The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-26
now the adjustment of1his balance" is grave
ly NM forth hy traa aon- h tchin Con vantion

now the adjustment ofrhis ''balance" is grave
ly put forth, by treason-hatching Convention
as a cause of secession and rebellion.
For all these wrongs Mr.. CHEvEs finds but
one per contra, and that is the Fugitive Slave
Law. And this he regards as merely carrying
out constitutional provision, and as rendered
necessary by the bad faith of the Northern
States in counteracting that provision
Such is the catalogue of wrongs which Mr..
CHEvEs has made the pretence of the most
violent and offensive TRADE against the Union
that has yet fallen under our observation. He
out-Rhetts RHETr. The Union y he saws.
8 is already dissolved" "All change will be
mockery that shall not giee you an equality Of
po,cer." This means, we presume. that the
stltimasum is an arrangement by which the
Southern States shall always have as many
Senators and Representatives as the non slave
holding States, without regard TO population.
his Is certainly modest proposition, and
shows In what reasonable and generous spirit
Mr.. CHEvEs comes TO this great discussion.
The grievances thus disposed of, Mr.. CHEvEs
discusses the remedy-and the only practicable
remedy in his judgment is secession. As rene
dy, we suppose that this operation would esab-
lish slavery in California, would reinstatc Texas
In the boundaries of her original claim; would re-
vive the slave trade in the District of Columbus
and re-adjust the "baance" of Government.
Obviously enough, secession would do nothing
oil all these; and with what propriety, there
fore, Mr.. CuEvEs can call it ..remedy" we
do not exactly understand. Non-consumption
and non-lntercourse he rejects as "ribbling' at
the subject, and quite unworthy the dignity of
sovereign State.
And how is the thing 10 be done? How is
this secession to be accomplished! .'If VIR-
GISA should lead," says Mr.. CnEvEs, 81
have not the least apprehension that any
blood will be split. In that case, take it
to be morally certain that, at least NORTH
CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, SOUTH CAROLINA,
GEORGIA, ALABAMA, LOUISIANA, FLORIDA,
MISSISSIPPI and TEXAS will immediateh, unite
with her, and, in little time, every other
slaveholding State will join them except per-
haps DELAWARE, because it will be their in
terest to do 500 Now VIRGINIA has not the
slightest idea of taking any such lead, and this
seems to be the condition on which Mr.. CHEvEs
recommends secession. IF our great parent
State leads u.s." he says in another part of his
speech, "ihere will be no blood shed; and can
il be doubted that she will 2 VIRGINIA is the
mother of the Southern States" Certainly
she is, and much too good mother to counte-
nance her daughters in any such disloyalty
After demonstrating the utter worthessness
of the Union to the Southern States, MIR.
CHEvEs warns himself to the conclusion that
the ''proud Southron' ought to ''persh" rather
than support it. Let us bring to this great
issue brave hearts and well-strung heroes,
and there will be nothing to fear. If four or
fire adjoining States shall unite do not
think that our enemies tciH Venture 10 at
tack US
Such are the wrongs set forth by Mr..
CHEvEs, and such the remedy he proposes.
II has been usual, for the last five and thirty
yeats, for politicians to speak of the Hartford
Convention as reasonable assembly, and Of
its members as TRAITORS" Whatever doubt
may exist in the minds of men as to the pro-
Driety ut aDDlving such language to the Com
vention at Hartford, we apprehend that there
Will be little difference of opinion as TO the
character of the Convention at Nashville.