The southern press., 1850-10-07
zhAadsga 18th Angust, 1850.

me to attend a Mass Meeting of the citizens Of
Montgomery, appointed to be held on the nth
instant. very much regret that cannot be
present and participate in the proceedings fthe
c.ntsmplnted meeting--not that suppose that
could contribute materially to the good work
designed to be accomplished, but because |
should DC made happy in witnessing the exciting
scene of hundreds.of freemen met to exchange
their patriotic resolves TO maintain those consti-
iutiona rights bequeatied to them by glorious
! ancestry. D1y impression is, taut the time has
come for the Southern States to acf, if they
would either resusitate the Constitution from
death or preserve their own separate existences
as political communities. For it is idle to deny
the fact, that the Abolition States have set aside
| the Constitution and substituted their riH to
its provisions. The Union, therefore, may be
considered AS already destroyed. Hence the on
ly security which the Southern States have in
connection with the abolition States, for their
political lib rty,s the forbearince of the latter,
siace their uN has become the fountain Of all
the power of the Government. Whether the
Southern States will be s,fe under the rule of
this phinntrophic abolition Government at
Washington, suppose the vilcst submissionist
who lives to disgrace the South. will almost
venture to doubt, even while he slaveshIy sings
| peans To it, as "glorious Union"
! The Southern States have been greatly to
blame for the degraded condition in which they
find themselves. INDUCING passionate, poe
tic:l attachment to the Union, they have been
alike blind TO its defects and to the destructive
| tendency OF the unceaslng assaults by which it
has, at length been battered down They seem
1t, ave been unnndful of the fict that our
federal compact was an experiment. and not to
have reflected that every violation Of it unrebu-
ked and submitted to by them was failure of
the experiment. because destructive Of the Cor
sitution-thatin submitting to cncroachments
upon their rights. either Federal or State, they
were guilty OF infdelity to the Union, of recre-
ancy to themselves, and become ancessory to
the destruction of the Union How these
States could suppose that the experiment would
succeed whilst they ingloriouly declined vindi-
eating and upholding it against the combined at
tacks of heartess c0nsOidatOnsts and Internal
Abolitionists-or how they could suppose that
their sacrifices Of rights 20 the audacious de-
mands OF nsurpers, would preserve the Union,
is to me amazing, and appears to be unaccoun.-
able, unless we suppose them to have been
blindly attached to it. How is the Union to be
preserved otherwise than by arigid observance
Of the Constitution, which is the terms of the
Union? What more stupidity absurd, then, than
to make sacrifices of constitutional rights, with
Il view to preserve the Union, when the sacrifi-
of the Union, and consequently of the Union
itself! We cannot hide the humiliating truth
from ourselves nor from the enlightened world,
that the policy and action of the Southern States
under every crisis Gas the encro1chments OF the
Abolitionsts and Consolidationists are tcrmed)
have been most suicidal and unwise Instead
of heroically defending the Union against viola
ton and abuse, they have from time to time,
submitted to encroachments upon it, until it is
demolished and the own existences imminen'-
y endangered They now sustain subordil'-
ate and base connection with the abolition
States. This connection must not continue Ii
cannot continue without involving, by ma ur.l
law, the political death Of the Southern States
The Southern States, therefore, have great
and sublime work to perform. Itsa work that
cannot be accomplished by a division Of the
territory acquired from Mexico, even If that di-
vision should be made by u competent authority
as convention or conventions Of the States;
and to think of dividing ii by an incompetent
authority, as the Congress- would be to re-enact
the folly which has cha sacterized tho Southern
States For thirty years, and well nigh involved
them in ruin and the loss of their liberties. Who
will be bound by any settlement of the contro-
versy made by Congress? Can the abolition
members Of Congress impose upon their sue
cessors an obligation not to exercise the con-
!
subject of slavery? Certainly not Whist,
then, will the South gain by miscalled compro-
mise? Nothing, no, not even an exemption
from abolition encr0achmeBts for single year
1t is true, would acguiesce in division of the
territory, as a property, by the line Of SO deg.
80 min., provided it be done by convention of
the States. But there is something more to be
done than mere division Of the territories If
we desire to remain in the Union, which take
for granted, the Federal Constitution must be
revived and vindicited. To do this, moral
power must be brought to bear upon the gem
eral mind ofthe abolition States that sha Quel
it into silence III reference to slavery otherwise \
a division of the territory by the most nuques- \
tionabe authority, and in the most solemn form !
known to the proceedings of organized bodies /
of men, will not secure the Sonth against the !
mad, aggressive abolition spirit, or the scarcely [
less daring spirit OF consolidation. As they have /.
overleaped the barriers of the solemn compact
of union, so they would violate any canlpact in
reference to the territory. The Southern
Siates must then, demand IF the Aboliiionists, as
sine qua non 10 any settlement eff The existing
con'rorersy additional corstiiutionH guarantees
moi alone for The protection Of their s,aDe pro.
perty bm also for The projection oj their indepen
dence and liberties as States. An amendment
the Constitution, restraining Congress from
tne exercise OF JURISDICTION over the subject OF
slavery, together with an express declaration
that the Constitution is compact of union be- (
tween sovereign States, and that each State
has right, whenever, in her judgment, the (
onion has failed to accomplish the ends Of its /
institution, to secede theretrom, is Indispensable I
to the safety of the South The virtue and .
efficacy of such an amendment and declaration 4
would be seen, not much in its restraininc
influence upon the abrtion States-for tina
would depend upon their virtue and sense o.
Justce--tnings not to be relied on, as we know
from dearly bought experience; but its happ, \
effects wonld be realised in the destruction
party organization, and in the union Of the Soutl
as geographical section--the only thing needle,
to give her power and to secure to her respcc
and even Justice from the abolition States A
a geographical section, she would ever be aliv,
to her interests and united and prompt to repe
federal aggressons upon her rights
If some such additional guarantees as hay
suggested cannot be obtained, the duty of th
South is plain and demanded by every consider
alton of honor Independence Freedom and sofl