Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-02-09
A FURTHER EXPOSITION OF THE EVIL OF THE
DAY, AND ITS TENDENCY.

a few days ago, upon the distracting topic of the
times, we invited their attention to unmistake-
able evidence OF the existence of a very serious
disaffection towards the General Government
among the People in certain of the Southern
States. This disaffection we showed to be founded
on alleged aggressions by the People of the North
by their State Governments, and by their Repre-
sentatives in Congress- upon the rights Of the Peo-
pie of the South, which aggressions are represented
by the latter to have grown to such height as to
be no longer endurable and to require aresort by the
South to extra-conshtutional ways Of redress. To
ascertain more definitely ,ohat those aggressions"
are which are thus denounced, we have resorted to
the source from which the propositions for South
dress of Southern Senators and Representatives to
their Constituents, as we find it published in the
" Union newspaper of January 80, lS49.
That Address, now before us, opens with for
mality denoting depth Of purpose, as well as OF
feeling, on the part of its distinguished authors
"We, whose names are hereunto annexed" say they,
" address you in discharge Of what believe be solemn
duty, the most important subject presented for your
consideration. We allude to the conflict bet,cee the t,co
great sections Of the Uion growing out Of difference Of
feeling and opinion in reference to the relation existing be-
tween the races the European and African, which
habit the Southern secon and the acts Of aggression and
eneoachment to which it has led
The conflict commenced not long after the acknowledge
men Of our independence and has gradually increased
til 1t has arayed the great body Of the North against the
south this most vital subject In the progress Of this
conflict aggression has o0ed aggression, and encroac
ment encroacent, until they hare reached point che
remain longer silent The object of this address to give
you clear, correct, but brief Of the whole series
aggressons and encroachments your rights with state
ment Of the dangers to which they expose YOU"
The Address goes on to state that the differ
ence of opinion and feeling on this subject, not to
60 further back disclosed itself in the Conven-
ton that formed the Constitution, and constituted
one of the greatest difficulties in framing it. The
obstacles were, however, overcome by a compro-
mise-the Constitution as it stands-so satisfac-
tory, says the Address, in regard to the subject in
question, as to have been nearly unanimously adop-
ted. "With few exceptions" continues the Ad-
dress, the South had no reason to complain prior
to the year 1919 that is to say, not for period
Of thirty years-until the beginning Of the debate on
the question Of the admission of Missouri into the
Union, &c.
The main counts Of the aggressions by the North,
which the Address = recites, are couched in the
following terms.
''The citizens of the South, in their atemptto
er saues, meet instead Of aid and cooperation,
sistance in every form resistance from hostie ats Of
Legislation, intended battle and defeat their claims By all
sorts Of derices and by intposng euy description of
impediment resistance judges dmasistress and
49, nho yoc--
and blacks which, by threats force, the fugitive
slave ffonithe possession Of his rightful owner"
But, continues the address, provision Of the consti-
tuition may be violated indirectly well directly, by doing
an act in its nature inconsistent with that which enoned
TO be DONE OF this form Of violation there is striking
Stance connected with the provision under consideration
We aude combinations which believed to exist
in many Of the Northern States, whose object is ence
'decoy entrap nveg and seduce slaves escape from
their owners and to pass them secretly and rapidly, by
means organized for the purpose into Canada where they
'will be beyond the reach of the provision"
ssAnd yet repugnant these combinations are to the
ttrue intent Of the provisions it is believed that with the
sbove exception, of the States within whose limits
they exist has adopted any suppress them
punish those by whose agency the object for which they
formed is carried into execution. On the contrary
they hare looked and ,ctnessed ,vth indifference,
1ih secret approbaion great number Of slaves enced
from their and placed beyond the possibility of
cry the great and heavy pecunary loss Of the
bordering Southern States"
There remains be noticed another class Of aggressive
of kindred character but which, instead of striking at
express and specific provision of the constitutions d.
recy destroying the relation between the two races at The
South by ubvesve in their tendency of one Of the
ends for which the constitution established We refer to
the systematic agitation Of the question by the Aboionsts
which, commencing about 1885, still continued in all pos
sibe FORMS Their avowed intention is to bring about
Of things that will force emancipation the South" &C.
The Address then passes on to history OF the
Missouri controversy, which also is included
among the grievances of the South and, next, to
the war with Mexico, which is represented by the
author Of the Address to have had the effect to
" widen the difference between the two sections"
meaning the North and the South, and to give more
determined and hostile character to their conflict y
The Address then goes on to state, as one of the
consequences of that war, the apprehended excu-
sion by Congress Of Slavery from California, &c.
an " aggression" in prospect, which, like the next
aggression recited, the design TO abolish Slavery
in the District Of Columbia, there is no present pro-
liability being realized For, on the principle con-
tended for by the South itself. Congress can con.
sttutonally impose no other condition upon the
admission Of any State into the Union than that its
Constitution shall be Republican, and of course
cannot require that State, coming into the Union,
shall create slavery where il does not at present