The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-17

PROGRESS OF FREE-soIL SENTIMENT.-The Hon
r. M. L. Hunter, in his recent able speech in the
United States Sepate, depicts, in striking light
the advances MAieh have been made by the abo-
liton sentiment during the last thirty years. A
most forcible illustration of this truth is furnished
in the history of the Missouri Compromise. In
1921 when the peace Of the country was not less
seriously threatened by this slavery agitation,
than II is now, the Missouri Compromise was ten
dered TO the South, and became a law over the
heads of the Southern representatives. Ii was
acquisced in, however, by the South, as AN ex-
IRENE concession for the sake Of the Union. To-
day, the South offers TO settle our differences on
the principle OF the concessions then made, and
those who advocated IL are denounced as plfras.
The North was then ready to hang us if we did
not accept the Missouri Compromise; now it is
ready TO hang us If we demand it. To day we
are denounced for not accepting Clay's Com
promise, which deprves US Of still greater rights,
and if we accept it, in ten years shall be equal
ly denounced if we insist even on its feeble guar
antees.
But the history even of this session of Con-
gress, is not without proof on this point. At an
early day of the session, Mr.. Clay introduced in
the Senate series Of resolutions, which were in
tended as basis Of compromise for our troubles
Those resolutions met with almost universal de-
nunciation at the South, and even the warmest
admirers of that senator dared not utter one word
in approval of them. Mr.. Clay himself was un-
M,
and his former mouth-piece did not venture even a
vindication OF him.
Well, what were those resolutions! One was
to abolish the slave trade in the District of Column
bia, and prohibiting deposte Of slaves therein
for purposes Of sale. Another to admit Califor-
MIA with suitable boundaries. Another was to form
Territorial Governments for Utah and New Mexi-
co, and another was to enact law for the more
effectual recovery of fugitive slaves. Later in
the session the committee of thirteen introduced
compromise, which is now known as the Clny
Compromise, and, as we shall see, very properly
so called. This Compromise embraces several fee-
lures, which are, LIST, the abolition of the slave
trade In the District, prohibiting ~ deposit OF
slaves therein for purposes of sale, and ALSO pro-
hbifing their deposit there for transportation; I'd, to
admit California with her present bound res 3D. to
provide Territorial Governments for Utah and
New Mexico, and 4th, to provide more effectually
for the recovery Of fugitive slaves. How has this
Compromise been received at the South We
venture the assertion that not one Of the papers
IN this State which now cordially embraces this
bill, perhaps the Augusta Chronicle e. Sentinel
excepted) said one word in commentator of it,
in the first issue after il was known what thai
Compromise was. 1t met with the unqualified
execration Of some, and the favor of not one pub
lie journal in Georgia. Now, on the contrary,
we ind at least four influential presses in this
State, boldly advocating its adoption. Let il he
remembered that this Compromise differs but little
from Mr.. Clay's resolutions, and every one OF
those differences ~ against the South, and that
while no one in this latitude endorsed the latter
many are DANGEROUSLY in favor OF the former, and
some idea may be formed Of the fearful progress
which abolition sentiment is making even at the
South.--Coi1nbus Ca Sentinel