The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-05-23
From the Charleston Mercury.l
The National ImteIligemcer,

| tt II We /
The National InteTligencer.
This sterling representative of old
time federalism, which is never fully
awoke until there is some assertion Of
State Rights to denounce, or some un,
usual daring usurpation Of the govern.
ment TO defend, has arisen from its
mighty slumbers within the last few
mouths TO do fearful battle against the
Nashville convention. The aspect and
behavior Of the Tntelligencer, thus sud-
denly and violendy aroused from its
repose, has been such as often charac.
terises people walked up by an unac>
countable din, whether in their own
heads or in the neighborhood: much
glaring Of the eyes, wild bristling OF
the hair, very imperfect apparel, Q
fstrong propensity TO believe The whole
world is going to the dogs, and an in.
stinctive impulse to cry FIRE, and knock
over the furaiture,
whatever may be the cause of dis
turbance, the conduct Of people thus
clrcumstanced bears no Just relation to
it, but is only reflex Of their own in
ternal confusion. They see gigantic
phantoms, like DON Q1irote. and vail
antly lay waste wine sacks, in the be-
liefthat they are fighting devils What
ever they say or do, has no solid truth,
and shows no consciousness Of any re-
sponsibility to their own tribunal than
their own imagination. Whatever that
suggests, is delivered verify, and if its
next suggestions are in palpable con-
tradiction, they are affirmed with the
same solemnity, as if it were written
among the self-evident truths of Eu>
cid, that things which are entirely DIFF
ferent, are therefore exactly alike.
We do not desire 20 use extravagant
illustration, and however this may seem
to others, it is fair representation Of
the aspect which the National Intelli-
gencer has borne, to our eyes. for the
last few months. 1t has taken no wax.
ing account Of the elements Of political
convuISion that were gathering datkly
over the country, and the progress oil
which towards catastrophe was man.
ifest to allsound thinkers, and each stage
:" y measurable by the eye and esti,l
mable by. the plainest sense ofmankind
lt mas seen monstrous claims of legis
latlon urged by one section against ths
rights and interests Of another, accom-
panied everywhere by the avowal thai
these hostillties would be perseveredI
in and aggravated till the social organ
lzation Of that section was DESTROYED
and its political influence broken. and
yet the lntelligencer has BETRAYED nd
consciousness that anything wrong oI
anything unusual was going on. ThI
soundness of its rest has not been dia
turbed by these gloomy portents. Tha
atm 'sphere of Northern hostility
and outrage, as yet mistaken by the
trumpet note Of defiance from the
South, seemed to form a most sweet
and wholesome bedroom air to the n
tellIgencer, and the shadow of pleas
ant dreams fitted over its well.fet {
face, doubles suggesting that il wal :
favored by the winning party, and i'll
life would be long in the golden purl !!
lieus Of the treasury. So long as ii
was only the war of the North upob
the South, no matter how fierce. Of
threatening that form Of atrocity, tie :
peace of the lntelligencer was unrsf-
he'd, md scarcely a murmur Of dissp- :,
proval passed its lips. With all he !
less daring entertainments Of anti.shv- 7
sry'.lt showed as hearty sympathy as
Z is capable Of feeling for anything :
'ut its own interest; and its gentle :
most gentle---hints Of non. concurrence :, :
n extreme measures, were only strbn- !
ser proof that It was moved BY no i'm :
'ulse 70 defend the right; and would
n no conceivable event be an obstruc.
ION N that Capitalization, which by S
hrowing down the defepces Of The a
g on the side Of the indus.
rial institutions Of the South. would at :,
nee and hopelessly give up the fede. Z
al government to the unrrestrained !,
omtnation Of themgjorty. This would ].
. the confirmation Of it's own beloved !,
liberalism, and the achievement would |
% well worth the rum of thirteen i
'tates Of the Union. j j
But the thirteen States Of the Union y
'ere not disposed to submit 10 this ri. ',
?; they had watched these hostilities Il
''th serious earneslness from the first; ii
ley bad met them by reason and re. W
lonstrance' they had struggled against is
lem IN all the fnrmsof legislative re- al
stance; feeling they grew III bitter
ess and strength, the South had never al
'st sight Of the possibility that they w
'onld go TO such lengths as 10 strike liz
the very foundations Of constr. XII
ltional guaranty Of justice ana equa. et