The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-03
From the .qshspilie IN ca .Ns,ps.


For WHAT DO They REJOICE Amy one
who has paid the least attention to what has
been going on in this town during the past
week, cannot fail to have noticed the rejoicing
of certain class Of men over the failure Of the
proposed meeting on the 3Oth ult What was
there in that failure to rejoice over? What was
| the avowed object of the meeting? Was it not
| to take into consideration the present alarming
| condition of the country Was there any
treason" in that! Did any one fear that Bun
combe intended to dissolve the Union, simply
| because her citizens in accordance with their
constitutional rights and the precedents set by
so many communities, thought it not amiss to
meet and express an opinion as to the merits of
the controversy now threatening to engulph the
nation! What was there in this circumstance
to furnish occasion for such senseless brayings
as have been dinned into the ears of this COM
munity for a few days past What great vic
tory Gid the Union and the Constitution achieve
that those highly respectable men who were the
prime movers of the meeting should be de-
nounced rs traitors and disorganizers Are
they willing to rest under these charges? The
meeting was failure not because the people
did not heartily approve of the objects proposed,
for there was large crowd in attendance, but
because Of a personal difficulty which occurred
between two gentlemen just as the meeting was
| organizing.
Now, where in the name Of common sense is
room for the rejoicing that has Disguised this
community The secret is this the enemies of
Southern rights in this town expected that
ground would be taken in defence of Southern
rights and Southern honor; and any thing short
of an expression of such sentiments, they con-
slider triumph! strange sort Of triumph
truly! Men living in the South protesting to
lov hor mo inf md ,;,<x
of her people, rejoicing at every thing which
prevents her citizens from expressing their love
for the land that gave them BIRTH! these are
the men to whom the South looks for protec-
ton she is indeed an object of pity. The hypo-
critical cry Of Union Union p is not sufi-
GENTLY potent to blind the people much longer
to the real character of their betrayers. We
love the Union IL rods, but not as our North
ern opprcssors would make it. When it ceases
to be Union of equality of common rights, of
protection to all, it becomes curse, and should
no longer be reverenccd as the foundation of
our liberties.
Then we would ask if the "unon Of the
South for the sake of the Union" should not be-
come the watchword of every truehearted
Southern man? But the course of those men
who are now in such extacies of joy, is well cal
culated to create dssensions here and to invite
renewed aggresSOns from the North. We hurl
back the epithet of "Nullifiers," which has been
applied to the editors Of this paper and other
Southern men in this town, and charge those
WIN use it with being not only enemies to the
South and traitors to their country, but Free
sellers and Abolitionists Though they may
deny their abolition sympatbies, lot some Of
them be careful, or their own statements in pri-
vate conversations may rise in judgment against
them, The time is passing by for quilting the
people with professions of attachment to the
Union, when every day adds proof upon proof,
that those who have no other means Of proving
it than by opposing every effort to unite the
South, are pursuing the very course to weaken
ard destroy the Union, by tamely submitting to
all the ercroachments Of the North We CON-
ment Mr.. Clingman's letter to the perusal Of
those who are rejoicing over what they esteem
blow TO the South.