The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-20

tctiiofy WeWOulu nave ma no Wumot froVlso,
either in its original form, or in the shuttle called
the Compromise. To say that the South is
equally responsible for the agitation because
she united in acquiring territory which became
the subject of ii, is about as sensible as to say
that because both united in creating Govern
ment and Congress both are responsible equally
for what is done in either
The next passage is still more curious
"But the difficulties that embarrassed the ac-
ton OF Congress are not yet all told. Just at
This critical juncture, certain Representatives
from the Notwithstanding States, impelled part
ly by appels from the inhabitants Of the Dis
trict OF Columbia, and partly by the promptings
OF their immediate constituents pressed with in
creased urgency the suppression Of the slave
trade in the District. To this was superadded
the proposition, fraught with far greater excite
ment, to abolish slavery in the District. Furth-
g more, the people of the South, justly excited
by the faithless and long continued denial of
their constitutional right to the extradtion of
fugitive slaves, demanded additional and efficient
Legislation upon this vital subject"
Here it is plain that agitation to abolish the
slave trade began 10 be pressed reith increasing
urgency" by Northern members, but an apology
for them is presented, such as We never heard
of before. They were "impeiled partly by ap-
peals from the inhabitants Of the District" and
partly by their constituents. Now it is true
enough, there were Inhabitants of this District
who desired tie slave-trade abolished, but there
ever was any appeal made by the inhabitants
of this District or maJoriiy Of them for any
such thing. The attempt Of the Georgia Con-
vention to apologize for an aggravated agitation
by Northern members Of that topic, by making
this statement is quite strange. They had better
we think, have adopted the same argument they
applied to the territories, and said that both part
les were responsible for the augmented agitation
because both had united to acquire the District
south of Mason and Dixon.
Then was superadded the proposition to abol-
ish slavery in the district, which we suppose
must have come from the North. But lest
that might look rather one-sided, we are told the
South came forward Justly excited" to demand
a new Fugitive slave law, and thus augmented
the difficulties of Congress-.
These difficulties in Congress, and the agita-
ton without, gave birth to the peril Of the day,
and rendered compromise necessary. But the
South must, according to the report, be the
most responsible for it, for she demanded more
than Congress granted, and the liberal, moderate
and magnanimous North, were always ready to
pass bills to take all the territory in dispute,
and part of Texas besides, and never made any
fuss ofany consequence about the Fugitive slave
law.
But settlement was made And the con-
vention tells us
The result is, that partisans occupying ex-
treme local positions in the country, and hold
ing Numerically opposite opinions upon the
slavery question in all its phases, have Wed with
each other in camorous denunciation of the set
tement.
But the misfortune of this argument is that
whilst the Southern opponents of the settle
ment, "denounce it as total abandonment OF
Southern rights, the Northern object to it only
because it left one of the rights Of the South in.
volved in the settlement, but never involved III
dispute, protected by the forms of law. Ifthe
two sections had differed as they do about one
measure, or about the same measures, ther.
would be some reason for imputng uitrasm &c
h IN, and claiming the credit of canness and
moderation for the convention. But the differ
ence not being about one, or the same measures
completely spois this hacknied prctence, wiic,
however, there is vehement effort to uphold by
contending that the acts of Congress, were II
| oHin ,nf
mise, all intended to give them a character for
unity they do not possess. The admission of
California was the principal measure of the ses,
sion. If that had been denounced alike bv
Northern and by Southern ultras, then the argu-
ment Of anti-ultraism would have been apple
able.
But the principle of splitting the difference
between parties is very questionable, and gen
orally marks the incompetcncy of the umpire
Solomon was too wise to divide the child be.
tween the two claimants, because they were both
ultra, and if he had, the one who would have
been best satisfied, WAS the impostor.
The convention speaks Of the settlement as it
does of the Federal and State constitutions and
of State laws, none Of which are entirely salts
factory, but all Of which are submitted to- The
resemblance the convention may see. We can
sac only the contrast. The convention asks
whether Georgia "may consistently uHh he1'
bona, abide by the scheme of paciication -
and answers that she may, because her own citi-
zcns differed in their views, and because the
North has " so largely conformcd to her views
How much has the North conformed to her
views? OF all the vast territory acquired from
Mexico, of a. the region distracted from Texas,
into the latter Of which nobody questioned the
right Of Georgia institutions to 60, and into all
the former of which Georgia and all the South
asserted the right to enter, there is not square
acre into which they can now 60 and remain
with safety under the authority and operation
of the settlement. The land Of gold to which
all people, tongues and nations are focking
J II.