The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-03-20


of the adoption OF the constitution But o3il-
ions, sir. have ChangPd-greatIy changed
changed North and changed South. Slave
ry is not regarded in the South now as it was
then. see an honorable member OF this
body paying me the honor o' listening to my
remarks; he brings TO me- sir. freshly and
vlvdly the sentiments Of his great ancestor,
so much distinguished in his day and genera
ton so worthy to he succeeded by so worthy
a grandson, with all the sentiments he ex-
pressed in the Convention in Philadelphia
upon this subject
Here we may pause. There was unani-
nifty of sentiment if not a general concur
renee of sentiment. running through The
whole community. especia ly entertained by
the eminent men of all portions Of the coun-
try in regard 10 this subject. But soon
change began at the North and the South
and a severance ofopinion soon showed itself
the North growing much more warm and
strong against slavery, and the South grow
ing much more strong in its support. Sir
there is no generation of mankind whose opin-
IONS are not subject to be Influenced by what
appears TO them to be their present and emer-
gent and exigent interest. impute to the
South no particularly interested view in the
change which has come over her. ! mpute
TO her certainly no dishonest view. All that
has happened has been natural. Il has fol-
lowed those causes which always Influence
the human mind and operate upon it. What
then have been the causes which have ere
ated so new feeling in favor Of slavery in
the Sourh-which have changed the whole
nomenclature Of the South OIL the SUBJECT
and from being thought of and described in
the terms have mentioned and will not re-
peat. it has now become AN institution. cher
ished institution there no evil no scourge
hut a great religious social and moral bliss
ing, Ills | think | have heard it atterly des
crlbed | suppose this. sir. is owing 10 the
sudden uprising and rapid growth of the cot
ton plantations ofthe South. So far as any
motive OF honor, Justice. and general ju.lg-
ment could act it was the cotton interest that
gave IL new desire to promote slavery. to
spread t and TO use It's labor. again say
that this is produced by the causes which we
must always expect 10 produce like effects
their whole Interests became connected with
it. If we look back 10 the history of the
commerce of this country at the early COM
menrement of this Government, what were
our exports? Cotton was hardly. or but to
Il very limited extent, known. The tables
will show that the exports of cottOn for the
! years 1890 and '9l were ha rdly more than
forty or fifty thousand dollars year. 1t has
gone on increasing rapidly until it may now
be, perhaps, in season of great product and
high price. hundred millions OF dollars
| Then there was more OF wax more Of indigo,
more Of rice more Of almost every thing tx
ported from the South than of cotton.
thilk have heard it said when Mr. Jetfer-
son negotiated the treaty of 1894 with Eng
lInd he did not know that ro.ton was export
ed at al from the United States and have
/ hn.4 hat aEi viii b
gave TO the United States the right 10 carry
their own commodities to England il their
own ships the cIlsr"m house in Lordon re-
fused tn admit cotton upon an agH ion
that il could not b.. an American production
there being. as they supposed. no cotton rails
ed in America. They would hardly think so
now
w, II sir. we know what follows The ag,.
OF cotton brcaur Colleen aye for our South
ern brethren. II gratified their desire for i'm
provemeht and accumulation at the same
time that il excited it, The desire grew BY
what il led upon. and there soon came 10 be
AN eagerness for other territory. Il new area
or new areas for the cultivation of the cotton
crop and measures were brought about some
what rapidly, one after another der 'he
lead Of Sou hern m"n ut the head of th- Go
VI rnmrni. they having IL majority il both
branches of the Government 10 accomplish
their ends. The honorable member from Ca
roina Observed that there has been 4 miro
rty all along in favor of the North. If that
be- true. sir. the North acted either vary liber-
ally and kindly, or very weakly; for they new
er exercised that majority five times in the
! history of the Government. Never. Wheth-
er they were out-generalled, or whether it
was owing to other causes, shall not stop to
consider. but no man acquainted with the his
! tory of the country can deny that the general
! lead in the politics Of the country for three
fourths of the period that has elapsed since
the adoption of the constitution has been a
Southern lead. In 1902, IN pursuit Of the
Flea OF opening new cotton region. the Uni
ted States obtained a cession from Georgia of
the whole of her western territory, now EN-
bracing the rich and growing State Of Ala
bama. In 1903 Louisiana was purchased
from France, out of which the States Of Lou
isiana. Arkansas, and Missouri have been
framed as slaveholding States. In 1919 the
cession of Florida was made bringing another
cession Of sIaveholding property and territory
Sir, the honorable member from South Caro-
linz thought he saw in certain operations Of
! the Government, such as the manner of col
lecting the revenue and the tendency of those
measures TO promote emigration into the
country, what accounts for the more rapid
growth Of the North than the South He
thinks they were not the operation oil tic:e,
but ofthe sy stem of government estabs ed
under this constitution. That is matter Of
opinion. To certain extent it may he 50;
but it does seem 10 me that itany operation OF
the Go 5ernment could be shown in amy de
gree to have promoted The popnIa ion. aud
growth, and wealth ofthe N nth, il is mu'h
more sure that there are suudry important
nf
about which no MIN can doubt, tending to
! nrnmnip and which ihsnInfelv Ia We nrnn1nt. "A