The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-10
For the Southern Pres,.

that OF his country, enlarged stlhshness, il no
4 higher motive, should induce a consideration OF
public affairs at this time. II is the duty Of every
citizen at this season of danger to lend his aid to
she is surrounded. Politicians have brought her
amid the breakers, the people only, can safely
conduct her through. hold it to be proper then,
that every citizen, who has an opinion, upon the
subject, should give it to the public that in the
suggestions OF various minds the truth may be
! elected, and The wisest policy pursued. Under
this impression, propose to submit a few con-
siderations on the present condition of things. l
am no politician | abhor the scramble for the
spoils which is dgnifed with the name of politics.
i am a neither a democrat, nor wing. have
no Office | am seeking none. am merely an
observer of public affairs. have no bias in any
direction. shall treat the subject in its general
relations, in the abstract, whole. @s.' 'r..
Z. ] shall speak the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth. Ii err, it shall be unin-
territorial. I solicit from my countrymen at the
South dispassionate consideration of my views.
propose to consider the object for which the
Federal Government was established how that
object has been attained lift has not been attained
the causes of this failure the remedy, if it
there be a remedy within the Union, and If not,
the remedy beyond the Union. "'
The object Of the Federal Government, as ofevery
other government, is two-fold. Protection with
out and protection within. Let any one turn this
matter over in his own mind, and reflect carefully
upon it, and he will see that the whole object OF
the Federal Government is, as have stated, pro-
lection. Protection without, from external ag-
erosion, and protection within, from internal aS-
erosion. go .".N -.'.
There are certain fundamental rights, which re-
uuire the protection Of Government; they may
be resolved into the three following The right of
property, personal security, and personal liberty.
II these receive protection, Government attains
the end Of its creation {; if not, 1t fails TO do so.
. I hnu fha Eada r. n a L
tanned its end. IN SsGss4sieSas-s - ...
AsI have said, the object of the Federal Gov
eminent is projections, external and internal. As
regards the former, protection from external ag-
erosion, admit that the Federal Government has
been entirely successful. / shall therefore not
lose any time on this point but proceed at once to
consider how the Federal Government has dis
charged its office Of affording internal protection.
First, as regards the right Of property. large
portion, perhaps the largest portion ofthe property
Of the Southern States, consists in slaves and ail
other property at the South is intimately connected
with, aud dependant upon the value and stability
of the slave property. The slave property cannot
be impaired in value without impairlng in value
all other property at the South it cannot be de-
stroyed without destroying all other property.
:. What has been the action Of the Federal Gov
eminent in regard TO this peculiar property at the
SOUTH Let history answer. In 1920, this spe-
cies of property was prohibited from being intro
duced north Of a certain line. This direct
attack by the Federal Government on slave pro-
perty, and pro,estation against it, All other
property might go into the territories but slave
property, if it meant these, 1t became forfeited
thus did the Government at that early day, ex-
press its sense of the-valdity and legality Of this
kind Of property, did it discriminate be-
tween this and all other property.
Furthermore, there has been for many years, a
constant and increasing agitation IN Congress,
upon the subject ofslave property. The title and le-
gality ONO other kind ofpropery is questioned but
slave property, this is constantly questioned; ques-
toned by the very instituted for tspro-
lection The journals of Congress show that there is
more time spent upon this subject, than all other
subjects put together. The Government instituted
10 protect property, occupies itself to the ex-
cluson Of all other matters in evincng its hostility
TO our property To read the debates in Congress,
one would imagine that he was reading the pro-
ceedings ofan Abolition convention, land this by the
Government, instituted, sustained and paid by US
to protect our property. Besides this agitation,
constant and disturbing, the most hostile PROPOSE
a tons against our property, are entertained with
favor by Congress g; as the abolition OF slavery IN
the District Of Columbia,-eXcusion Of slave pro-
perry from the conquered territories, -submitting
to the vote of the people Of the District Of CoIun-
ba including slaves and free negroes as voters,
whether slavery should be abolished there,-abo-
ltion Of slavery in the forts and arsenals OF the
United States. And to crown the catalogue OF
enormities it has even been proposed to enroll
the slaves in the militia.
Besides, what the Federal Government has it.
self done hostile to slave property. The free
States, portions Of the confederacy, have pro-
ceeded to the most violent and hostile eXtremties
against our slave property. They have carried
on agitation systematically in every shape to the
utmost extent, for the direct and avowed purpose
ofdepriving US of our property,in slaves. They
invited our slaves to run away, and when this has
been done, they have refused to deliver them up,
and prevented by violence their recapture in utter
disregard Of the Constitution. From the best in
formation that can be obtained, our actual monied
loss in fugitive slaves has been at the lowest cal
culation at the rate of 1900 900 per annum for the
last ten years. Take one fact: A gentleman in
MARYLAND stated to friend Of mine a few weeks
SINCE that in the last twenty years his father had
lost thirty two negroes, fhgilves to Pennsylvania.
Look at the amount of rewards offered at this time
in the Maryland papers, for the recovery of fugi-
tive slaves; the rewards alone, amount 10 over
$50, 900. These facts speak for themselves. Be-
sides encouraging slaves to run away, the peo
pie ofthe free States, some of them at least have
used every effort excite slaves to rebellion.
And this, by the citizens Of our sister States, a
part of the confederacy formed to protect the very
property, the object Of their attack.
But it may be said that the Federal Govern
ment is not responsible for the action of the free
States, or their ctiZens,-but when we con-
sidering whether the Government, the confeder-
acv, the political partnership has answered its pur-
done, that the members of the confederacy disre-
gard the obligations they have undertaken to per-
form, and act in violation of the ends Of the
citation. The Federal Government is the corpora
ton Of which the free States members; if the
members violate the objects OF the corporation,-
and the corporation can afford no remedy, as is
the case with the Federal Government in this re-
gard, then the corporation has failed OF its OBJ
iect, and the bad conduct Of the members at vari-
ance with the purposes of the corporation, may
be properly brought up in Judgment against it
Therefore the hostile action of the people Of the
free States to the slave property of the South, is
just cause of complaint against the Federal Gov
eminent.
think it cannot be denied that the action of the
Federal Government and the free States is hostile
10 slave property; that the Government has done
and is doing very much to impair and destroy
slave property
And therefore it follows necessarily, that the
Federal Government has failed to afford protection
to the property Of the South that so far from pro-
tecing the property Of the South, it has declared
war against il. Now what is the effect of this hos
tile position Of the Federal Government to slave
propertyi Can any one who knows how sensi-