The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-26
THE ADDR ESS.

The committee TO ichich nas referred III,
duty of preparing an address to the peo.
pile Of the slareholding States upon the
subject of a Southern Organ, TO be estab.
ished in the City Of Washington, pu'
forth the tollowing:
FELLow-CITIzENs A number Of Sena-
tors and Representatives in Congress from
the Southern States Of the Confederacy deep
ly impressed with sense of the dangers
which beset those States, have considered
carefully our means Of self-defence within
the Union and the Constitution, and have
come to the conclusion that it is highly impor-
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-
tons growing out of African slavery. To
establish and maintain such paper, your
support is necessary, and accordingly we
address you on the subject.
In the contest now going on, the consti-
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, an in
calculable amount of property in other forms.
But to say this is to state less than half the
doom that hangs over you. Your social
forms and nstitutions--which separate the
European and the African races into distinct
classes, and assign to each a different sphere
in society--are threatened with overthrow
Whether the negro is to occupy the same
social rank with the white man, and enjoy
equally the rights, privileges, and immuni-
ties of citizenship-in short, all the honors
and dignities of society-is question Of
greater moment than any mere question o.
property can be.
Such is the contest now going on---a con.
test in which public opinion, if 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
tablished, nor does there exis. any paper
which can be the common medium for al
interchange Of opinions amongst the South
ern States. Public opinion, as it has beer
formed and directed by the combined inhu.
encc OF interest and prejudice, is the force
which has been most potent against Us IN
the war now going on against the institu-
ton Of negro slavery and yet We have ta-
ken no efiectual means to make aud main
tain that issue with il upon which our safety
and perhaps our social existence depends
Whoever viii look TO the history Of thi.
question, and to the circumstances un,
der which we are now placed, must Sc,
that our position is one of imminent danger
and one to be defended by all the means
moral and political, Of which we can ayai
ourselves in the present emergency. Tn
warfare against African slavery commenced
as is known, with Great Britain, who, aft
having contributed mainly to its establish
nsnt 10 the New World, devoted her mos
earnest efforts, for purposes not yet fully ex
planned, to its abolition in America. Ho,
wisely this was done, so far as her own col
onies were concerned, time has determined
and all comment upon this subject on ON
part would be entirely superfluous II
however, her purpose was to reach and EN-
barrass US on this subject, her efforts hav,
pot bssp without JvscsD, A sommpp origin