Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-03-07

entertaina views and feelings more or less hostile TO it
Those most opposed and hostile regard it as SIM and
consider themselves under the most sacred obligation TO
use every effort to destroy it. Indeed, to the extent that
they conceive they have power they regard themselves
as Implicated in the sin and responsible Tor suppresSnS
it, by the OF all and every means Those less OPP
posed and hostile regard it as crime-an offence
against humanity, they call it, and although not 50
ianatical feel themselves bound to all efforts TO ell
feet the same object while those who are least opposed
and hostile regard blot and stain on the charac
ter of what they call the nation, and ee heselVesac
cordngIy bound to give it no corntenance or support
On the contrary the southern section regafas ,e iea
ton as one which cannot be destroyed without sup
letting the to the greatest caamlly anu the
section to poverty, desoation and wretchedness and ac
cordngy they feel bound, by every consideration VI Ill
| terest and safety, to defend It, :,
This hostile feeling on the part of the North towards
the social organization of the South long lay dormant,
but it only required some causeto act on tnose VINO 1et
most intensely that they were responsible Tor lis CONT
nuance TO call it into action. The increasing power
of this Government and OF the control OF the northern
section over all its departments furnished the cause
1t was this which made an impression on the minds OF
many that there was little restraint to prevent the
Government from doing whatever it might choose to
do This sufficient of itself to put the most fana
tical portion OF the North action for the purpose of
destroying the existing relation between the two
in the South.
The first organized movement towards it commenced
in 1885. Then, for the first time, societies were organ
zed presses established lecturers sent forth to excite
the people OF the North, and incendiary publications
scattered the whole South, through the mail The
South was thoroughly aroused Meetings were held
every where, and resolutions adopted, calling upon the
North to apply remedy to arrest the threatened evil
and pledgng themselves to adopt measures Tor their
protection if it not arrested. At the meeting
OF Congress petitions poured in from the North, aling
upon Congress to abolish slavery in the District of CO.
| umba and to prohibit what they called the internal
slave trade between the States, announcing at the
time, that their ultimate object was to abolish sa
very, not only the District but in the States and
throughout the Union. At this PERIOD the number en-
gagged in the agitation small, and possessed little or
| no personal influence
| Neither party in Congress had, at that time, any
sympathy with them. or their cause. The members OF
each party presented their petitions with great reuc-
lance. Nevertheless, small and contemplate as the
party then was both OF the great parties OF the North
dreaded them. They felt that though small they were
organized in reference to subject which had great and
a commanding influence over the Northern'mnd. Each
party that account feared TO oppose their petitions,
lest the opposite party should take advantage OF the one
who might do 80 by tavorng their petitions. The Ell
feet that both united in insisting that the petitions
should be received and that Congress should take urls
dicon of the subject for which they prayed To jus
fly their course they took the extraordinary ground that
Congress bound to receive petitions every sub
ject, however Objectionable it might be, and whether
they had had not jurisdiction the subject These
| views prevailed in the House OF Representatives, and
partially in the Senate, and thus the party succeeded in
their trst movements IN gaming what they proposed-a
position in Congress, from which agitation could be
| tended over the whole Union. This WAS the COM
meneement OF the agitation, which has ever since con-
tnued, and which, as is acknowledged has endan-
| gered the Union itself.
As for myself believed, at that early PERIOD if the
party who got up the petitions should succeed in get
ting Congress to take jurisdiction, that agitation would
follow and that would in the end if not arrested de-
stroy the Union. then expressed myself in debate,
and called upon both parties take grounds against
sumng jurisdiction, but in vain. Had my voice been
Needed and had Congress refused to take jurisdiction
by the united votes OF all parties the agitation which
followed would have been prevented and the fanatcal
zeal that gives impulse to the agitation and which has
brought us to our present perous condition, would have
become extinguished from the want of something to
feed the fame That the time for the North
to show her devotion the Union but, unfortunately
both of the great parties of that section
on obtaining retaining party ascendency, that all
other considerations were overlooked or forgotten.
What has since followed are but the natural conse-
quences. With the success otheir first movement this
small anacal party began to acquire strength and,
with that to become an object OF courtshp to both the
great parties The necessary consequence was, further
increase of power, and gradual tantng OF the opinions
of both the other parties with their doctrines, until the
infection has extended both and the great of
| the population OF the North, who, whatever may be
their opinion OF the original Abolition party, which still
preserves its distinctive organization, hardly ever fail,
whenit to acting to cooperate in carrying out
their measures With the increase of their influence
they extended the sphere of their action In short
time after the commencement OF their first movement
they had acquired sufficient influence to induce the Lee
gsatmes OF most OF the northern States to pass acts
which in effect abrogaed the provision OF the Consttu
ton that provides for the delivery up fugitive slaves
Not long after, petitions followed to abolish slavery il
FORTS magazines, and dockyards and all other places
where Congress had exclusive power OF legislation
This followed by petitions and resolutions OF LIE
gsatures of the northern States and popular meetings
to exclude the southern States from all Territories &C
CURED, to be acquired and to prevent the admission
of any State hereafter into the Unon which, by its con-
sufio59 does not ,hp prohibit slavery And Congress
abolition ofsavey in the States. That has been
to be the ultimate object from the beginning OF the agta
ton until the present time and yet the great body
both parties of the North with the full knowledge OF the
fact although dsavowing the Aboltonists, have CO.
operated with them in almost all their measures.
Such brief history Of the agitation far has
yet advanced. Now ask, Senators, what is there to
prevent its further progress until it ulfls the ultimate
end proposed, unless some decisive measure should be
| adopted to prevent it, Has any of the causes
which has added to its increase from its original small
and contemplate beginning until it has attained pre-
sent magnitude, diminished in force! Is the original
cause Of the movement that slavery is SIM and ought
| % be suppressed, weaker now than at the commence
ment2 Or is the abolition party less numerous or inl-
entail have they less influence over, control over
the two great parties OF the North in elections? Or has
the South greater means OF influencing controlling the
movement OF this government now, than it had when
the agitation commenced? To all these questions but one
answer can be given No. no, no. The very reverse is
true Instead OF being weaker, all the elements in IA
vor OF agitation are stronger now than they in
1888, when it first commenced while all the elements
OF influence the part of the South are weaker I'm
less something decisive is done, again ask what is to
stop this agitation, before the great and final object at
which it ams-he abolition Of slavery in the States
is consummaedl Is it, then, not certain that if some
thing decisive is not done to arrest it. the South
will be forced to choose between abolition and seces-
sion? Indeed things moving it will not re-
qure the South to secede to dissolve the Union Agi-
taon will of itself effect it, of which its past history
furnishes abundant proof as l shall next proceed to
| show. :.
Its great mistake suppose that dsunon can be ef-
tected by single blow The cords which bound these
States together in one common Union are far too nu-
merous and powerful for that. Dsunion must be the
work of time. 1t is only through long process and
sovereignty that the cords can be snapped, until the
whole fabric falls asunder. Already the agitation of
important, and has greatly weakened all the Others as
shall proceed show.
The cords that bind the States together are not only
many, but various in character Some are spiritual or
ecclesiastical some political Others social Some APP
pertain to the benefit conferred by the Unon and Others
to the feeling of duty and obligation.
The strongest of those of asprual and eccesiasti-
cal nature consisted in the unity of the great religious