The southern press., 1850-11-02

and alarm
This then being the fact whose admission is
extorted even from those who thereby confess
themselves to be blundering politicians and false
prophets, there can be little hesitation among
those who have not been misled into the infatua-
ton Of desertihg half the rights Of the South,
to augment the very power which at the very
time was threatening to crush the other half
II is now obvious that the audacity Of the
North has been encouraged by the symptoms of
submission at the South. 1t is remarkable that
this outrage occurs in Massachusetts at the very
time when the attempt is made to create the i'm
preston that Georgia will elect Convention
to submit. The Washington Union of one
day proclaims the tidings that Georgia will not
resist-the next that Massachusetts is resisting
and resisting the constitutional rights of Geor-
gia, and hunting her citizens like felons.
But the Fugitive Slave law is one in which
Virginia, as the largest slayeholdng State, and
a border State, has the deepest interest How
long will she submit ssa
In order to see what is the duty Of the South,
let us look one moment at what is now the
power and purpose of the North
AT the great compromise meeting of the mer-
chants of New York, on Wednesday last, the
first speaker selected to address the people, Mr..
GERARD, an eminent lawyer, said; ..a .
sAs to slavery in the abstract, do not believe
that there is man north of Mason and Dixon's
line, who would not rejoice if to-morrow's sun
could rise upon the black population of the South
constitutionally Free"
Well, if that is the unanimous desire of the
Northern people, how long will it require for
them to accomplish it?
We have now seventeen States opposed, and
fourteen in favor Of slavery, counting Delaware
among the former, as we may well do, from the
course of her Senators the last session. In five
years, three States can be made out OF Califor-
mia, two out of Oregon, one out of New Mexico,
Minnesota one, Nebraska one, Utah one, and
Michigan is to be divided so as to make one
more. This would make twenty-six non-slave-
holding States. BY that time the political power
of the sIaveholding States will be SO much re-
Federal honors will have the strongest indnce-
ments to advocate emancipation in their own
States. What have we seen already BENTON,
a Free-soil candidate for the Presidency, has
been able to divide the Democratic party in his
own State-a party certainly not the least
friendly to Southern institutions. And MIR.
CLAY, after writing an emancipation letter,
and coming to the Senate with scheme
exactly in accordance with the ultimate views of
that letter. is successful and is supported at home
by the very people who had just succeeded in
defeating formidable emancipation party in
that State. If Kentucky and Missouri are al
ready subject to this influence and to so great all
extent, what may be expected in five years 3
Why that an emancipation agitation will rage in
both, and in Maryland. When this is successful,
the North will have twenty-nine States-the
South eleven. One more will be required to
change the Constitution, and Virginia will be
chosen No State has been more successful in
the attainment of Federal honors than Virginia
none have been more worthy Of them than her
She will have other temptations to emancipate
or rather to transfer her slaves. She is now be
coming more and more infected with the com.
mercia and manufacturing mania. The conver.
sion of her slaves into ready capital by selling
them to the cotton States, would give her a vast
fund-more than all Massachusetts has invested
in manufactures.
But if Virginia were obstinate or the North
impatient, the annexation of Canada would an
swer The requisite majority of three-fourths
of the States would be obtained to change the
Constitutional in less, perhaps, than ten years
Those who look back, even for five years, and
consider the course and current of events, will
form some idea of what will happen the next
ten. If anybody had predicted five years ago
what has since happened, who would have be-
lieved ..... ...
The power to amend the Constitution is al.
most an absolute power. 1t is limited only by
one clause, that each State must retain its equal
representation in the Senate. 1t has been sup.
posed that the power of amendment over slavery
could be used mainly only in abolishing the
right of representation for slaves-the three
ffths clause. IL may abolish slaue,y itself in all
the States
Under these circumstances, although the pro-
vocation is great, we hope that nowhere in the
South will the people descend to disorder, to
engage in mobs, to violate the law, or to commit
personal outrage. We hope they will await
the action of the constituted authorities, their
Conventions and Legislatures. We hope these
will decide on their rights, propose to the North
a real adjustment that will secure them, and it
it is rejected, then secession is the rightful
remedy. 1t would be folly to maintain con-
nection attended with continual strife aggression
and disorder 1t would be worthy Of people
who cannot agree to separate peacefully. In
all events we hope the South will maintain the
high character Of her people and the dignity of