The southern press., 1851-04-08

therefore looked upon the great interest mani
Tested Tor the passage Of that law, as a para
sitical lnflrnity of pa5ic-struck statesmen, even
had its provisions conceded To the South some
thing more than her acknowledged rights The
rSoicings of the populace over it's passage,
shows how contentedy the human mind can
endure heavy injuries, if they can but feel that
they have just escaped some still more ,oeightier.
A subdued spirit is apt to be most grateful for
the smallest fayors.
The net spread for the South in the anoma-
lous State organization Of California and her
unrestricted admission as a State of the Union,
was daring exploit in the abolition progress
That bold stroke was death blow TO the
slavery institution. No one can row doubt that
the abolition of slavery IN The States will soon be
attempted, or that it will be carried triumphant
ly. A government fnesse, equal to that which
concocted the California State constitution, to
march in front of the colonization hobby, already
backed by your compromise" coadjutor, Mr.
Clay, will finish the job for us; and, Judging
from the strength exhibited of Southern attach
mcnt to the Union at all erenfs, | am not sure
that the South will not quietly acquiesce and
relinqui.h her property as the best she can
do" to avoid the cut-throat alternative
The united South might have tripped the col.
lossal stride Of Northern arrogance, in excluding
her people from the common territories, ut
divided by the slavish elements of lingering, par
tizan feeling, and begued by the charm of
single wori, Union" she closed he eve Of her
vigilance, and must awake shorn of the locks Of
her strength. NO,o, a bound captive shut ont
from the light of freedom and her just equality
in the confederation, she may choose, like a
blind Sampson, between n lingering life of SER
vitude and the early struggles'o of death of vo-
lence; revenged only, it may be- by the com
panonship in death of those who were her op-
pressors. That the latter will be the South's
desperate alternative, can no more doubt than
that Sampson did grind in the prison-house of
the Philistines, and by desperate, self. destroy
ing struggle, toppled ever the temple of Dagon
and perished himself in the common ruin.
From close observation of the habits, tastes,
and prevailing sentiments of the people of the
free States, as exhibited among themselves and
upon their own soil, and, from what have wit
messed Of the easy transformation of sentiment
and character when they come to reside among
us, ! am satisfied that nneteen-twentieth of The
whole population are destitute of the least true
sympathy for the black race, whether bond O.
free. 1t is true, with some few, the abolition O
negro slavery is the ebulition of a sincere, bu
sickly and ignorant philanthropy. Others art
prompted by sheer feeling Of enry-regardine
Southern shareholders as q lazy dissolute, indo
lent race, living in luxury and ease upon the la
bors of their slaves But another and more u.
posing class entertain sincere regard for either
the moral or religious aspects Of the question
caring little for the abstract principle involved
and less about the happiness or misery of the en-
shaved. This class is the most noisy and most
dangerous-using the theme of abolition as a
hobby to gain credit with party.
It is vain to reason with either class. The
only avenue to their conviction of the right or
wrong of their demands, is the medium which
extends to their pecuniary INTERESTS. Strike
that chord, and reason and common sense will
respond, and the fanatcal distractions, now in
dnlged in with so much puritancal pertnacity
will be dissipated. Am | asked ho,o we could
effect this object! answer, some Of the states
men of North Carolina have hit the expedent
Whether the courage of their legislature equaIed
the genius of the protector | have not heard
| The truth is, we never needed congrcssiona
action on this subject A Southern State, single
handed, if need be, could protect itself Tn,
levy of an exhorbitant State tax on all article
ofAmerican fabrics, with discrimination greatl
favorable (even to an entire exemption) to th
produce Of all States which, by their Legislation
or by their representation in Congress shoul'
treat our interests with fairness and Justice
this is the specifc for Southern wrongs, aut
would be an appeal stronger than all th,r con
| gressional eloquence ever uttered, and far more
nvailing than all the brogddocia threats ever full
minated by Southern indignation. Some high
| authorities regard the measure constitutional
remedy, but suppose it were questionable, must
| the Southern people be the only sufferers for
conscience sake Must we bear the loss of our
property, and be degraded of our equality in the
confe1eracy, while those who inhict the injuries
by palpable violation of the compact-and only
for the sake Of maintaining an idle abstraction
nre to be regarded pnks Of political purity In.
deed must zoe strain at gnuB and be reckoned
grievous sinners, while fanatical and periured
Vermonters may guph down canelS, and be
models Of patriotism FOR all that No, sir, re-
peat: the only way to recover or to retain oul
just equality, is by adopting measures of sierr
retaliation II is not only expedient, bat ius
and proper. II is the only mode of redress lef
for hopeless minority. Let those who stickle
about the consttutionality Of such remedy
consider that the parties to be effected by it, are
those only who have openly repudialed the re-
straints Of the compact by which our obligation
is made mutual-that the obligation they fear
to violate, is already violated by the parties to
De injected Dy our act--anu Iilat Where an ODll
CATION is mutual between two parties, Won
ton Of it by one party destroys the mutuai Y
and nbsolves the injured party. At any rate ns
a helpless minority, this is the only power left
US TO restrain n reckless majority. Our appeals
TO their mngnanimity have been fruitless. Our
threats have not deferred them; but this appeal
to base passion. is the rod TO force them to the
path of honor and duty
The Union-loving party Of the South have, by
their misguided action, precipitated this crisis
upon the country. The responsibility for MI
the results is theirs. Posterity will foot the bill
In the very act of quiet submission to injuries
| wonder they are not ashamed TO bluSier now
Their Union conventions say boldly() that II
the Fugitive slave law is repealed or materially
modified, they will-whatl secede and dissolve
the Union? No. What thenl VIII they null
lify? That is an odops name, and would dis
grace any State South Of Mason's and Dixon's
line. What then, | ask, will become of the
threats of great Southern State convention
This party have no grounds left for any resent
ment to rest upon, and must quietly abide the
Ia, ,l,t,, az.