Washington telegraph., 1850-03-06
MR.. JOHNSON'S ADDRESS.

hon. N. W.. 'JOInSOu tO VIC COIPS W.
torial of Arkansas, on the all absorbing
question of slavery. OF MIR. Johnson's
views On this question, we have nothing
to say. They are his views, no doubt
honestly entertained, and we have no
desire to enter into'a personal controversy
by commenting upon them, although the
invitation to do SO is extended to us.
We see nothing, as yet, that either
requires or demands a discussion OF the
questions at issue. The Pfoviso has not
yet become law, nor has slavery been
abolished in the District of Columbia.
None of the contingencies upon which
dissolution of the Union is threatened
have yet transpirea. The glorious fabric
still stands, as we hope it ever may,
monument Of the wisdom and patriotism
of it's founders. There are no advocates
of the Proviso in Arkansas, if any in the
South, and we cannot divine what ad-
vantages are to result from agitating the
question here. True, we might hold
meetings and pass resolutions denotnlclng
lin return those who have denounced the
institutions of the South, and threaten
them with what we would do should
Congress pass the Proviso; but what.
benefit would we derive from such a
course? We do not believe the Proviso
will become a law. We cannot think
the North would pursue policy SO sui
cidal to her interests, and hazardous to
the stability of the Union. The con-
siderate and thinking portion of the North
and West-those who constitute vast
numerical majority-are heartily sick OF
the discreditable and dangerous agita-
ton. They see that it has been made to
subserve the base purposes Of political
hucksters and designing fanatics-en-
gendering spirit OF rebellion dangerous
to the common weal-this' class will
manfully step forward to avert the i'm
pending storm.
There are men in the North who have
nobly stood up to the compromises of the
Constitution and the rights Of the South,
and who still adhere to them. AS an
evidence of this fact, see the vote Oh the
bill for the Territorial Government of
Deseret and New Mexico, which con.
tanned the Proviso and which was laid
on the table by vote of 1O5 to 70
Where did we obtain that majority, but
from the right thinking Representatives
of the North. Because rampant fanati
cism has made the Proviso the basis for
the organization of party, should the
North indiscriminately be censured with
attempting to interfere with the rights
of the South! There has already been
unnecessary excitement created by the
agitation OF this vexed question. Even
in the South there are some politicians
who imagine that the most certain step
pin stone to political favor is the violent
denunciation of the North. Politics,
North and South, has become trade,
and the political arena is filled with anna
tenrs, every one of whom, by the aid OF
some hobby fashioned for the occasion, is
endeavoring to outstrip his rival in the
race for popular favor. Those who re-
gard the perpetuity of this glorious Union
as the only guaranty of human liberty,
look upon the game thus being played as
disgraceful, discreditable and dangerous.
They see and feel that a spirit Of patriot
ism, concession and compromise-such
spirit as our fathers exhibited in the for
nation and adoption of the Constitution,
will alone carry US safely through the
fiery ordeal "unscathed by faction and
untainted by fanaticism." This spirit
will again save the Union from the reck-
less, incendiary and destructive policy of
the fanatics.
The attempt now being made in sew
eral of the Southern States to get up
Southern Convention at Nashville, is re-
garded by many in the South as prema-
ture, and no: calculated to result in any
good. MIR. Beale, the Representative in
Congress from the 18th Congressional
District of Virginia, in one of the best
addresses we have seen upon the present
agitation, thus speaks of this Conven-
ton:
My first objection is to sending dele
gates to the Nashville Convention. Is
this not premature? Has not Virginia
on two several occasions lately declared
her firm determination to resist aggression
an hor rinhts2 Who nnu doubts her