The Arkansas banner., 1850-05-28
[FrOm the Mobile TrIbuns, ] SOUTHERN CONTENTION.

EVl AhA9nA AvNtLAttVAs
 The importance of the subject will trust, justify the address ef this letter you. During Ihe last session of the General Assembly considerable DOT tion of ifs mrmh.ra nnnenrring in the proprielv Of
 repFese ntatien Of this State the Nashville Con venIion, selected number of persoas delegates. hare not ssgposed hat tss persons ssieeted soers cfetG Ek arg of the coTysrsie posceYs ef the Safs hve not sspeosed tkat stAey persons miqst 1ef De cAoses n 0Rg Jorm Ast fhs nSters ef K eomaaeity might hiak proper regard tAe ospo, ,ntms nfs ct MoRtgonsyy smapty ss . deetarat0n of nle sieasare ef body q snaiaea cifiseas trSa sVery of fs
 ats, that ctrtpiB iadsraiRats skead attend tie Aass- riiie toareaiiga.
 cieney of my authority 10 attend the Nashville Con- senti0u- entirely concur in IiIe proprely of the assembly, Of delegates fTem . siaseholdipg States to consider the txteut aud nature of the public dan ger. My opinion of tie immiDenee of that danger ss such that sh0aid have heartily approved of eonsentipu soayoses ef dsiegates sppoinied by the people of the States interested in their high soye- rrign character, who might have been invested with pleDary powers for proposing soeh measures Us were usae for the preservation of tie equality of tse States in the Union My owu observation has taught that peril is most commonly ayerted by l frmness aud celsTminatiop aud that tie adoption l of timid couuses usually invites aggression know of security for the public iiDefIy, unless constant and patriotic watchiun over 1t is main taned by the people. The fact that people nd
 
 l aadet the impulse o the spirit have noted, would have produced impression that none of the arts of the public enemy could have eifacej. The eqaal ity of lhe States ia the Territories of the Uaion, in stead ol the exclusion of the properly of portion of them, would have been the 'foregone eoEclu- sion" had Ihis course been adopted. knew. sir, 1t is the fashion of these times, Inc part o some, to deride the assertion that there is danger. he siuggard TOW, as of old excIaims: ''Yet a litie sleep little slumber liliIe more folding ot the 1 arms in seep,' and Iurneth b hts bed the door | on it's hinges. A moments consideration of the ! quality of the questions before the country. must satisfy every person, that lhe condition oi things wbIch now exist, cannot long endure without in- 1 lernal commotion. The questions which agitale 1 the public mind are how questions of admiustFa- ,ion of ephemeral policy. They iavoive some of those flu Bdamental ideas upon which the govern Inents o the cUuatry and States repose. he souln- people assert that from the very nature ol tine association between the States, there plain aud incoutreveriible right of the people ol the several States to migrate with their property into the Ter rilories of tue unioH; that these Territories 1 the fruit of the common efforts oi the States and that all are entitled 10 propoFtiouate share in ! them.
 The nou-slayeholding States in return have said that this Is true, except to slave property-thal the tenure by wbith that properly is he q, Is base tenure, aud thht no support. no eountenarcs, sIreugth can be afforded io tt by those States. Ne plead the provisions of the constitution, as sanctions our claim. W e aoyert b the spirit ln which il was'nade, and We refer To ihe iathluiness i 'gih which We have submitted 10 It's provisions, The answer is. that slave properly is not tolerated. by Christian law, and that slave power is pre- ud- ciaI 10 The interesls of the non slayehoding SHtes and nebiIer can he increased nor enlarged. Tie expression of opnon contained i1 this northern argument is but the expression of that spirit of abo i iIon which commencing Us operations during the last years ol the last ceutnry, has continued grow EslA blacks aHd the fatal masSacres and consequent de- vsslaon of hall Hithin the fast thirty years, il has dissolved the relations of master and slave in the British, Fregcb. Danish and Swedish Islands of the N est Indies it hss occasioned acts ol eulan- cpation in Mexico, Gautemaia and the Son th l American Republics IL has prompted tiie British Government 10 declare that carGinsi principle Ill it's policy is disturb that relation of mas CT and 1 slave throughout the world. It has led 10 the ex. penGlture ol mohey for purposes of GscOrd in our own isUd sufficient 10 liberate Ilie slaves in State IL has dissolved the bonds of church organization, and. penetrating into Congress it boldly declares ttai it's law Is higher than tue constnian that fidelity 10 the constitution is faithlessness To the law of God. All writers concur that 10 a stable government there must be some fixed ideas in community, against which no set of men n iii dars l to array themselves la the southern States the man Who would sesk 10 suhveri lhe relation of master and slave would be Jasty regarded pub iic enemy fIf ali our party personal collisions the h1edatss ot tIs relation py EeHersl consent is regarded as unqaestionable. The assaults ia aud | out ot Congress upon the institution and all the foundations on which II reposes, constitute an of. 1 feDce. They create danger; they promote discour- sgement; they destroy confidence in the perpetaily l ol our domestic society. They are crimes aganst that society When We look al The success of abo- lition in the British and French colonies 10 what can ascribe safety from the same fatal con. 1 Summatonl The abolitionisls of England and Franco have not been more active than those of our own country. The anti slavery agitation has never attained the height in either that has reached ia te United States In the legislatures Of the north. | ern States Il has commanded tirequeuily1 unaai- nous votes In Congress the same community of | sentiment amvpg northern representatives has of late prevailed. Gan doubt that if tie southern l States had been dependencies Of Great Britain, Fraace, the northern bali of the Union the de- 1 cree of emancipation would have gone forth tong before this tuiel We owe our safety 10 the po3i. cal power enjoy in the Government oi the Uni ted States, and 10 the organization ana strength of l our State Governments. The aslute and cunning spirit of iantacisin has discovered this, anu hence it's aIlaeKs have been directed against the sources | of that power.
 Tbe exclusion of slavery from the conquests of 1 Mexico is designed to defeat the equipose which 1 bas hitherto been ia some measure maintainei in 1 the councils of the Federal Government. When | the same command of the Senate has been acquired | winch now exists over the House of Representa-
 
 | imposed aPoa the spread of this fanticsm 10 the States, which is now manifested iu the Territories | of the United Statesl
 I In this connection, may notice, which Is appar. ent 10 all, the decay of that coata9fioRai morafg tn may borrow the exPresSlonl which was so ! strongly characteristic of the country when Ihe constitution was adopted This quality nani- fes; ia tlIe adherence 10 constitutional forms and the scaatily attached to consttetionai obligations. states, mites, aud individuals reposrd with uafalteEing confidence upon the faith pighted in a constitutional compact The reserved rights of the States of the Union Involve Of the necessary conditions tc PopaaS iberiy; yet the States sur rendered ,hsis powers over the army and navy and | sl war and negociaIieR, They rested upon faith, and not upoa force, to uphold them
 | < mighty change n American ideas has unaeub- tediy occurred. Tue spectacle of constitutions set | up and pulled down has become common that it has ceased to attract intention. + constitutional provision produces the slightest iaeonxeaiences to