The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-24
THE ADDRESS

The committee 10 which tcds referred tn
duty Of preparing an Address to. the peo
pleof the slaueholdiag States upon n
subject Of a Southern Organ, TO be estab
HsIed IN the City Of Washington, pu
forth the following: asa
FELLow-CITIzENs: A number OF Sena
tors and Representatives in Congress from
the Southern States Of the Confederacy deep
w impressed with a sense Of the danger,
which beset those States, have. considered
carefully our means of self-delence withir
the Union and the Constitution, and have
come to the conclusion that it is highly impor-
tant to establish in this city paper, which
without reference to, political party, shall b.
devoted to the rights and interests OF thu
South, so far as they are involved in the ques.
tons growing out Of African slavery. Tc
establish and maintain such a paper, your
support is necessary, and accordingly we
address you on the subject. 'a
In the contest now going on, the cOnsti-
tutionaI equality Of fifteen States is put in
question. Some sixteen hundred millions
worth of negro property is involved directly,
andindirectly, though not less surely, an I'M
calcuiable amount of property in other forms.
But to say this is to state less than half the
doom that hangs over you. Your social
forms and institutions--which separate the
European and the African races into distinct
classes, and assign to each a different sphere
in society-are threatened with overthrow
Whether the negro is to occupy the same
social rank with the white man, and enjoy
equally tie rights, privileges, and immuni-
ties Of citizenship--in short, all the honors
and dgnities Of socety-is question OF
greater moment than any mere question Of
property can be. n. .a
Such is the contest now going on--a con-
test in which public opinion, if not the pre-
ailing, is destined to be most prominent
force; and yet, no organ Of the united inter
ssts of those assailed has as yet been es-
tablshed, nor does there exis. any paper
which can be the common medium Tor an
interchange Of opinions amongst the South
ern States. Public opinion, as 1t has been
formed and directed by the combined infil-
ence Of interest and prejudice, is the force
which has been most potent against US IN
the war now going on against the institu-
lion Of negro slavery; and yet we have ia
Ken no effectual means to make and MAIN
tail, that issue with it upon which our safety
snd perhaps our social existence depends.
Whoever will look to the history, Of this
question, and to the circumstances un-
Ger which we are now placed, must see
fiat our position is one Of imminent danger,
,nd one to bs defended by all the means,
moral and political, 81, which We can avail
ourselves in the present emergency. The
warfare against African slavery commenced
Z, is known, with Great Britain, who, aitel
having contributed mainly to its, establish
nent in the New World, devoted her most
earnest Efforts, for purposes not yet fully ex-
planned. to its abolition in America, How
wisely this. was done, so far as her own col
onieas, we're concefhed, time has determined;
and all comment upon this subject on our
part would Be entirely 5superduons, IT,
however, her purpose was to reach, apd. en-
bsrrass Us on this subject, her efforts bsve
sot been without success. * coqmop origin
! common language. have made the English
literature ours to . great extent, and the