Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-10-25


B. S. KooxcE, Rchand, Onslow county.
B. BARNES Black Creek, Wayne county.
VoxEY B. PALMER authorizedto receive advertisements
and subscriptions for the Journal New York. Philadelphia
and Boston, and receipt for payment for the same
From the Washington Union
4 Warming to the Southern Democracy.
The events growing out of the slavery agitation
have placed the democracy of the South in novel
situation. Unless passion is cast aside, and reason
consulted, disasters will befan republican principles
in that quarter of the Union. The history of the
past proves conclusvely that no question involving
slavery will divide the wings of the North the
wings of the South, or even separate the from
the other. Power and the emouments which flow
from power all for which the federalists contend
They have princ pies for the public eye; and the
wings of each State and Of each section profess any
doctrines and adhere to any humbug which may
please delude particular locality. In the North,
free-soilsm did harm to the whig party; it hard
" took corporals guard from its ranks The whole
mass of the northern wings freesoilers before
the Buffalo platform was built many of them were
worse than free-soilers. Seward and his followers
had herded with abolitionism. and coalesced and
spired with abolitionsm until the rank and file had
become so tainted that it would require backward
movement of the whig party of the North to place
it on the Buffalo platform.
What was the course of the whg party of the
South Did it protest against the conduct of the
wings of the North :! Did it spurn the bonds which
bound them to northern federalism, when it saw that
northern federalss bound to the abolitionists
and giving aid and cncOuTa cement to the anti-save
ry agitation By no means The wing party of
the South could not fUrego its bitter and uncompro
missing hatred to the democracy and it continued
bound in the letters of organization which was
regulated and controlled by a non-slayeholding ma
JOry hostile to the rights and interests of the South
The complexion of northern federalism clear
and decided and its anti-slavery tendencies and
predictions were announced time after time by the
action of northern wing meetings. and by the votes
'ho1n
cnt hostile to slave interests, or insulting to the
slave States, made in either branch of the
tional legislature it invariably found its chief sup
port in the votes of northern wings, and commanded
the votes of the great bulk of the wings of the North
Whenever the southern wings have succeeded in Civ
ing aid and strength to southern rights, they have
been compelled to vote with the bulk of the demo-
cratic party in order to do so. Yet despite these
facts, which stand prominent in the history of the
slavery agitation, the whig party of the Union has
preserved its nationality and the wings of the South
have been the mere "hewers of wood and drawers
of water" to the anti-slavery sentimeut-prefcrrng
no higher prayer than that they might be left
excuse that they might not be stripped to the skin,
but that some cast-of garment might be given them
to hide their nakedness from the eyes of the South
people. On the tariff question they hid their a.
postacy with covering which John Quincy Adams
spurned with his foot, and the Mexican war qucs-
ton they concealed their opposition beneath finn
sy, threadbare costume, which even the Mexcans
themselves disdained to wear. They did this and
more through their lust for power and place. rather
than break the bonds which bound them to the anti
slavery propagandists of the North. They shouted
Justify whenever the abolition sentiment of the North
was used to strike down some gallant democrat who
had maintained the rights and respected the honor
Of the South. They were frantic with joy when
Johnston, the abolitionist defeated Longstreth in
Pennsylvania, and when Ford the advocate of negro
equality beat Weller in Ohio And, to cap the eli
max, they supported for the Presidency the only
man in all the South who would not condemn free
sOilism
Nor is this ALL Just before the close of the last
session of the last Congress, the representatives of
the South, aided by northern democrats who gallant
ly sustained the constitution, the Of pass
ing Mr.. Walkers amendment, by which territorial
government, similar to that provided for the LoulS
purchase would be given to the territory acqui-
red from Mexico. Had this been done the South
would have had no cause of complaint, and dan
gerous agitation would have been ended by constu-
tional legislation. The amendment passed the Sen
ate, and about to pass the House of Represen-
tatives when new actors came upon the stage. They
came speaking in the name of Gen. Taylor; and by
welding the influence of one who about to be
invested with all the power and patronage which
appertan to the Presidency and aided by the active
cooperation of Mr.. Winthrop, then Speaker of the
House of Representatives, they succeeded in their
mission, and defeated adjustment. Did the south
ern wings complain of this Did they manifest any
indignation at the conduct of Messrs. Seward, Ew
ing, and Winthrop! No. none whatever. few
free-soil cabinet to the skies; and in few months
after, with five exceptions, they straining eve
ry nerve to re-elect Robert c. Winthrop, thorough
paced Wilmot Provisoist, Speaker of the House Of
Representatives, the administration candidate for
that post. They had adhered to the wings of the
North in a which kept alive the slavery agi
tatiOn until California framed constitution prohib
itng slavery and most of them sustained the free
soil cabinet of Gen Taylor, when it recommended
the admission of California and the adoption of lin
of policy which would keep the agitation alive unit
New Mexico and Utah should also apply for admit
lance with constitutions forbidding slavery.
Such has been the conduct of the southern wings
We beg our democratic friends to pause and consider
Many of the most prominent wings of the South hav
opposed the resolutions of southern legislature
declaring that the Wilmot Proviso ought to be re
sisted if it should becomes law The two most prom
nent leaders of the wing partyi Virginia have open
" maintained the cOnStitutonality of that PrOvisC
These facts, as we'll as those have already pre-
scented, should be warning to the southern dcmot
racy. They prove beyond question that some Of tn
wing leaders of the South would have been willin
to accept almost any terms rather than break tn
party ties which bind them to their whig-abohto
allies of the North. The adjustment which has bee
effected is infinitely better than the terms they woul
have been willing to take. The fthe Sout
will therefore be united and we warn the dcmocra
of the South to cultivate spirit of harmony an
good feeling among themselves. We have no doul
that vast majority Of the democracy of the Sout
will sustain the adjustment but disafected m
norty may throw the Southern States into the hant
of the wing party. Then it might be that they WI
furnished to the northern wings strength enough
repeal the 21st rule, may also furnish strength
nough to repeal emasculate the fugitive slave BIZ
Will the southern democrats, who dissatisfc
with the adjustment cain anvtbDu nv that Ca