Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-03-15
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
sPgEcs or MR.. cabneIS OF s. CAROLINA.


person. and returned thanks for the cour-
tesv which the Senate had extended him,
N permitting him TO have his views upon
The great question of present agitation de-
liyered BY proxy. lie then asked Mr..
Mason to read his speech for him.
Mr.. Mason then proceeded to read the
epeech. Mr.. Calhoun commences by ask
ing" What can be done to save the
Union ?'' Ii was necessary, first, to find
the cause of the danger, before a remedy
could be applied. The danger arose-first,
from the discomfort in all the Southern
States. which commenced with the agita-
ton of the slavery question and has con-
tinued ever since. The next question was
-" What has caused the dlsquiet ?" Ii
resulted from the belief ON the part of the
Southern States that they could not live in
the Union, under The existing state OF things,
with safety to their honor and interests.
He proceeded next to show by statistics,
that the equilibrium of the different sec
,tions Of the Union has been lost, in conse-
quence of the increase of population in the
North: this state,of affairs placed the con-
troll of the Government exclusively in the
hands of the North-glvlng them a ma
jority OF the States, and a large majority
in the population, which would be largely
increased by the next census. In addition
10 this, the newly acquired territory would
also add, speedily, at least five new States,
which would be admitted to the NORTH
while no additional territories were pro-
crossing in the South.
He next proceeded to show that the &C.
ton of the Government has been such as
10 give control TO sectional majority, by
which the South has been deprived of lis
share in the territories. The first act hav-
ing such effect, was the ordinance of 1887;
the next, the Missouri compromise; and
The last the act by which the South were
excluded from Oregon. The result of all /
of which mas been 10 exclude the South
from three-fourths of the territory acquired
by the federal government, giving her one
fourth only. The North had also unset
tied the necessary equilibrium between the
two sections, by adopting system of rev.
enue and disbursements which had imposed !
unequal burdens upon the South, to the
advantage of the North. The action of
Congress in the next place had resulted in !
government. to the manifest disturbing and |
7siolation of State rights. The result of |!
all these series of measures. and this course /
of policy, was to give the North an ascen- /
dency in every department Of the Govern I.
Inent.
He then proceeded to consider the views /
and feelings of the people of the North I
relative to the institution Of slavery, which /.
the South felt to be necessary to her social |
organization, and which he said was looked /
upon with greater or less hostility by the !
whole North--ail the people of which felt
bound. al least, TO discountenance it-while T.
they felt themselves impeled TO defend it, /
He reviewed the course of the slavery agi- /
tation by the North-commencing with the
first battle upon the right Of petition, and
coming down to the present day-for the
purpose of showing that encroachments
upon this point had been continued, gradual
and always successful, until imminent dan
ger to the Union had now arisen. He
contended that from the first organized
movement, the Abolilionists had continually
increased in numbers, opportunities and de-
mands, until their work had reached point
which demanded immediate and earnest ef-
forts fer It's arrest.
What, then. could be done to arrest lis
progress, and what could save the Union
Disunion would not be effected at a single
blow. 1t was the work of time-for the
cords which biHd the Union were too nu-
merous to be snapped all tonce. One Of
The many chords which had bound the
IFy,tr tDo- tho yeIIf bp
sympathy between the associations of va
rioes religious denominations of both sec
tons. The first of the cords which snap
ped was the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The next, the division of the Baptists with
two opposing sectional parties. The Pres
bvterian chord had not altogether given
way, although some Of its strands were
broken. The Episcopal only of the four
great denominations remained firm and un-
broken-as d result Of this agitatIon.-
Mr. Calhoun makes no reference what
ever to the Catholics.) The next great
cord which had snapped was that of politi-
cal party organization, which had held to-
gether until recently severed BY the in
creased agitation. Again" how could
the Union be saved p l. could only be
saved by adopting such measures az viii
satisfy the Southern States that they can
remain in the Union with safety and honor
10 themselves.
It could not be saved by euIogizina the
Union, nor by appeals to the memory Of
Washington. Neither was there anything
IN the life or example OF that distinguished
man which would deter the South from
seeding on the contrary, there was much
TO encourage them to secession as remedy
for oppression and deprivation Of their
rights. Mr.. Cass' plan, or the plan pro-
posed by the administration, could not save
the Union. The latter was nothing but a