The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-06-28

"S'''''~> ~
couutry's honor. They deserved better fate.
But were to accept in your name the terms of
capitulaton now offered by Mr.. Clay, should
in my Judgment descrre a rorse fate.
There is government Jesuitism here as
stringent as ever prevailed among the Jesuits
and Jacobins of France in the days of the
French revolutou Every man from the South
who is true to his section, is put under the ban
and host of venal letter writers who swarm
about the Capital, are set upon him to write
him down. The attempt at unmitlgated bri-
berry, involved in Mr. Clay's plan of settlement,
has increased this list of letter writers. The
evil to which refer is thus much increased IN
magnitude A Southern man who stands bold
ly up for Southern rights, no matter how great
his talents-how eminent his public services
and his public virtue-will never again
fll the high offices of this Government
The price of Federal honors Is treason Of
the South The rewards of ambition and
political prohigacy exceed those ofhonesty and
public virtue. This will from hence forth be
an established government creed. 4 great ma
tional party is now being organized upon this
idea. 1t will be composed of the aspirants for
Federal honors, both North and South. 1t will
be held together by the cohesion ofpublic plum
der and slavery must be given up rather than
defeat the object of this party organization. Its
creed will include the proposition, that the
Government must be sustained right or urong.
The South has her full quota ofvotaries in this
party, slavery to the contrary notwithstanding
The emolument and houors of Federal office
will not be given up to save the institution OF
kb, hor xlyc m
inevitably follow in the bloody track of enlan-
cipation. 1t is this new organization which has
caused the Southern column here to fall back
in retreat since the commencement of the pres
ent session.
The next proposition is to abolish the slave
trade in the District of Columbia. This is an
other concession to the Abolitionists 1t is one
of the f;vorite measures of Joshua K. Giddlngs.
The al clifton of the slave trade between the
States, and emancipation in the District of Co
lumbia came next, in the regular course OF
events; for this Government is in the hands OF
Abolition party, aud will take jurisdiction over
these questio >; in their order. Thus it is clear
that all the concessions arc to the Abolitionists
And am persuaded that there will be no more
concessions to the South, until influences, not
yet resorted to, are brought to bear upon the
question.
The next proposition is to amend the law of
1893, for the extradition of fugitives. The
owner of runaway negroes is to be required to
enter into bond at the North, where his slave is
arrested, guaranteeing to the negro the right OF
trial by Jury at home, at the place from which
he fed, that an issue may be made up between
the negro and his master, and submitted to a
Jury to decide the question of fact, whether he
is bond or free. The slave is to be permitted
to 90 to law with his master in the district
courts of the United States. The negro and
his master at the South are to become plaintiff
and defendant before the courts of the coun-
try. What is this but granting to the slave i'm
portaut civil rights, and arming him with the
, power of the Federal courts against his master,
lnvexatious suits, involving heavy costs! Who
are to pay the expense of litigation on the ne
gro's side of the case? A more insulting pro-
position has never been submitted to the cit-
zens of any State. Does not this proposition
confer on the slave of the South the rights of
citizenship Samuel Hoar, the Massachusetts
envoy to South Carolina, during the admins
tration of Governor Hammond, asked no more
than this, and he was instantly expelled from
the State. Apart from all these propositions,
the Northern part of the proposed law cannot
be enforced. Mob law, as heretofore, will pre-
vent it.
Laws never have been and never will be en-
forced, that are overruled by public opinion
stronger than the law. To make extradtion
laws of any avail to the owners of slaves, pub
lie opinion at the North must first be changed.
Who will he responsible for this change!
Abolition cannot be restrained in its reckless
career by resolves written upon parchment
When the history OF these times shall be writ
ten, this fact will have prominent place upon
its page.
Who has submitted this report as conccs-
sion to the South, and which is the basis upon
which is to be organized the great national par
ty of office seekers and office holders, and for
whose special benefit this government is from
henceforth to perform its functions! Who has
drawn up these articles of Southern capitula-
ton and surrender? Henry Clay, who on a
late occasion. wrote and published plan for
the prospective emancipation of the negroes of
Kentucky. Who wrote a letter to a Free Soil
Convention in the State of Ohio, declaring that
he was unalterably opposed to the extension of
slavery into territory now free, and who cx-
claimed in his Mace i'm the Senate since tbn