The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-27

fits of capitalists, importers, merchants, ship
owners, and others, who thus mainly subsist upon
Southern labor
This unnatural course of trade is one Of the eff
fects Of the Union, and, in the absence ofits COM
mercal regulations, the natural laws of trade
would resume their ascendency, and the services
Of the commercial classes of the North be no lon
ger required. Her tonnage now is inconsdcrable,
and her shipping would be insufficient for the
great demands Of our exports and imports but
the English ship-owners would underbid those Of
the North, who would not be required to serve us
in this way
What would be the effects Of all this upon the
great commercial marts now revelling in oppu-
lence upon her fourishng manufacturing towns,
swelling into the importance of cities .-upon her
vast tonnage, increasing with the increase Of
Southern productions? leave these to be an
swered by the demagogue who, in the event Of
dissolution, would be doomed to howl forever
amid the desolation he will have caused.
The Federal Government raises annually from
imports more than thirty millions of dollars which
go into the national treasury, and indirectly an,
immense sum Is levied upon the South for the
benefit of Northern manufacturers. This revenue
is expended chiefly in the North; and while the
South pays tribute to this Government, she is
scarcely permitted to share in the largess.
Under separate Southern Confederation, we
would be relieved Of these burdens; the wealth OF
our soil would accumulate in the hands Of its nat
uTdl prOpTittOIb, 10 De eXDenucu Wllnl0 our OWL
limits in works Of utility and taste.
Our monopoly of the valuable staples Of cotton,
tobacco sugar, and rice, would insure us the chief
control of the commerce of the world Our natu-
raj facilities of INSTRUMENTATION would invite
an extended internal commerce. Holding the
mouth ofthe Mississippi, and the most important
part of its navigable trunk all the produce of the
States, which seeks egress 10 the
ocean through its channel, would pay us tribute.
Cuba, with her institution Of slavery and kindred
sympathies, is ready TO spring into our embrace,
and field of indefinite extension invites us South
and West of the Rio Grande. With these views
of future wealth and grandeur tightening up the
path of our destiny, can you believe that we fear
to tread it alone? When these points, barely
noticed in my remarks, are fully elaborated in all
their amplitude before the Southern Convention to
assemble in Nashville in June next, can you doubt
the unanimity Of the South' l believe that love
of the Union is still strong with the Southern peo-
pie; but will be increased by bold and free dis
cussion of these topics'
The objects Of this convention are to maintain
the rights of the South, under the Constitution,
and sape the Uniors, but submit to the considera
ton of the representatives of the North, if il
would not be better, by a timely display Of mag
nanimity their part, to concede the one object,
and thereby accomplish the other, without forcing
US to this perilous expedent' The meeting q
this convention is decreed by the irreversble
voice of the people, unless the action Of Congress,
in due time, remove the causes of present com
plant and future apprehension and whilst
avow its object to be conservatives, should be
wanting in candor were not to declare that il
may lead to other and far different results The
intense excitement Of the public mind is compare
lively powerless now, because of the diversity Of
views in regard 70 the proper remedy for the mis-
chief But this heat is favorable to fusion of
mind upon subordinate details, and the recon-
mendations Of the convention are not likely to
meet with cold receptions from the masses,
especially if they are extreme or~revolutionary.
Their effect will be to consecratc the public mind
upon an organized plan of action, which will be
carried into execution with a celebrity and energy
which no opposition dare to encounter.
The meeting Of the Convention will be preceded
by popular elections for delegates occurring about
the same time throughout the whole South. In
this canvass all those questions which tend the
estrangement of the people from the Union will
necessarily be introduced, and augment, without
measure, the present excitement With these
causes of aggravation, who can estimate the force
Of the pressure from without upon this conven-
tiona The Continental Congress of 76 were swept
on by the storm Of popular excitement to the de-
claration of American Independence, which forever
dissolved our union with Great Britain. The acts
| OF insult and injury which kindled the fires Of the
revolution were trivial, in comparison with those
which now nAanie the public mind of the South.
| Have our people forgotten the memorable decla-
| ration, that "when a long train of abuses and
usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object,
evnces design to reduce them under absolute
despotism, it is their right, is their duty, to
throw off such government, and to provide new
guards for their future securityi's i warn the
North, that the living truth here uttered animates
every Southern heart, and that every voice in
that Convention will proclaim it; that millions OF
freemen will shout their joyous responses, until
every hill and valley Of the South resound with
the anthem Do not delude yourselves with the
fatal error, that the resistance of the South is con
fined to one form of aggressiorl--the Wilmot Pro-
viso; and that your objects can be accomplished
by adopting the substitute proposed by the Cabi-
net The same resistance will be offered to the
admission OF California. We know that the latter
measure would be followed by immediate results
more injurious to us than the application of the
Wilmot Proviso to all the Territories of the Union
Representation in both branches Of Congress
would instantly follow its admissions and two I'D
ditiona Free-so Senator's would give efficient aid
in extending this favored principle to our remain
ing territory. The strict balance Of power no
longer exists in the Senate, but with the aid Of q
few heroic friends from the non-slaveholding
States, that theatre has heretofore been doubtful
battle-ground But with any accession to the
strength OF the North, the parliamentary struggle
could be no longer maintained. From this con-
sideraton alone, the present admission of Califor
MIA would meet with determined and unmeasured
resistance.
Will the representatives Of the North attempt,
by the power Of numbers, TO outrage the Consti-
tuition and degrade the South by the admission of
this Territory as State, without the offer of
some equivalent | suggest to them to remember
that we are sworn to support the Constitution,
and could scarcely sit III tame acquescence and
witness its open and shameful violation. The
attempted contamination Of such an act would be
the overthrow Of the Constitution which the
people we represent would resist by force of arms
We are here as the representatives of the people,
but our obligations to the Constitution and the
South less than those of other individual citizens,
who, in the aggregate are the people? We assume
additional obligations when we come as representa-
tives; but we relieved from those which rested
upon us as private ciizens' My individual oPin-
ion is that if the Southern people ought TO resist
measure Of aggression, after its contamination,
we here are under the same or higher obligation
to resist it's contamination. These suggestions
are made, not in the nature of threats or menace.
| do not anderrate the hrmness of the North; as a
matter of discretion, il is always proper to assume
that your antagonist is firm, even II the TACT be
doubtful. But the course proper TO be pursued IN
any and every event is for the determination Of
Southern members am willing TO suggest, and