The southern press., 1850-10-30
WASHINGTON CITY.
rhe Nashville Convention.

six weeks after the adJourhmeht oi SohStesS.
The Legislature of Mississippi convenes, accord
inc TO the Governors proclamation, on the 18th
of the same month-and the Legislature OF
South Carolina meets, according to law, on the
25th, and the Georgia Convention is elected on
the same day. Thus, in the month Of NoyeT-1
Der, the destiny of the Sonth, so far as il can be
affected by four Of the most august and au-
thoritatiye of her public bodies, will be the sub
ject of consultation. .ota.a
The people Of the Northern and Southern
States of this Union are now more divided In
opinion than those of the Colonies and mother
country, when our Revolution commenced
more divided than the people Of any two inde-
pent States Of Europe are now. The Northern
and Southern States differ in soil, in climate, in
productions, in pursuits, in manners, in senti-
ments, and in religion, much more than when
. their Union was formed And strange as it ap-l
pears, that difference has been augmented by the
Union. es f III W
Before that union took place. the South had
larger proportion Of manufactures and COM
merce than now--the North was relatively more
agricultural than now. The effect of the Union
has been to render one section more agricultural
the other more manufacturing and commercial
For IL the Union had not been formed, the
revenue duties of each section would have Sc
cured its own manufactures and foreign com
merce. m ~. .s..t E.-,s.y4 ~. al, ...Agy 4ftma
AT the time of the Revolution religious SEN
timent was stronger than now, but people OF
the same sect were Of the same communion
North and South. Now several Of the leading
sects have separated on the slavery question.
The social institutions Of NO two States OF Eu-
rope differ as much as those OF the North ana
South in this country. In Europe there is no
difficulty in recovering the property of subjects
in one State when found in another; and no
system Of ethics prevails in one kingdom which
places the people of another under the ban, and
subjects them to continual insult, reproach, in
reference and danger. .4 .'.. .,, h
But whilst the many differences between our
Northern and Southern sections have augmented
and multiplied, and have indicated the necessity
of corresponding augmentation of liberality in
the Government, that has been constantly grow
ing more rigorous and intolerant. AT the be-
ginning, Federal taxation was light. The duties
were then only from five 10 ten per cent, although
there was heavy debt to provide for: Now
they are from twenty to thirty per cent Then
the disbursements were comparatively impartial
now they are given chiefly to one section. Then
the common territory was equally divided be-
tween the two sections--now it is all given to
one. The annual appropriations were then about
three millions equally distributed. AT the last
session they amounted in land and money to
more than three hundred millions, at least five-
sixths of which were given to the North-the
most of it on account of the social institutions
of the South. And instead of the peaceable
recovery of his property, which Southern man
could formerly effect, he is liable now, if he seeks
it beyond his own region, to be himself hunted
imprisoned, mobbed and slain. :..
We apply no epithets to those who deny and
those who defend such results-nor to those who
dream that a current of despotism thus augment
ING, and moving with such momentum, will
pause in it's career-charmed by the melodious
accents of Union, harmony and concation-and
party But we speak now to those who are in
telligent enough to know these things, wise en-
ough to perceive their consequences, and firm
enough to make stand for liberty and equality.
And of such, we trust, will consist the great
majority of those who are about to enter the ap-
preaching COUNCILS of the South. "a. .,..
We have now arrived at tine to test the
character Of our people, and institutions Is
there spirit enough to contend for rights, for
safety, before it is too late, and are there under
standing and principle enough to achieve re-
dress and security without violence, and without
incurring evils such as have attended vulgar ef-
forts elsewhere, for defence and reform?
The hour for acquiesence and inaction has
passed. The juggles and the frauds of party are
exposed, and the great enemy of the Constitu-
ton now to be found, is in the form of a faDati-
cal, deluded and unscrupulous majority. The
boasted institutions of the North have re-
suited in the production of vast majority
without property, and given them power
The denounced institutions of the South, have
resulted in body of citizens, vast majority OF
whom have property. But ina struggle for
power, or for right in this Uuien, the citizens of
property in the South have no defence againstthe
mass without it in the North The story of
such conflict is not new it is as old as Govern
ment and of sin. No such system can stand.
But when property is obliged to contend for ex-
,v;sta,oa ,oo;pst nov erty subject to nil ordinary
prejudices, and must encounter in addition the
odum of rality--when it has to contend
against priests as well as demagogues, against
church as well as against State, the result is
too palpably hopeless to be unforeseen by any
but those who cannot or will not see. a..
We do not question or disparage the advant-
ages of Union, or the sincerity Of the sentiment
in favor of it. We are unwilling to permit a
sz,t;,,,ont ar ;p.tifutinp IN he nprvortad