The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-25
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.
From the augusta { Ga.) Republic.

SOUTHERN RIGHTS MEETING IN OGLETHoRPE. -
Agreeably to previous notice, large and respect
able assemblage of the freemen of Oglethorpe,
Greene and Wilkes counties, consisting of some
four hundred persons, Irrespective of parties, J
convened at Bowling Green, on Friday, 18th inst.
for the purpose Of taking into consideration the
questions which now agitate the public mind, and
which are so vitality important to the Southern
States. 1t was day for Og!ethorpe not soon to
be forgotten by those present, and who witnessed
the calm and determined countenances Of the peo-
pie, while viewing the picture Of Southern wrongs
love the Union, but they love also their rights,
their honor, their equality in it. They go for
preserving 1t SO long there is the least prospect
of return, by the North, to of justice to
the South. As patriots, what more could be asked,
or what more can be granted
The California bill has passed. She is now a
State Of this Union. Is this the ends No, it is
but the beginning Of wrongs more dire. Hear
what one Of the moderate conservative papers Of
the North says; Ohe New York Sum- speaking
of the California bill having passed the Senate,
1t says: s5JeFe atg s.s lt
''From the House Of Representatives we have
every reason to expect an equally decided vote.
Their decision will be the doom Of slavery in the
United States. Its final suppression an insti
tuition, is near at hand and may be looked upon
one Of the most triumphant battles, fought and
won, yet recorded in the worlds history. II DiH
have been victory without boodshed-a victory
Of principle over habit, and an assertion of right
over wrong" f3 es
Is there anything wanting to convice the people
of Georgia that the North is in earnest Will not
the tone Of their representatives in Congress con-
vince them' Will not the late informal admission
Of an empire on the Pacific, with sea coast that
would reach from Boston to Savannah, Qrom all
of which the South is excluded will this not
convince them of the necessity of union, union
among themselves' And why have they not
been united Ah it is party, party; and will
the people of Georgia be longer the dupes ofthose
who tell that their rights are secure' We trust
Motive think not. The great number of South
ern Rights meetings that have been held in this
State, and which are increasing every day, Wings
and Democrats, ,cho iciN not kno,c party at such
juncture, coming forward to assert the rights of
their section, pronounce it impossible. BY those
,cho, for selfish purposes, would defeat united action
and the convenlng for purposes of consultation
among the people, one thing should be remem-
bered, land will be remembered by n disappointed
and indignant peoples the North will not stay the
hand Of aggressinn---power will but increase her
insolence and her exactons. She has now appro-
prated every the lately acquired territory to
herself land dismembered Texas to add more to free
SOIL 1t is not sufficient say that her own senator's
voted for the measure. They saw standing ar
my quartered upon her soil 1.-The swords point
almost piercing her sde---she agrees to take the
to be taxed to raise the fdnd, out Of which she is
to be paid. 1t is not sufficient to say that others
voted for the measure; perhaps they saw 1t ras
to do that, or do worse. 1t was doubtless the
price OF holding Utah and New Mexico free from
the Wilmot Proviso--perhaps, by preconcerted
understanding among senator's, when this series
of measures was about to be voted upon singly.
1t only shows the exigency of the terms--whai
the South is compelled to submit to or do worse.
1t is time for the people of Georgia to unite
man, and with one voice to proclaim her position.
Can we not unite to save the Union and to save
the Southi The. representatives of both the po-
ltIcal parties Of the South, exhort you to union
among yourselves. They tell you that union is es-
senti 10 success and that without it nothing be
done. Your representatives at Washington can
not make the North believe that the South is IN
earnest. Division at home has lost lrretr'evably
IA vast territorial acquisition, and with IT. (what is
to us far more important, the influence which this
territory will have upon us in the halls Of Con-
gress.) Let not the people, then, think for one
moment that the loss Of the Mexican territory Ito
which they may never go,) as such, is their deep
est wrong.
Our senator, Hon J. M Berrien, has thus re-
Gently expressed himself to his constituents
"That political equality is Indispensable to our
position in the Union. Its obtanment should be
the great leading principle Of our political action,
and every patriot Georgian, under whatever party
banner he may have been heretofore ranged,
should rally to the standard of great and united
SOUTHERN REruBLIcAN PARTY, whose motto should
be equality of rights under our constitutional bond
of union, and determined resistance to all who OPP
pose them" concluding by the earnest hope
that your counsels may be characterized by unan-
imity--by ardent, unfaering devotion to the
Unon and by determination as inlnc rabie 10 main
tain your equal position in 81. ~
One of our representatives, Hon. A. II. Ste
phens, in speech recently delivered before Con-
gress, says:
"The people of the South have as much right to
occupy, enjoy and colonize these territories with