Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-03-16
TO THE EDITORS.
URBANA. (Mpl MARcu : ls5O

URBANA, (MD.) MARCH 7, 1850.
Messrs. EDITORS | wish it were possible to
make a true impression upon the minds of Southern
men in Congress to the comparatively small
number Of people at the North who are inclined so
to treat the slavery question as in the least to in
terfere with the interests of the South have re-
sided in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylya-
mia, and in both city and country in each of these
States; and every where | have been in the habit
of mixing pretty freely with my fellow-men in the
various grades and conditions of society. In look
ing back upon what have seen for the last twenty
years, one thing stands out prominent in my recol-
lection. An aboliiionist, in the now common
ceptation of the term, have found rara auis IN
terris-every where man distinguished from the
mass of his fellow-men, and by the most looked
upon with considerable degree of suspicion.
There may be exceptions in limited localities: but
in nearly dozen homes, which have found, for
different periods in each, know of none.
Nor is there any inconsistency between this and
certain facts in the history of voting at our Presi
dental elections. The Free-Soil party, for exam
pie, had good many votes at the last election
but this cannot regard as an index of the general
feeling. Sure am that the most who voted with
that party would never lift finger against Southern
interests, unless in connexion with some political
movement offering other attractions than mere
crusade against slavery. One of the most active
would, am confident, have left the subject to sleep
till he slept in his grave. had it not been for other
hopes than those of mere philanthropy. Of the
want of philanthropy would not accuse him but
he would have desired clearer case than that of
modern abolitionism to engage him in such activi-
ties as, for time, occupied him with the affairs OF
the Buffalo platform.
The truth, as it seems to me, is this few
Northern men, aud | presume the most of them
II II of hos yhn
rently concerned in party polics,) really believe
that they have mission in the world for the abo-
lition Of slavery and some of them are willing
to hazard every thing for this purpose Now, as
every body knows, with the present facilities for
printing, any man capable of welding pen can
make more noise than thousand who want this
power. 1t requires, then, but few, say one in
thousand, to make noise enough TO be heard from
one extremity of the Union to the other; while the
great mass of people 60 quietly about their daily
occupations, taking little interest in any but their
own and their immediate neighbor's affairs. So,
to the hacknsyed comparison, few grass
hoppers in the field make more noise than the
whole herd grazing in it.
These things being so, can it be right that men
should talk Of putting in peril the great interests OF
the millions in our republic on account of the
errors or crimes of few. Some, at the North,
err from not duly regarding the limits OF human
responsibility some may be criminal in not loving
their neighbors as themselves not viewing slavery
as they would if directly concerned in its mainte-
nance: but ought the penalty Of their wrong doing
to be visited upon whole nation?
am aware this is but partial view of the great
matter now in question: but it presents an element
of the case tha, ought to be very seriously regarded
Let me add / am now among shareholders; but
not one do find who would not rather lose his
whole interest in any rights now at stake than ha-
zard any open breach of the Union.