The New York herald., 1850-05-22

Ject OF slavery into two great classes The first Of
these-conssting for the most part of professional
men, iinsnciers teachers, Spectators in ideas, &c
&c.-are mostly from the North, and own no
slaves. They generally live by their shrewdness
and ingenuity upon the easy good nature of the
South, and care little about slavery. one way or
the other, save MS it may be incidentally connected
with the state of things which so agreeaby secures
their own existence. The other class of persons
in the South may be subdvided into two ranks =
First, the mere practical stakeholder and planter,
who looks upon the question merely as one OF dol.
lars and cents, and closely calculates the profit and
loss of every agitation and every movement. This
class, when the question of extending slavery in the
territories was first agitated were rather opposed
10 it, would at increase the price of slaves
by extending the market, and consequently en-
hance the cost Of producing the great staples of
cotton and sugar. Louisiana, Alabama, Mississip-
pi and Texas want slaves; and if a new market Is
opened in the new territories for the surplus slaves
Of irginia, Maryland and North Carolina, of course
their price will ut once go up But more recently,
this comparatively mercenary class of shareholders
have become enkindled with the excitement of the
political debates In Congress- and their letters to
their Senators and Representatives show a complete
and remarkable change of tone and temper-dc-
manding the full and unequiyocal acknowledgment
of the rights of the South.
The other subdivision of the second great class
of Southern population consists of the men of lead
ing influence and weight of character-endeared
TO their neighbors and friends by long residence,
by the practice of an unbounded hospitality and
virtues, well by long residence and the intiu-
ence Of hereditary family ties and associations;
and of these men every neighborhood possesses at
least one They are, as 1t were, the patriarchs of
the Southern people, and are looked up to with the
greatest Difference and respect on all occasions.
Their opinions are regarded as law, from which
there is no appeal They, with the great body of
the Southern people. constitute in a word kind
Of moral eudaliiy, mild and benecent in its opera
ton, and binding the population together with ties
whose strength and sacredness can scarcely be es-
tmaed al the North. This powerful, just. and
enlightened body of men look only TO the dignity
and honor of the South; and as, personally, they
would lay down their lives in defence of their own
honor so they would make any conceivable sacr-
fee that might become essential TO the honor and
dignity of the South. They are an undegenerated
continuation Of the same glorious Southern Chi
valry who helped 10 frame and establish the con-
stitution: and, rejecting with mild but noble scon
every aiiectaton OF " compromise y and " mutual
concession" they plant themselves impregnably
upon the constitution and the rights il has con-
feYred. They say to the North, '' Have we the
right, in common with the citizen Of the Northern
States the Enelishman. the Chinese, the Chilean,
the inhabitant of Honolulu and Hawaii, to emf
crate with property to the territories which we
helped 10 acquire and pay for, and 10 be protected
by the laws Of that Union which our forelathers,
as wei as yours, contributed their full share in
tablishng! If we have this right, confess il and
confirm il TO us But, lift be your intention TO deny
il and TO deprive Of it, frankly tell US So that we
may know what TO expect
These are the men in whose hands the destnies
of the South, and of The whole Union, finally rest
Fully impressed with the responsibility of their
position, they cautious in the uterance of their
opinions, and are far from contributing to the ex-
element which, unhappily, already agitates the
public mind. But they are as firm they tenn
perate; and should they become convinced that
systematic ard formidable organization existed
among the leading men of the North, TO deprive
them of their rights, the whole aspect of Southern
public opinion might, as ! said before, be changed
as by magic
This class ofSouihemers-ihe actual leaders and
arbiteis OF public opinion in the South-do not Sc
rousy regard the rant and fustian of the fanatics
en- either side, Of any great absolute importance,
and would rather bear patiently the present evils
which can be measured-than summon up others
for the future, which IL might be impossible to mea-
sure. However, one thing is certain they would
regard the admission Of California, with the present
constitution and boundaries, as deep and vital
wound, which would ever tester and grow wider
and deeper, until il would fnally-and God knows
how soon-fearfully jeopardize the permanence of
the Union itself IL is not so much the being ut
terly deprived. now and foreve ofal participation
in the eXhausiess riches buried beneath the soil
and hidden under the rivers and mountains of Cali
fornia the fact, that they also cut OIL from
all outlet into the Pacific, and all communication
with the empires western shore. This they deem
too much-and this they are prepared to the utter
most TO resist.
There is no political news, whatever, afloat
To-day is cabinet day at the White House, and
both houses Of Congress are resting until Monday.
CoSNoS