Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-03-09

cordngy they feel bound by every consideration Of interest
and safety, to defend it.
social organization of the South long lay Dormant bat only
required act those who felt most intensely
that they responsible for its continuance, to call it into
action. The increasing power OF this Government and Of
the control of the Northern section all its departments
furnished the II this which made impression
on the minds many that there little restraint to
prevent the Government from doing whatever might choose
do. This sufficient of itself to put the most fanatica
portion of the North in action for the purpose of destroying
the existing relation between the two in the South.
The first organized movement towards it commenced in
1885. Then, for the first tme societies organized,
established lecturers sent forth excite the people Of
the North and incenday publications whole
South through the mail The South thoroughly aroused
Meetings held every where and resolutions adopted,
calling upon the North to apply remedy to arrest the threat
ened evil and edgng themselves to adopt for their
own protection it not arrested. At the meeting of
Congress petitions poured in from the North, calling upon
Congress abolish slavery in the District Of Columbia and
to prohibit what they called the internal slave trade between
the States announcinas the time that their ultimate
object to abolish slavery, not only In the District but in
the States and throughout the Union At this period the
number engaged in the agitation small and possessed lit
tie personal influence
Neither party in Congress had at that me any sympathy
with them or their The members of each party pre-
sented their petitions with great reluctance Nevertheless
small and contemplate the party then both Of the great
parties of the North dreaded them They felt that though
small they organized in reference subject which had
great and commanding influence the Northern mind
Each party, that account feared to oppose their petitions,
lest the opposite party should ake advantage Of the one VINO
both united in insisting that the petitions should be received
and that Congress should take jurisdiction of the subject for
which they prayed To justify their course, they took the
extraordinary ground that Congress bound receive pc
ions on every subject however Objectionable might be-
and whether they hal had jurisdiction the subject
These views prevailed in the House of Representatives, and
partially the Sene, and thus the party succeeded in their
first movements in ginning what proposed-a position in
Congress from which agitation be extended the
whole Union Th was the .ncement Of the agtaton
which has since continued andwhch as acknow
lodged, has endangeed the Union ITSELF
As for myself reved, at that early period if the party
who got up the petitions should succeed in getting Congress
to take jurisdiction that agitation would follow, and that it
would in the end arrested, destroy the Union then
expressed mysen debate and called upon both parties to
take grounds agans assuming Jurisdiction but in vain Had
my voice been heedd and had Congress refused to take us
dcon by the une of all parties, the agitation which
followed would haw been prevented and the anatcal zeal
that gives impulse the agtaon and which has brought
to present perbus condition, would have become exn
guished from the Of something to feed the fame That
the time for thu North show her devotion to the Unon
but unfortunately bh of the great parties Of that section
so intent on obtaining retaining party ascendency that all
other considerationswere overlooked or forgotten.
What has since followed but the natural consequences
With the Of heir first movement this small anatica
party began to acquire strength and with that to become
object of coushp oboh the great parties The necessary
consequence was fther increase of power, and gradual
tantng of the opinions of both Of the other parties with their
doctrines, until the Infection has extended both and
the great mass OF the population of the North who, whatever
may be their opinion the original abolition party, which
still preserves its dsinve organization, hardly fail,
when to acting cooperate in carrying out their
With the ncease of their influence they extend
ed the sphere OF their action In short time after the COM
mencemen Of their first mvement they had acquired su
cient influence to induce the Legislatures Of most Of the
Northern States TO pass act which in effect abrogated the
provision Of the constitution that provides for the delivery up
Of fugitive slaves Notong after, petitions followed to abolish
slavery in fors magazines, and and all other
places where Congress had exclusive power Of legislation.
This was followed BY petitions and resolutions Of Legislatures
Of the Northern States and popular meetings to exclude the
Southern States from all Territories acquired be acqai
ed and prevent the admission any State hereafter into
the Union which, by its constitution, does prohibit slavery
And Congress invoked to do all this expressly with the
view to the final abolition Of slavery in the States That has
been avowed to be the ultimate object from the beginning Of
the agitation until the present time and yet the great body
of both parties of the North with the full knowledge Of the
fact although disavowng the aboitonss have co-operaed
with them in almost all their measures,
Such is brief history of the agtaon far has yet
advanced Now, ask Senators, what is there prevent
its further progres until it fufls the ultimate end proposed
unless some decisive should be adopted prevent
Has any Of the causes which has added to its increase
from its original small and contemplate beginning until has
attained its present magnitude, diminished in force Is the
original Of the movement that slavery is sin, and
ought be suppressed weaker than at the
ment Or is the Abolition party less numerous influential
have they less influence control the two great
parties of the North in elections Or has the South greater
Government than had when the agitation commenced
To all these questions but be given no,
no. The very is true. Instead OF being weaker all
the elements in favor of agitation stronger than they
were in 1885, when it first commenced, while all the ele
mens Of influence the part of the South weaker I'm
less something decisive done again ask what is to stop this
agitation, before the great and final object which aims
the abolition of slavery in the Staesis consummated Is
them certain that if something decisive not done
it, the South will be forced to choose between abo
ton and secession Indeed, events moving, it
will not require the South secede to dissolve the Union
Agitation will Of itself effect it, of which its past history fur
nishes abundant proof shall next proceed to show
1t great mistake to suppose that disunon can be ef
feced by single blow. The cords which bind these States
together in common Union far too numerous and
powerful for that Disunion must be the work of time.
only through long process and successfully that the
cords be snapped until the whole fabric falls asunder
Already the agitation Of the slavery question has snapped
of the mosmporan and has greatly weakened all the Others
as shall proceed to show.
The cords that bind the States together only many
but various in character Some spiritual ecclesiastical
poiica others social Some appertan to the benefit
conferred by the Unon and others the feeling Of duty and
obligation
The sronges: Of those Of spiritual and ecclesiastical
ture consisted in the unity Of the great religious denomina
tions, all of which originally embraced the whole Union All
these denominations with the exception, perhaps of the Ca
hocs organized very much upon the principle Of
political institutions beginning with smaller meetings
spending with the political divisions of the country, their
ganizaon terminated in gea, central assembage
responding very much with the character Of Congress At
these meetings the principal clergymen and lay members Of
the respective denominations from all parts Of the Union met
to transact business relating to their
not confined to what appeaned to the doctrines and dis
cpme Of the respective denominations, but extended to plans