The southern press., 1850-10-07


0 promise has almost become SYNONYMOUS with the
surrender of Southern rights, and reminds me OF
what have heard said of practice which grew
up under the arbitration law of one of the New
England States, Il believe Connecticut ) that COM
promise, by division OF the property among the
claimants, became 80 frequent, that II no un-
common thing for who took liking TO his
lneighbors s farm, 10 prefer claim 10 it, submit il
! TO arbitration, and thus by compromise obtain one
half of what he claimed but TO which he had not
the least particle of right. 1t does really appear
to me that this has been somewhat the character
aud result OF those controversies between the
North and South in which Southern rights have
been inyoved. Petensions have been urged utter
ly ut variance with the principles and spirit of the
Constitution well as the principles OF Justice;
and for the sake of peace and the Union, the South
has consented to surrender portion OF her just
rights, until that fate seems 10 be fast overaking
her which awaits the aborlgnes of the country. l
think IN all conscience the South has gone far
enough in her concessions, and that il is time 10
take firm and united stand IN defence Of what
has been left her. Concession seems to be but
food upon which the spirit of EN- roachmeDt,
stimulated by Northern hnaticism, feeds and
grows stronger; and il will never cease IN it's ex-
actions, as long disposition exists on the part
of the South to yield to its demands until African
! slavery shall he swept from the country. After
the ouposts shall have been carried by excluding
the s'aveholding population from the Territories,
they will assall the citadel, and commence their
attacks upon the rights of slave property in the
forts and arsenas within the States, as well as the
District of Columbia, and upon the slave trade be-
tween the States. And as the requisite
number OF free States shall be formed, to which the
anli-slavery policy of the North rapidly tending,
an amendment of the Constitution will follow,
giving 10 the Genersl Government unlimited con-
troll the institution within the States, iayov
ing say fifteen hundred millions of slave property
Believing suct! 10 be the tendency of things,
submitted some time ago resolution for amend
mn pl he q n w rus
, TO prevent hereafter any amendment tending
Abolish or affect slavery within the States, without
the concurrence of The States in which the nstitu
tion may exist; and could II be adopted by the re-
guisite vote of the two branches Of Congress. and
receive the sanction of three tourihs of the State
Legis s'aures, IT would do more to relieve the
South from apprehensons beginning to be felt, and
10 allay anti slavery agitation at the North than
any other measure; and, IN connection with the
non-interrenton principle applied to the Terrific
ries, as proposed IN my amendment, constitute the
, best basis upon which the slavery question could
be settled, and place the Union upon foundation
far more secure than that upon which it at present
resta. The resolution does not embrace all that
. think should be matter of constitutional arrange
: menr between the slave and anti-slave States.
should have preferred to guard against amend
ments changing the existing provisions res Dcting
representation and taxation, and the restoration of
fugitive slaves. But, to try the sense of our anti
slavery brethren, | deemed it best to submit the
resolution in the form in which it was offered,
that it might be liable to as little objection pos
sible Objection being made, however, and it not
being in order TO suspend the rules IL was not In
, troduced. should myself prefer such an adjust
ment to the proposed Missouri con promise line.
The little regard which has been paid by our
Northern friends to the principles of compsomise,
heretofore made for the adjustment of sectional
: differences, causes me to place very implicit
contence in their stability, when subsequent Con-
crosses are at liberty to disregard them or not,
| foaltp aud I,tpr Itsfa n
the tariff compromise about to enure to the
benefit of the South, we know that pretexts were
made for setting it aside, and comforting bountes
upon the manufacturers of the North and onerous
burdens upon the agrculturists of the South
+ And in the annexation OF Texas; although the
\ Missouri compromise firmly insisted upon
T where its application enurd to the benefit OF the
n North in relation to the territory acquired from
y Mexico, it's principles have been wholly repuda-
l. ted, and that, too after Southern gentemen in
ie the observance of that compromise, voted for the
Us establishment of territorial government for Ore
Is gon, with the ordinance of 1877 in it. Such con-
duct DC the part of Northern brethren, con-
" cected wh view of the encroachments hereto
~ fore made is not calculated to beget disposition
for further concession on the part or the South.
,n When We achieved our independence, the area
L, Of the Original States S62, 1877 square miles.
re OF that, including Maine part of Massachusetts
e. there were within the original States, which soon
Is after abolished slavery and n-slaveholdng,
'S only lji,0Sl square miles; and within the
n, orig jnal States vet slaveholdng including Ken
y lucky and the territory northwest OF the Ohio
ne river, within the limits of Virginia, Tennes-
IL see, within North Corolina and Mississippi aud
ie Alabama within the limits of Georgia, $685.
n lI6 square miles. BY the iiberality Of Virginia,
H. all her territory nothwest of the Ohio was ce-
ir ded to the Federal Government for the purpose
&c of creating free States, comprehended within
s. the limits of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan
81 and Wisconsin, containing, with that portion o
10 Minnesota Territory lying east OF the Mississippi
nj 3l2, ,595 square miles, making the present area OF
o. free territory within the limits of the original
ct States, 476616 square miles, and the area of slave
IN territory only 3S5.5ll | square miles. Weacquired
by our purchase of Louisiana from France. txclu-
'e sive of Texas an estimated area of ,I39 lOS
e square miles. When Missouri, formed of
that territory, applied for admission into the Union,
e our Northern brethren, towards whom Virginia
0 had been so generous had the illiberay to deny
: her application, but upon condition that she would
r abolish slavery within her limits. This she
fused to do, and the matter subsequently
compromised, by giving up to the non-savehold-
ing portion Of the Confederacy, all of the tertiary
north Of 36 deg. 80 min. BY that arrangement,
most unfortunate for the South and believe, the
main source OF existing difficulties, there is but
ht'e prospect that the South will gel any more OF
that extensive and valuable territory, than what is
embraced withinth limits of Louisiana, Missouri,
2 and Arkansas, being 10000 square miles, leav-
ing 992 ,099 square miles from waich the people Of
the slave States are excluded. In the treaty by
which Florida acquired, and may say Ore
gon, for best title 10 Oregon is under the Span
sh treaty. the large and valuable territory of Tex
as, a saveholding portion Of the Louisiana pur-
chase, was ceded TO Spain; and from Oregon, con-
tanning 3il ,463 square miles, the people ofthe South
have been excluded, leaving TO the South Florida
, only, containing 9,266 50. miles. And when we
were about regain Texas, the application cfthe
q Missouri compromise was, as have before stated,
mhexihly insisted upon, and the South again
yielded, by which about Is, 900 square miles were
4 added to the already disproportioned quantity Of
= flee soil making the whele area OF our territory
!, exclusive Of that acquired from Mexico 3 726 $50
d square miles, of which, l,S3i,244 square miles
e may be regarded free territory and but S92,3l2
't square miles open to the saveholding popula-
D ton while the white population of the slave States
" according last census 5,Aii,77S and Of the
III free States, but 8, S,556, ,S45heing nearly as to s.
without the population of Texas; while their ter.
s. rtory ia less than one-nalf the territory assigned
TO the free States. And f the South shall be ex.
Is Guided from the territory acquired from Mexico,
y being 526,07S square miles, Of which there is a