The southern press., 1850-09-02
THE ADDRESS

The committee TO ,chich Cds referred III
duty of preparing anAdtress 10 The rco
pie Of the slapeholding States npOn tn
subject Of a Southern Organ, to be estab
Kshed IL. The City Of Wdshingion, pu
forth tle toHoriag: tse
FELLow-cI A number Of Sena
tors and Representatives in Congress from
the Southern States Of the Confederacy deep
ly impressed with a sense Of the danger
which beset those States, have considered
carefully our means Of self-delence withiI
the Union and the Constitution, and have
come to the conclusion that it is highly nnpor-
tant to establish in this city paper, which
without reference to political party, shall be
devoted to the rights and interests OF the
South, so far as they are involved in the ques-
tions growing out Of African slavery, rs
establish and maintain such a paper, youl
support is necessary, and accordingly we
address you on the subject.
In the contest now going on, the constr
tutional equality Of fifteen States is put in
question. Some sixteen hundred millions
worth of negro property is involved directly
and indirectly, though not less surely, ANN
calculable amount OF property in other forms
But to say This is TO state less than half the
doom that hangs over you. Y our socia
forms and institutions separate the
European and the African races into distinct
classes, and assign to eacha different sphere
IN society-are threatened with overthrow
Whether the negro ia TO occupy the same
social rank with the white man, and enjoy
equally The rights, privileges, and immunl-
ties Of citizenship short, all the honors
and dignities OF society--is qlGss....cc.n. n
greater moment than any mere question o.
property can be.
Such is the contest now going cn---a con-
test in which public opinion, il not the pre-
vailing, is destined to be most prominent
force and yet, no organ of the united inter
ests Of those assailed has as yet been es-
,ablished, nor does there exis. any paper
which can be the common medium for an
interchange Of opinions alnonJet the South
ern States, Public opinion, as i has been
formed and directed by the combined inhu-
ence of interest and prejudice, Is the force
which has been most potent against US in
the war now going on against tie ssS ;:....: ::.ss.
ton of negro slavery; aad yet we have ta-
ken no eifectual means to make and main
tain that issue with it upon which our safety
and perhaps our SOCIAL existence depends,
Whoever will look to the history Of this
question:, and to the circumstances un-
der which we are now placed, must see
that our position is one of imminent danger,
and one to be defended by all the means,
moral and political, Of which we can avail
ourselves in the present emergency The
warfare against African slavery commenced,
as is known, with Great Britain, who, after
having contributed mainly to its establish
ment in the New World, devoted her most
earnest efforts, for purposes notye fully ex-
planned, to its abolition in America. How
wisely this was done, so far as her own coli
onies were concerned, time has determined;
and all comment upon this subject on our
part would be entirely superduous IL,
however, her purpose was TO reachand emss
barrass us on this subject, her efforts have
not been without success. A common origin
common language, have made the English
literature ours to great extent, and the