Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-06-28
SOUTHERN ADDRESS.


and Boston, and receipt for payment for the same.
= SOUTHERN ADDRESS.
TO the People Of faryand Virginia, No. Carolina, South
Carolina Georgia Florida, Alabama, Tennessee. Ken
lucky Louisiana, Isras Missouri, arkansas Deiarare
aud mississippi ~
In obedience the commands of those
we represent have assembled confer with each
ether concerning your relation General
and non-Savehodng States of the Union the subject
fore you as briefly as the subject permit the result Of
deliberations and cOunSels.
order that your condition may be understood the
conclusions which have arrived be justly appreciated
necessary briefly to refer to few past
1t sixteen since the institution of slavery in
the South began be agated Congress and assaulted by
sister States Up to that tne the people of the North
States to have respected the rights reserved to the
Southern States by the Constitution and to have acted under
the conviction that the subject of slavery being beyond the
legislation of Congress- all agitation with respect it on the
part of Congress equally forbidden by the
But at this time portion of the people of the North began
to asai in Congress the institution of slavery and to accom-
psh their object dragging it into the vortex of congress
sonal agitation, they claimed the right of petonng Con-
first step legislation clear that right petition
legislative body be limited by its powers of legislation
he has moral legal right to do Nor any tribunal
have the receive and consider beyond its
on the subject Of slavery was Considered by the South
Representatives generally attempt indirectly to
sumo jurisdiction the subject itself all parts of the
Union The object without Disguise the overthrow of
presented chiefly against slavery the District of Columbia
aud our Territories and against what they call the internal
Southern another Conscious of the fatal tendency
of the agitation of slavery in Congress to destroy the peace
stability of the Union, effort made supported by
large portion of the Northern Representatives suppress
it by rule the House of Representatives which provided
that all petitions subject slavery should be neither
considered printed referred This rule assaulted by
the reope of the Northern States violating that clause of
the Constitution which prohibits Congress from passing laws
prevent the people from peaceaby assembling and petit
onng for redress of grievances In December 1884, this
rule fell before the North
thus the unlimited power of introducing and considering the
subject of slavery in Congress asserted In the
m the Northern people showed clearly that
they relied to overthrow this institution throughout the
Union Newspapers them and lecturers
hired abroad to excite them against slavery the
Southern States Organizations formed to carry off
slaves from the South and to protect them by violence from
recapture Although the Constitution requires that fugitive
slaves like fugtves from justice should be rendered up by
the States to which they may have fed the legislatures of
almost Northern State THIS treaty spua-
ton between the States passed laws designed and calculated
which the Union would have never existed and by these
laws virtually nued the act of 1894 passed by
aid its enforcement Not with the agitation sla-
very political circles Northern people forced it also
into the religious associations extending the Unon
produced separation of the Methodist and Baptist churches
The result of all these various methods of assang slavery
the Southern States that became the grand topic
interest and discussion in Congress and out of and
of the most important elements of politics in the Union
Thus an institution belonging to the Southern States excu
sve was Eested from their exclusive control and instead
of that protection which is the great object of all govern
ments and which the Constitution the United States guar
antees to all the States and their Institutions the Northern
States and Congress under their control combined together
assai and destroy slavery in the South The Southern
States did nothing to vndcate their rights and arrest this
of things The Mexican broke out and instead
of that patriotic cooperation of all sections of the Union
which would have taken place in the better days OF the Re
public to bring it to just and honorable conclusion in the
first appropriation bill the North endeav
ored to thrust the object of slavery Throughout the
they kept the agitation thus clearly manifestng their
determination that the General Government in of its
operations internal or external shall be exempted from the
introduction of this dangerous subject The closed with
honor and immense territory added to the u States
ding States Immediately claimed the right exclude the
people of the Southern States from all the territory acquired
and to appropriate it to themselves If this preenson arose
from lust power twoud be hard to bear the supe
riory and mastery implies 1t would degrade the South
States from being the equals the Northern States
position of colonial inferorty But when your exclusion
not from lust power but is only further step in
the progress OF things aiming at the abolition OF slavery in
the States by the extension and multiplication of nonsave
holding States in the Union the preenon is to be
Eegislatures forth with great unanmity gifts
s PSo to en- th tine m
and finding in the Northern States disposition abae
has been brought to take counsel to the
the Southern States should PURSUE for the maintenance of
their rights, liberty and honor.
Such brief but imperfect statement of past transac
on and they force upon the question: THAT condition
do they place the Southern States? And first what is the
condition in Congress! The time when Represen
tatves in Congress neither offered would they
ure Teproach in behalf But for years past they
opProbus epithets account of the institution of slavery
humiliation al the insults they daily receive your repre-
sentatlves You arragncd criminals Slavery drag
ged into every debate and Congress has became little els
than grand instrument in the hands of abotonsts to de
grade and ruin the South Instead of and protection
ngs and counses And what your condition with respec
to sister States? Where is that respect and CONT
which due from all nations towards each ohe) is
pecially together in confederacy
and which displayed in all their intercourse? In
stead of respect and sympathy denunciaton hostility
your institution Of slavery have for years pas
characterized the communications addressed to By tn
Northern States And what your condition the Union
The non-slaveholdng States stand combined not only
West from you your common property but to place upo
your front the brand of nfeority You not to
account of your institutions but they increase
multiply, that the shame and sin of slavery may, by he
phlanthroplc Won,
But the worst feature of condition is that
net arrested to " lower deep Every effect is cause
and the spirit of fanaacsm brooks delay in
it creates you to yield everything the North
requres-abolish slavery in the District of Columba-su
init to the egated pirates for conveying slaves from
State anothcret trial by jury and the writ of habec
wres from the Northern States fugtiN
slave-gve up all your territories swell Northern arrogant
and prcGomirance would things step there These
means aiming at one great epdthe abolition of slavery
the States. Surenderng of these you will b.
iHhame the power by which another will be exacted-ar
when all conquered will the evil be arrested? In fiji
twenty non-saveholdpg States be added
the Union, whilst some which saveholding may
non-slaveholdng States There then will be
openly to aside the Constitution reach the
object they will deign to do it, the nOn-savehodng Stat
will then have the power by two-thrds in Congress
OF the States to amend the Constitution.
then have sanction their
4our condition is progressive
If from the past transactions have narrated
condition in the Union they teach also that past
of non-action and submission aggression bril-
peace and safety. When the doors of Congress
thrown open to agitation the subject of slavery if t
Southern States had moved with energy avert state
things unconstitutional ITSELF and surely tending to bril-
the aveholding and nonslaveholdng States into colso
although late it not have been too late stop subs
quent encrOachments upon rights. But the Southe
States passive and their forbearance has had the ee
Ofnspring the Northern people with the belief either tn
value union with them than value the instit
ton of slavery, that dare not from conscious
ability to protect ourselves You have ungenerously sto
still whilst and the defenders of the Cons