The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-16
TIL z ADDRESS


The committee to ,ohich was referred the
duty of preparing an Address to The peo-
pile of the slapeholding States upon the
subject of a Southern Organ, to be estab-
Hshed in the City Of Washington, put
forth the follocing: a
FELLOW -cITIzENs: A number Of Sena-
tors and Representatives in Congress from
the Southern States of the Confederacy deep
| ly impressed with a sense of the dangers
which beset those States, have considered
carefully our means Of self-defence within
the Union and the Constitution, and have
come to the conclusion that it is highly impor-
tant to establish in this city paper, which,
without reference to political party, shall be
devoted to the rights and interests OF the
South, so far as they are involved in the ques-
tions growing out Of African slavery. To
establish and maintain such a paper, your
support is necessary, and accordingly we
address you on the subject. 4
In the contest now going on, the const-
tutional equality of fifteen States is put in
question. Some sixteen hundred millions
worth Of negro property is involved directly,
and indirectly, though not less surely, an IN
calculable amount OF property in other forms.
But to say this is to state less than half the
doom that hangs over you. Your social
! forms and institutions--which separate the
! European and the African races into distinct
classes, and assign to each different sphere
| in society-are threatened with overthrow
Whether the negro is to occupy the same
social rank with the white man, and enjoy
equally the rights, privileges, and immuni-
ties OF citizenship--in short, all the honors
and dignities OF society-is a question OF
greater moment than any mere question Of
property can be. tI<s Tia f..aaz &t,7
Such is the contest now going ora con-
test in which public opinion, if not the pre-.
vailing, is destined to be most prominent
force and yet, no organ of the united inter
ests of those assailed has as yet been es-
tablished, nor does there exist any paper
which can be the common medium for an
interchange of opinions amongst the South
ern States. Public opinion, as it has been
formed and directed by the combined infu-
ence Of interest and prejudice, is the force
which has been most potent against us in
the war now. going on against the institu-
ton Of negro slavery; and yet we have ta-
ken no efectual means to make and main
tain that issue with it upon which our safety
and perhaps our social existence depends
Whoever will look to the history of this
question, and to the circumstances un-
der which we are now placed, must see
that our position is one of imminent danger,
and one to be defended by all the means,
moral and political, of which we can avail
ourselves in the present emergency. The
warfare against African slavery commenced,
as is known, with Great Britain, who, after
having contributed mainly to its establish
ment in the New World, devoted her most
earnest efforts, for purposes not yet fully ex-
planned, to its abolition in America. How
wisely this was done, so far as her own col
onies were concerned, time has determined;
and all comment upon this subject on our
part would be entirely superfuous. If,
however, her purpose was to reach and en-
barrass US on this subject, her efforts have
not been without success. A common origin
common language, have made the English
literature ours to great extent, and the
efforts of the British Government and people |
to mould the public opinion Of all who
speak the English language, have not been
vain or Ruthless. On the contrary, they
have been deeply felt wherever the Eng
ish language is spokeu; and the more
efficient and dangerous, because, as yet,
the South has taken no steps to appear and
plead at the bar Of the world, before which
she has been summoned, and by which she
has been tried already without hearing
Secured by constitutional guarantees, and
independent OF all the world, so far as its
domestic institutions were concerned, the |
South has reposed under the consciousness
of right and independence, and foreborne to
plead at bar which she knew had no iuris-
diction over this particular subject. In this
we have been theoretically right, but prac-
tically we have made great mistake, An