The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-06-06

contained IN this Northern argument
is but the expression Of that spirit Of
abolition which, commencing its op-
erations during the last year of the last
century has continued to grow since thai
time. II lead to the emancipation Of
the blacks & the fatal massacfes and con.
seque6t devastation Of Hsyti. Within
the last thirty years, it has dissolved
the relation Of master and slave in the
British, French. Danish and Swedish
Islands Of the West Indies. 1t has oc>
casioned acts of emancipation in Mex
leo, Guatemala and the South Ameri>
can Republics. 1t has prompted the
British Government to declare that a
cardinal principle in its policyis to dis
turb that, relation Of master and slave
throughout the world. 1t has led to
expenditure Of money for purposes Of
discord in our land sufficient to liber-
ate the slaves in a state. 1t has dissol
we'd the bonds of church organization,
and penetrating into Congress it boldly
declares that lis law Is higher than the
Constitution, and that fidelity to the
Constitution, is faithlcssness 10 the law
of God. All writers concur that to a
stable government there must be some
fixed ideas in d community against
which no sci Of men will dare 20 array
themselves. In the Southern Slates
the man who would seek 10 suhvert
the relation Of master and slave would
be Justly regarded as public enemy.
In all our party or personal collisions,
the tfrcdaess Of this relation by gener
al consent is regarded as unquestiona-
Bile. The assaults in & out Of Congress
upon the Institution and all the founda,
lions on which it reposes, constitute
an offence. They create danger; they
promote Encouragement; they destroy
confidence in the perpetulty of our
domestic society. They are crimes
against that society. When we look
at the success Of abolition in the British
and French coFhaies, to what can we
ascribe our, safety from the same fatal
consummationl The Abolitionists Of
England and France have not heen
more activethan those of onr own cOun
try. The anli-slavery agitation has
never attained the height 10 either thai
it has reached in the United States
In the legislatures Of the Northeru
States it has commanded frequently
unanimous votes. In congress the
same community of sentiment among
Northern representatives has of late
prevailed. Can we doubt that If the
SonthernSt had been dependencies
of Great Britain, France, or the North
err half Of the Union, the decree of
emancipation would have gone forth
long before this time? We owe nur
safety to the political power we enjoy
ia the government of the United States
and to he organization and strehght of
our State Govesnments. The astute
and cunning spirit of fanatlcism has
discovered this. and hence its attacks
have been directed against the solrces
of that power.
The exclusion Of slavery from the
conquests Of Mexico is designed to de-
feat the eqdipoise which has hitherto
been in some measure maintained Ii
the councils Of the Federal Governs
ment. When the same command of thl
senate has been acquired which NOV
exist over the House Of Representative
| should like to know what restraints
can be imposed upon the spread o
this fanaticism to the States, which i
now manifested in the Territories q
the UnitedStates2
In this connection, may notice
what is apparent to all the decay o
that constitutional mOrality Gf may
borrow the expression) which was 81
strongly charactistic Of the country
when the Constitution was adopted
This quality was manifest in the ad-
herence to constitutional forms, ant
and the sanctity attached to constitu
tional obligations. States, communi-
lies, and individuals, reposed with un
fauneriug confidence upon the faill
plighted in constitutional compact
The reseyUed nights Of the States Of th'
4 Union involve some Of the Necessary
conditions to popular liberty, yet The
States surrendered their powers ovel
the army and navy, aud Of war and ne
gocialion. They rested upon faith, an'
not npon force, to uphold them.
A mighty change in American idea
has undoubtIy occurred. The specta
Gle Of constitutions set up and pulier
down has become so common. that !
has ceased to attract attention. If
constitutional provision produces th'
slightest inconyenience to an iudivldu
'faL Of party agitator he sells to work t
/ remove It, and he commenly has thu
sympathy Of the community with him.
In addition to this decay Of rever
.