Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-03-16

who watching the progress of events had clearly seen the
point to which they tended" They had seen
that secession must come and that come when might
their influence would be proporoned to their past dgraces
Presumng on this they had consulted much together Not
only they skefehed professionally plan Of SOUTHERN
but they had taken to regulate their
relations with foreign Powers One Of their number, travel
ling abroad had been instructed to prepare the way for the
negotiation Of commercial treaty with Great Britain One
of the first acts of the new Confederacy invest him
publicly with the diplomatic character and it was at once
understood that commercial arrangements would be made the
value of which would to the infant League all the
advantages Of an alliance wh that po,ceful nation The
designation Of gentleman minister, who had long
without any osensble motive, resided the Court of St.
James, left no doubt that all things had been already arranged
The treaty after promulgated, therefore, surprised
body except indeed that Of its details obviously
beneficial both parties have been expected Not only
in war; but in peace, do nations to think less mpor
do good themselves than to do harm each other
The system Of free trade established which has restored
to the South the full benefit Of its natural advantages, and
made IL the most ourshing and prosperous eoun-
try on earth; ,chch has multiplied the manufactures 81
Great Britain and increased her revenue by an increase OF
consumption and resources, while some branches OF
off, and which, at the same fin has roken
the pocsr of her erious riraI the North and put end
sion and punder Of the Southern States, is such anomaly
in modern diplomacy that the rulers at Richmond, even at
Washington, might we'll have been surprised at il"
Did mortal man ever, in work merely of i'm
aginaton, written and published thirteen years be-
fore, meet with such an exact prefguration Of the
argument and prophecies of his own day as these
extracts afford We could fill whole page Of this
paper with extracts equally striking; but will
make only one more, out of several passages
in The Partisan Leader in which the argu-
ment Of the disafected presses of the South at
this day is anticipated exactly if the writers
had had these papers before them:
ssWhat are the evils of dsunion J"
Weakness dissension, and the danger to liberty from
the standing armies Of distinct and rival Powers"
ssHence you have permitted yourself to look
rowly into the question 7"
ssI never have have no doubt Of our wrongs; but
have suffered myself to weigh them against dsunon
That have been taught to regard the maximum Of evil
'sBut dsu,,ion has come i The question now is,
whether You shall continue 10 bear these srong or seek the
remedy offered By an inritaon join the Southern Con-
sderacy? The evils of which you speak would certainly
not be increased by such step. We nigh, weaken the
North, but ourselves As standing armies here
have among The motive which that danger presented
is reversed in its operation. While remain
are, the standing army is fastened upon BY the pro-
posed change, shake it off Then, to dissension,
there is Of now, there would be then.
Indeed the only would be removed, and it would be
that both parties had every nducement to peace Even
in the present unnatural condition, you that the separa
ton having taken place. there remains nothing quarrel
about"
But, exclaims some conscientious favorer of the
Nashville Convention project, this is only Ro-
nance, and proves nothing!' Nothing that has
actually happened, we agree, but much thatt is ne
nessary to prevent as far zoe can, by exposing to
our readers the danger Of the Nashville Con-
vention project. Far wiser were it to take warn
ing even from dream like this, than to stand
with folded arms whilst the agitators are hurrying
on the country to irremedable ruin This romance
was written by an individual deep in the confidence
of the Leaders of the socaed State Rights party.
believer in the doctrine Of Notification, and
eenergy Jackson and the sober of
the People, the project of Southern Confederacy
presented itself to the author Of this book through
the medium of his association with the master spi
rits who even at that day had conceived this pro-
ject; and the book was written with the INTENT
apparently, of working upon the ambition and State
pride of his native State, to induce her to take
the intatory step in this disorganizing scheme. If
such was its intent, as we see 10 reason to doubt
the publication not only failed of its object but ex-
cited so little interest," even in Virginia, that it is
already forgotten. But the few extracts which
we have given will serve to show that the idea of
Southern Confederacy has been entertained by
certain school Of politicians in the South for many
years that it has its foundation not altogether in
grievances of recent date, assigned grounds for
it. but in part may be feared, in settled hostili
ty to the Union-to the United States-to the
Government under which we live.
We have expressed our conviction that the SEN
timent imputed to the people of the Southern States,
that, as things now are, they cannot continue in
the Union consistently with honor and safety" is
far from being SO universal as it is represented to
be. We append as much of the evidence upon
which this conviction is founded as we can to day
make room for.
EXCERPTS FROM THE SOUTHERN AND SOUTH
WESTERN PAPERS
THE eREENvILLE (TESNEssEE) EFT.
TIE SLAVERY QuEsrIos.-Such s the excitement at