The southern press., 1850-10-01

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tent of our territory on the Pacific, has been
admitted into the Union under constitution
formed in fraud of the rights Of the South, by
which slavery is forever excluded. Govern
menis have been established for Utah and New
Mexico, with the distinct announcement on TIE
part of a majority Of both Houses OF Congress
and the Executive that the Mexican laws are IN
force there, and that they exclude sivery--arid
these laws Congress rJused 10 repeal
The legislation in relation to slavery IN tie
District of Columbia, Is much more offensive 10
the South than any hitherto enacted or proposed,
1t is in fact direct recognition, and partial
exercise of the power by Congress, to abolish
slavery in the District The penalty for carry
inc slave into the District,--ethcr for sale, or
TO pay an honest debt by giving the property to
creditor--is the freedom OF the slave. When
this bill was before the Senate, a motion was
made bY, Mr.. Pearee of Maryland, to strike out
the clause freeing the slave, and insert in lien
thereof n penalty in money Of from three to five
hundred dollars, one half to go to the United
States, but this ,oas uoied doDn by The Northern
| majority ia The Seriate The reason was too
obyious--they desired the erercise Of The power
10 free The Stare, and hence they would not annex
Il pecunary penalty.
| This is a simple statement OF the result OF the
Iabors Of Congress in reference to these matters
at the present session, to celebrate which bor-
fires and Examinations have been resorted to IN
the metropolis of the nation, and in which some
Southern politicians We're orch-bearers IN the
funeral possession TO the grave OF Southern
| rights. a
| 1t is unmanly on the part Of the South to dis
cuss these questions further Almost every
man in the Southern States had expressed the
determination to resist the Wilmot Ploviso.
- tIx,t., fn III
slavery from the territories. That has been done
in another way, just as eectually as If it had
been directly enacted by Congress- He who
kills by secret poison is more murderer than
the open awless and brutal assassins. The
latter runs orcnly and boldly in pursuit of his
object the former proceeds stealthy in the dark,
and no premoniton IS given to his intended VIC
tim to warn him of the ruin that IS coming upon
| him. or the certain destruction that awaits him.
This has been the course pursued in regard
to the rights of the. South by a set Of unprinci-
pied demagogues and superanuated politicians
| They have broken down the barriers OF the
| Constitution aud tramplcd them under foot.
! The objects for which it was instituted have
! b,en disregardcd-the rights secured to the
Southern States have been abrogated. Not
only so, but organized societies are formed ut
the North for the sole and express purpose OF
robbing us ofour property. The results of their
efforts at stealing our property are boldly and
authoritatvely published to the world, and it ex-
Ehibits the sum of ut least 100000 worth nnnu-
ally But we may be told, that this is not the
wo.k of the Government, nor IS it sanctioned by
| it, aud that we should not fall out with the.
/ Union for that which it cannot help.
Grant that this is so, and it does not answer
our argument. We hold, that if such wrongs
can be perpetrated within the Union, and there
Ia I,yf 90 fl,of of thp
ects for which it was instituted has failed, and
, that according to the Declaration of lndepend-
ence il is our rigM and our duty to provide
new safeguards for our future security and
happiness. But is il not strange that these
f publicly avowed acts of robbery should go un-
e noticed, unpunished, by Government institu-
ted for the express protection of the property
of the citizen and yet, that its own citizens
should be arrested tried and punished for inter-
fcring with the rights and the property of peo-
pie of a foreign nation, as was the case during
/ the late invasion of Cuba? Several negroes
some eight, we think-were brought to the
United States by the invaders, but they were
: taken and carried back to Cuba by our national
{ vessels.
. But let us return from the DEPRESSION, and
. conclude. For what, we ask, have numerous
meetings been held throughout the South No
other acts ofaggression have been contemplated
e by the Southern people, than those which have
o just been consummated by Congress and the
: President. In view of their probable enactment
N we have held meetings, made repeated public
- declarations Of our rights to the world, and TO
,f what we would and would not submit. The
only question, then, for the people of Alabama
now to decide is, whether they will submit o!
not; whether, in the language of the Free
sellers, we have merely been emitting gass -
a clrpty bravado, without the least intention OF
10 carrying our resolves into execution or whether
like freemen-like those from whom we inherit
o the glorious price of liberry---we have been re-
e solving upon our rights with the firm determl-
1t nation of defending them.
e III order to determine that question, let the
people in each county of the State assemble
: forthwith and express their views upon the pro-
G priety of holding n State Convention, for the
t purpose Of determining whether We ought
: quietly to submit to these aggressions This is
due to our position in the Union--it is due to
our past professionsit is due to our future
prosperty--it is due to those gallant spirits, iu
other States, who are struggling in the same
ureat cause-it is due to the memory of the IL
lustrious dead We may be defeated (Which
we will not believe, and will not harbor the
coward thought) upon the final issue, but let us
not at least endeavor to grace our fall, and
make our ruin glorious"
= Proclamation of the Governor Of Missis-
: sippi.