The southern press., 1850-11-06
Position OF the South.
We find the following article in the Wash
inoton Union of Yesterday: t "R 's''2

ington Union Of yesterday:
.WHAr DO You WANT I'VE address this ques-
ton to the peculiar advocates of the ''cotton"
States, as contradistinguished from the Southern
States They appear to be exceedingly prompt
in taking part in the general agitation, but present
very tangible or practical grounds or complaint
or adjustment. The Southern Press is greatly hor-
rifed at the Compromise it is ready to give up
the Fugitive slave law it is not willing to see the
forces OF the government employed to suppress
negro riots and instructions in Boston ia opposi-
tion TO that law ;it complains OF the surrender OF
the Territories and yet 1t offers no proposiuon
with which il will be content. Does II ask lot
the repeal Of the law admitting California as one
of the sovereign States of the Union? Does Il re-
uure the repeal Of the law leaving in the hands OF
Texas, another sovereign State OF the Union, Inc
determination of mere question OF her own
boundary Does 1t demand the repeal OF .ae law
creating territorial governments IN New Mexico
and Utah without the Wilmot Provlso! II 1t
does not make these measures the basis OF Its de-
mands, we ask, tchat does IL toant .tl..s 4. =.
iii requires these concessions, can they now be
made Can Congress destroy and annlhllate a
sovereign State Of the Union Can It require and
compel a sovereign State to adopt line OF boun-
dary contrary to its own free consents For what
ever Texas does now is done by the unconstrained
assent of her citizens-by popular vote. Should
the 0cotton organs put forth these demands, they
give up at once the ground on which they profess
of creating and destroying States when they please
and Of fixing the boundaries of States without
their consent. Let this be admitted, and what be-
comes of the sfederatiye character of the Govern
ment, of which these cotton-bag politicians have
made themselves the especial guardians II they
do not make these acquisitions the basis of satis-
factory adjustment, then they can only take the
ground that the acts already committed by the Fed
eral Government are Of nature to JUSTIFY and to
Require an immediate dissolution Of the Union What
has been done by the Federal Government cannot
be cancelled or recalled. State in the Union for
day is entitled to all the rights of one of the old
thirteen The Constitution guarantees this right,
and undeniably places them on the same footing
If this be not so, every new State that mas peen
added to the original revolutionary States IS still
subject to the action and control OF Congress-
These ncotton-bag" statesmen must, then, choose
the alternative--either to be saifed Nth the Com
promise, or dissolre the Union. They may soften
the latter term to I" secession !" but that means
disunion. ga rose by anv other name will smell
as sweet What, then, do they want' #
We call the attention of our readers to the fol-
lowing extracts from tho columns of the Southern
Press. and beg them to note the term of reproach
against the s'border States" pervading 1T. That
paper finds the path it has been pursuing gradually
approach the precipice of disunlon. The gulf
yawns at it's feet. 1t finds little sympathy any
where; its patience is exhausted, and 1t beSlns 10
rail The Press has published that its editorial
control was, noninaly at least, under the superv-
sion Of a committee, consisting of Judge Butler or
South Carolina, Mr.. Toombs of Georgia, Mr..
Thompson of Mississippi, and MIR. Morton OF
Florida. Now, we respectfully inquire whether
it speaks the sentiments OF Mr, toomos, Mr'
Thompson, Mr. Morton ?---or whether it solely,
if at all, speaks the sentiments OF Judge Butler
DO they all, or any of them, approve OF such doc
trnes as those contained in the following extract?
We do not believe it. The fugitive slaves in Bos-
ton, about whom SO much commotion has arisen,
r 4. - harn ale fp
eitives from North Carolina and ther States In
the same predicament in Boston. What do the
people of those States say to the total abandon
ment of the Fugitive slave law by the Press, and
its declaration that the means of the government
ought not to be used to enforce II against a gang
of lawless rioters i'm fact, placing the employ
ment of force against these negroe insurgents on
the same footing as if it was to be employed
against a sovereign State! And the parties who
thus skulk from The duty they owe to the South,
talk of the d" border States" and Of others back
ing OUT" ..... ....
"Call ye this backing your friends
A plague on all lichtriends ~
Let it not be supposed that we are lukewarm in
our support Of all the Southern interests, well
those of the sscotton States those Of the "bor
der" We have given frequent proof Of our
devotion to their welfare, and we are now, and
at all times, ready to go as far and to do as much
as those who make the loudest professions
There is no such line of distinction as that of
"border Southern States" and section States. "
They are all identical in interest-all have
the deepest stake in maintaining the rights that
belong to them as slaveholding States-and he
who suggests or strives to stimulate such a feel
ing of local dscord is the true friend ofnone, but
the enemy of all. We caution the South against
such sinister counsels. They proceed from igno-
rance of your true interests, or from design TO
produe disunion Let no man be deceived. He
who would divide and thus weaken the South
would betray or destroy it. He is blindly play
ing into the hands of the Abolitionists. He is
striking the South death blow ip the house Of
its friends: ..,. . ..,...
We answer: We want the Southern States
to maintain the resolutions they adopted last
winter We want the position Of the Nashville
Convention maintained. We want the course
of majoity of the Southern Delegates in Con-
gress sustained, except that vote in the House
on the Texas bill, which, as it was contrary to
the vote the day before, and the vote the day
before that, and contrary to the position their
States had before assumed-we want explained.
We want Congress to restore to Texas, in
case she accepts the bill for her dismemberment,
the jurisdiction to the ceded soil, at least up to
$3.50, and let Congress sell the land for re-
payment of the ten millions. We want Cali
fornia divided by the line of $500, and the
portion south of that line to have territorial
government with distinct provision that sla-
very is not prohibited therein, And for that
purpose let Congress offer California ten mil
Ions, as Texas was offered. We want the act
to prohibit the slave trade in the District of
Columbia repealed. ..1 -''1r-.. ..-
These are substantially the measures irdi-
Gated by the resolutions Of nearly all the South
ern States, In support Of which they pledged
themselves at all hazards and to the last extre-
nifty. We want the Southern States to main
tain their pledges, their word, their honor, their
rights and their power-all that States hold
dear, ... .#-.'.. -.s.
1t was no idle vaunt--it was no party trick
it was no solemn farce--in WHICH these States
then engaged, 1t was an official uhin,atum to