The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-03-14

pront or AVOID very heavy loss, in ma
king war upon the south. The peo-
pie of the north are too wise not. to
know this truth, and they are too dis
Greet and careful of their own interests
to sacrifice hundreds Of millions of
treasure and many thousands Of lives,
to glut the hatred Of the AboIltionists,
or to attempt to excite in5urrectlon Of
the slaves. These results might in
deed be highly priced Iuxuries to IA
natlcism, but they would be much too
costly for even the most fanatical to be
willing to pay for. No two nations
could do each other more injury by
war, or could gain less by inflcting
such injury; and this is the best secu-
rlty that both will truly desire and
cherish peace.
Butit war should occur-as it GER
tainly might for other canses between
the two Republics, it may be supposed
by many that our institution of slave
ry would be an element OF strength
for our neighbors. On either side
there would be 10 want of brave men
But the superiority Of either party
would not be found in the greater
number of men fit to bear arms, but
in the number that can be spared from
labor, and still more in the greater
means for paying the expenses of
the warfare. The greater ability
10 pay rests upon the greatly more
valuable productions OF the south OF
which more will be said hereafter,--
In regard TO soldiers, it is certain that
a community of shareholders can spare
more men than one Of equal popula-
ton, in which all are free, aud nearly
all are engaged in labor. If there
mad been no Helots, but as many more
free citizens in their place Sparta would
have had much less of military
strength
If a sudden effort were required to
repel invasion, there could be safely
furnished from almost any part OF the
south, and at a few hours notice, a bo-
ly of men under arms, amounting to
half the number OF all Of the military
age and halt of these new troops
might be mounted ON their own good
lorses, and, if necessary, able to pro-
vide or to pay for their own subsistence
for week or more. In no country
can military force be more quickly
embodied, or OF better materials TO
make good soIdltrs. This advantage
us well as many others, social lnteIiec,
tual and moral, we owe to our inslitu-
lionS Of slavery.
Most persons also suppose that the
peculiar features of the great river
Mississippi, and its navigable upper tri-
butarieS, and of the immense area thro'
which they flow, would render impos.
sible the peaceful possession, by diff
erent nations, Of the upper waters and
their outlet to the ocean. But similar
cases oil different posSeSsors oil great
rivers are much more numerous in the
world, than the reverse condition and
s1ch actual circumstances are not, me-
cessarty productive OF wars. The
Danube, the Rhine, the Pc, the Elbe,
the Weser, the VlStlIa, the Dniester,
the Nlemen, and tive ragus; with
some other considerable rivers Of Eu-
rope, all have different posscssors Of
their upper waters and their pntets.-
Such has been the case since the mod
ern governments oil Europe have ex-
istcd Yet their history does not in
lorm us that such division Of owner
ship OF itself has ever caused war
The Great Austrian Empire does not
occupy the outlet of any OF any of its
rivers, except the Pc, the lower wa
Iers of which are barely included in
the most remote border of her Italian
dominion. Other important European
powers, Switzerland, the Kingdom Of
Bavaria, Saxony Wurtemburg, and
continental Sardinia, and other indie
pendent principalltes, do not touch
the ocean, or own the lower waters OF
any one OF all their rivers. Accord.
ing then to the popular doctrine refer
red TO above, there would have existed
continual difficulties and frequent wars
between each olthese powers, and their
respective neighbors nearer to the sea.
Yet numerous as have been the wars
IN which these powers have been en-
gagged, and trivial as are most of the
causes for which nations have made
war, few if any wars have ever been
caused by these territorial features aud
divided properties in the courses Of riv-
era.
It's true that the 1Ttcat Mississippi
valley would presru: the largest a.sss'
Nd sl1n n,r,,, 1.,,t ~ n.,a1, -,