Southern shield., 1850-10-12

Wherefore they Wrangle and the voice of their contention rolls through the land, il' smacks of thespirit of Seventy six! In such cases it is the duty of the thew seventeen"'' to see fair play between thestormy combat ants; to soothe their anger instead of talk ing sides and mingling in the fray Here were we assembled to-day, said he, 10 or ganize "A Union Fire Company" to put out the conhagration at the north-the fires of disunion at the South, whether those fires were lighted by the fratricidal torch ofin- cendiarsm, or the misguided spirit of stubborn and acrimonious patriotism.
 The great and glorious spirit of com promise had presided over the birth ot the constitution of which was the soul oI the Union.
 What would one think, if in the vegatable kingd om the bean and pea should claim to be the exact equals in size, ponderosity and value of the melon and the pumpkin But l we had seen the spirit of compromise a. cheve greater wonders and equalize wider differences than these. It had made the mighty and empire-Gke Virginia but the equal in the Senate of the Union to little l Delaware, and the ancient and popuIous Massachusetts but the equal of Rhode ls- land! He took the stateSmanlike ground that the Union between sovereigntles, as our States were, was to all intentS and pur- poses, treaty and no party gan secede from its,1obiigalions without q clear viola ton of the contract by some on e or by ma ny of the other parties. Had the South to complain of any such infraction ! The Wilmot Proviso, so insulting 10 Southern feelings had indeed been suffered to be at tached to the Oregon territorial bill; but this was no infraction upon the rights ot the South, as no one felt any interest in that domain, cold and unblessed by Southern sun.
 But in the Utah, and the New Mexico territorial bills, in which, from proximity, the South might feel more interest, the odi- ous proviso was not found. Carolina her self had come into the Union in the free exercis e of the doctrines of the Baltimore platform, now received among all parties, except in the ranks of ultrasm and dis Union.
 Nor was the North, nor the Federal Co., vernment, responsible for the madness oi. abotionsm; it was the result of that free dom of opinion and debate incident to our free government and unshackled institu- tons Indeed, the North by the passage of the Fugitive Slave Bill and by the stern refusal in the Senate, forty votes against the lean majority of five, to abolish the slave trade in the District of Columbia has l proclaimed, in the face of the whole world and by the most solemn pledges, that she | to intends no infraction of the great treaty 1 of the Union.
 He then proceeded 10 enumelate the | losses and gains of disunion or secession. The items on the one side were: pecuniary ruin, distress and embarrassment-da both to liberty and religion-danger of ser vile nsurrecton and the overthrow of the slave insttution-a taxation grinding the 1 owners of the soil into th5 dust c! their an i ploughed felds-horrible War-While pri- vateers would sweep the ocean and Priraje tears flood each dear household and altar homel
 In the burst of his passionate and patrio-
 tic invocation for the preservation oi the ln- tegrty of the Union, the eloquent speaker represented the sublime impersonations of ancient divinity-the gods of Mythology as all arrayed in favor of the Union. Old | Neptune, on the North Eastern coast of Maine, amidst the stormy surges and every surf lifts high his deprecating trident; Nul- can thunders from his ten thousand forges on the Pennsylvania hills; Apollo, the lute bearer, everywhere, and. Ceres gladdening the sunny South with her horn of plenty ; all, all protest against dis-Union
 And as for the father of the Gods, old l love himself, had been compelled to become nuturalized citizen of Philadelphia seven- ty years ago, where he aud Ben Franklin became acquanted---he having retired to private life as soon as Ben robbed the cloud compelling king of Gods and men ot his
 thunderboIts. And now Morse had har- messed his lightning and made them the mail carriers of the world! What nObler message could they bear in their terrible and dazzling speed to Maine and proclaim along the Aroostook to the border-men that we the sovereign people of Mississippi l glory in the broad, unsullied name of Amer ican citizens, and would not exchange so proud title for all the kingdoms and wealth ofa world.
 We have not space to follow this brilliant peaker through his polished and beautiful peroraton. He sat down while the Court House was shaken by applauding thunffrs, l s7--.t cc,ft!l was ioi y3odge EHtziEs who, after having read the resolutions, were | adopted by the meeting, made a speechl which drew immense applause for its keenI irony, it's sound sense, and home truth. He