The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-14
from a. seulA.v. Cc.iassa,, Ca T-,,

From che souiAsrn (csInzsus, Ca Tms,
TIE MoRAL.--The consequence Of the RI.
cent election do not end with the mere triumph
Of one, and the defeat OF The other party No,
indeed Is IL quite 20 clear n might nj hrst an
pear, who have been the yictors, and who the
defeated party in the contest; or rather. Il II moi
yet certain, that the principles OF either party
have shared the fortune, good or bad, Of the
leaders. Those who rallied under the banner
Of Southern Rights have been defeated. and
those who claimed TO be the friends of the
Union have succeeded, in the mere contest for
supremacy in the approaching convention but
the cause Of the South is not lost, nor is the
cause Of the Union more secure, on that account.
The defeat TO US has been no loss TO our oppo-
nents, victory brings no triumph. In the final
settlement Of the great isspes which distract this
country, the result Of a popular election in
Georgia is Of but little real importance. Those
issues sooner or later must be met, and the de-
liberations of the convention which is shortly 10
assemble at Milledgeville, may modify the time
and the manner of their settlement: but the nj
innate result is the same, whether a spirit Of re.
sistance or Of submission prevails in that body.
The former might postpone, the latter certainly
will hasten, the denouement; but the evil is ra-
deal, vital, incurable; and whether i. be met
with prompt, energetic action, or by spirit of
quiet acquiescence, the result is the same. We
believe that the days of this Union are num-
bered, and no elections, conventions or platforms
can save it. No barrier which we can oppose to
the flood of Northern fanaticism can stay its on
ward rush, no spirit of compromise can arrest il,
no appeals to the former greatness and the fu-
ture promises of the Union can restrain IT, Dis
union, sooner or later, is inevitable, and to apply
the immortal words of one who spoke under
similar circumstances in TO, LET 1T COME"
The spirit of injustice nj the North might
have been checked for moment had the ban
ner of resistance prevailed in the recent cleo
! ton; but only for moment. Now, however
the triumph of submission here will but swell
the stream OF oppression there, and we shall,
consequently, be soon hurried to that point at
which the entire South will unite to maintain
her rights and her existence. Who, then, are
the victors in the recent struggle? Not those
who have been deluded into the hope that the
Union, which they truly loved, might be pre-
served by policy of compromise and conces-
sion; nor those who have dreamed of securing
our rights by measures Of constitutional resist
ance in the Union. These are doomed alike to
disappointment and the fruits Of the election
belong alone to those who have looked forward
to ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the Union rs affording
the only remedy for the evils of the past, and
the only security against those which are threat
encd In the future,
What effects is this election to produce upon
the popular mind at the North? Our movements
have been watched with no loss intense anxiety
there, than throughout the South Much IA
we may have squabbled here about names, and
devotion to the Union, and treason to the South,
the North has not been an inattentive on an un.
informed observer Of the true nature of our diff.
ferences. They have voted and correctly inter
preted the motives which have operated and
controlled in our election. Our success would
have been construed as determination to sub
nit no longer to their "foul domination" and
they would have wavered in their purposes Of
future outrages. Our defeat has been Interpreted
as the expression Of the decided disapprobation
of a majority of our people, of all resistance,
and they will presume upon the strength Of our
devotion to the Union, to increase their demands
of the South. The spirit of encroachment will
be embroidered, anti.slavery will become more
clamorous, and we shall be sooner driven to the
point Of necessary resistance. Such is to be
the effect produced upon the popular mind at the
North and if we will anticipate the action Of our
app oaching convention, we shall not find there
any more satisfactory evidences Of that security
to the Union, which our opponents have pro-
missed as the result of their election.
Should the convention adjourn Immediately,
without taking any action, this will be confrma-
ton to the North of our disposition to submit
to any and every outrage which may be imposed
upon us, rather than endangcr the peace Of the
Union by our demands Of Justice and we have
seen how far the integrity of the Union is already
threatened by the prevalence of this opinion ut
the North. On the other hand, if the cOnven-
ton should undertake to act at ALL it must adopt
strong prospective resolutions No platform of
abject and unconditional submission can be
adopted in that convention, though there should
not be Southern Rights man in it. Some line
must be drawn, some stakes driven down, some
ultimatum made, and when this is once DONE
the question Of resistance is settled, We oan
draw no lines, plant no stakes, make no ultima
tum, which Northern fanaticlsm will not sooner
or later transcend and thus, if true to ourselves
the time must come when the South will resist
AS TO what resistance means, men may speculate
and differ, but to our mind anything which stops
short of total separation between the two Sec
tions, is inadequate and therefore only provision
al We may commence with non intercourse
or any other of the expedients which have been
suggested by an anxious disposition to save the
Union but they are only expedients after all,
and at last must come to the only mode of re-
sistance which deserves the name-separation,
complete, total and forever.
And thus, we repeat, in the settlement of these
great issues, it matters but little how popular
election in Georgia may have resulted, The
ball is in motion, and it will never stop till the
South has been indicated and her rights secur
ed, or until her hopes have been finally eclipsed
in the gloom Of bondage.