exploded. As for the notion
of the Republic, that "The United States" or
| the Government Of the United States would re-
main in the sense those terms are now under
stood, after a number Of the States, or half the
States had renowned the Union, il is utterly I'M
tcnable. A majority of the Senators of all the
existing States is necessary, under the Consttu-
ton, for quorum to transact business. If half
of them were to withdraw, there could be no
quorum. ,.. ...n ...... .... .....#
In the failure of the people to elect Presi-
dent by districts, the Constitution requires "a
majority Of all The STATES to elect" If two States
were to withdraw, and the remaining twenty
eight were to be nearly equally divided, there
could he no election--and the Government
would fall. That event might happen, indeed,
by an equal vote of all the existing States If
one Slate should withdraw, there could be nei-
ther SSenate nor House of Representatives
under the existing Constitution; for it declare,
that the Senate shall be composed of two Sena-
tors from each Stale, and the House, of members
chosen by the people Of The several States Nor
could President be elected at all, if one State
withdrew; for the Constitution requires each
State to appoint Presidential Electors, and a
majority is required to elect. .. ....... ..
The Albany Erening Atlas does not trouble
itself with argument or Constitution, but relies
on power, in the following: .a...... a
In case of the secession of several States, or of
half the States, we should like to know who
would be g the people Of the United States -
Southern Pres. " s#
This is question that will not take long in
the answering, should the disunionists make one
movement in their reasonable purpose They
would see and feel who the people of the Uni
ted States are. E-.u.... s1.3 Ts -..
With all their respect for the sovereignty of
| nd hair 10 Ia q
restraint, and loathing of war, above all, of war
between kindred races we do not believe that
the people OF the Union would ever consent to
the existence Of an Independent confederation
in the South. Such a confederation could only
maintain itself by foreign alliance. The princi
pie enunciated by President Monroe that no for
eign government should be permitted to estab
lish dominion on this Continent, would operate
in this case of secession. The political necess-
ty, or the rule of policy, or the appetite for do
minion, which constituted the action of the gov
eminent in regard to Louisiana, Florida, Texas
and the recent acquisitions from Mexico, would
forbid the existence of an alien State in the
heart of the Confederacy H
A confederacy composed of South Carolina,
Georgia, and perhaps two more States, could
have no internal strength, and no foreign ALI
ance except at the double cost of dependence on
distant power and of irreconcilable enmites
here. II it were larger it would be still more
necessary to crush it, for its offence, being the
fact of its existence, would be aggravated in
proportion to its formidableness. This is plain
speaking, but if there is any one so infatuated
as to believe that the people living on the
branches of the Mississippi, will ever consent
that its mouths shall be under foreign flag,
such one requires plain talking to.
Al 4. al,
and Seminole warriors defed the power of the
States united, for seven years? Does he forget
that those Indians foiled the genius of GAINES,
ScoTT, TAYLOR, and JEssUP, at the head of as
many troops as could be employed against them ?
! that these were the Generals who have aston
ished the world by their victories! that Gene
| raj JACKSON was President-and that the war
cost us forty millionsl Does he suppose that
the people of any State in the Uuon have less
genius, courage and resources than the Semi
noles? ..... ." ..a.a..
We have heard people talk of blockading
Southern ports. Well if that could be done il
would inhiet ten times the injury on the North
as the South Where would be the cotton
mills Of the manufacturing North Where
their markets! Where the markets for Western
produce! But the thing could not be done.
No commerce so rich and so indispensable to
the world as the Southern could be cut off.
The smuggler would defeat all the nayies in the
world. The attempt has been made to suppress
the slave trade-that trade has increased in con-
tempt of English, French, and American navies
Great Britain is sea-girt, and navy-girt. Yet
the smuggler will pass her lines of battle ships
for twenty-five per cent and sell his contraband