The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-06
territorial Colonization.

Territorial Colonization.
The North has a larger population than the
South, owing to immigration from Europe. But
the North claims to have the most active, enter
prising, prosperous, and progressive portion of
the people. If the North has any confidence in
this pretension, why does it claim the interview
ton of Government in its favor to secure the
possession of new territory!
If the right of the people of both sections
were recognized to settle new territory, and
to form tler institutions, when numerous
enough to constitute a State, the North, if
superior in enterprise as well as in population,
would secure much the largest proportion OF
the public domain to itself
But it has so happened that the territory left
open to both sections has been coonzed chiefly
from the slaveholding States, and has adopted
slavery; whilst that which the North has colon
lied has been guarded by law from Southern
immigration.
Now it must follow from this, either that the
South has more enterprise, or that her people
have more influence or that her institutions are
better adapted to colonization than the North
After all the controversy on paper, and in
speech, after all the Wanting of the North
about the superior energy and success of its
system, the North has never dared to meet the
South on equal terms, to see which could clear
the most land, build the most houses, raise the
most crop, and acquire the predominance. 1t
may be said that the North is deferred from
going into territory where slavery is tolerated,
because of the danger that the State when
formed will tolerate it also, and thus render a
permanent continuance there ineligible for
Northern men. But have not Southern men
still more to apprehend if the story of Northern
activity and enterprise be true. Yet the South
promptly takes the risk, and has always
triumphed would have done so in Cali
fornia if the Northern States had not announced
by the Proviso their intention to prohibit sla-
very there by law--without regard to the
climate, soil, or opinions of the people that
might settle there. .-
There was for several years, after our Gov
ernment was established, an opinion quite pre-
valent even among Southern statesmen, that
slavery impaired the energy and capacity of
States, and that, therefore, in the westward pro-
gress of our people the North would outstrip
the South. But this theory was overturned in
Missouri, n State of colder climate than Della
ware, and directly in the line of Northern emf
grafton. It has been demolished by the colonial
ton of as many States by the South as the
North, containing a larger proportion of white
American blood, and indicating greater natural
increase of the white race in the South than in
the North.
1t is true that the States of Ohio, Indiana,
and Illinois, are very populous, and have grown
rapidly, but large portion of the people are
from Europe, and have been invited to those
States by climate similar to their own, and by
lands more fertile on the average than any in
the South
The progress of the system of exclusion and
monopoly of the public lands by the North, has
been rapid Originally the South held them all,
and the North rather asked as favor than
demanded rs right, that a portion should be
set apart to her. And when Virginia ceded the
Northwestern Territory to the United States, it
was regarded, as it was, an act of great magnani-
mity-and as we think of great weakness. But
when the United States acquired that territory
it was handed over to the North by the Ordi-
nance of 1887, and the territorial area of North
and South was thereby equalized And thus
stood the two sections when this Government
began. Its first step was to acquire Louisiana
and give three-fourths of that to the North, and
this without any pretence that the North was in
need of it or wanted it to colonze, but to ex-
clude the South. The next acquisition was
that of Florida and Oregon, and the North got
Oregon, much the largest. The annexation of
Texas tended to countervail this great dispro-
portion, but still left the North vast prepon-
derance; but the North now wants. and the
Compromise bill proposed to give her, between
third and half of Texas And finally, when
New Mexico and California were acquired, the
North claims the whole
Why,if Northern encroachment and Northern
demands are submitted to, the South will soon
be in the condition of the Indians whom we
have superseded. Every year the South will
be called on to retreat still more, until there
will no longer be room to retreat.