North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-06-07

States do not now, and Will not ever, deliver up fugi
tive slaves. will not be coatrovered that secession
would place the State seeding in the relation of for
eign State tow ards all the other States of the Union.
1t would bea; once the of the rights,
as well as the duties, that exist between them.
They would be, to all ntents and purposes, indie
pendent OF each other France and Great Britain
In the absence of treaty the subject, foreign
State has no right to require another to deliver up iu-
gitive slaves fugitive feons The law of nations
does not enon it, and is in no instance done wlnoul
the requirements of treaty. Why is 1t that OF inc
twenty We thousand fugitive slaves now in Canaaa-
a country bordering the United States-one mas
never been recovered by his owner? Why is Canaoa
place of refuge for slaves who flee from IheIr own
ers in the South 1t is because tits foreign country
and the treaties between Great Britain and the United
States silent the subject Would not' men, Sc
sion be the voluntary abandonment on our part OF
the right to reclaim fugitive slaves Wtnln the lmiss
of ali the southern States and of all other countries
We could not even the line of Georgia Tennes-
see or North Carolina, in pursuit of them by virtue
! of any RIGHT which should acquire by secession
We know as do the enemies of that institution we'll
understand that the absolutely fatal policy that
can be pursued in reference to slavery is to conne
within prescribed limits. Thus localized and hemm-
ed n il inevitably anguish and die. given area
of country will afford lucrative employment to much
more numerous white than coored population, wheth-
it be slave free population. Slaves are not fitted
for many of the avocatons of the white man. The slave
population of South Caroline increase more apidlv
than the white race, and this time considerably
ceeds it. What would be means of difusing over
new and less popuous countries our rapidly increas-
ing slave population, if South Carolina make herself
foreign State by secession? Our slaves may now
be carried into any State of the Union which has not
made the introduction of them unlawful. They may
be sold 10 the citizens of such States, removed with
their The and fertile lands of MISSISSIPPI
p and Texas offer tempting fields for the slave labor
of the old southern States Congress has no power
to interpose any prohibition or restraint. But Con-
gess has long since, under the special provision of the
constitution made the introduction of slaves FROM
npfry into Of he
Nal offence The moment, therefore, South Carolina
shall secede from the Union-the Observation-Disclosures
remaining in -that moment it would be high vcrime
to carry slave from this State to Georgia, any
other State. Such State would have power to
authorize it, the power being in Congress. The
boundaries of our own State could never be passed
by slave So long it should be foreign State.
We have already been excluded from California and
Utah. and New Mexico, by the unconstitutional and
unjust legislation of Congress. and shall now
permit our own infatuation to exclude from the
rest of the world Heaven from such in
sanity
If secession would not place in better position
for the recovery of fugitive slaves for spreading
slave population over other countries but would inter-
puse insurmounabe obstacles to both, would it invest
US with efectual means of REFRESHING the fanat-
cSm of the northern States ] am incapable of per-
ceivng any such effect. No, gentlemen, no it will
require the and energies of than of
the saveholdng States to quiet this wicked agitation
or to resist its fatal influence. The strongest govern
ments in observation-disclosures, and Sweden, and
Great Brtain-have been made to yield up their beau
tfu islands in the West Indies TO utter desoation
appease the fury of this demon. The Spanish West
India islands and the Brazils the only civz-
ed coun tries earth, besides the southern States in
which slavery exists and the fourth of century will
not leave a vestige Of it in her of them. And we
be wise escape their doom at distant day.
18th these consequences before US, would it be wise
resort secession, against the views and wishes Of
all these States that are bound I'M common destiny
with us 7
confess, with profound regret that can perceive
to think that any of sister States of the
South regard the peril TO slavery immediate and
imminent as do. l cannot, however believe thai
they less resolved TO protect and preserve the DO
nestle institutions of the South than ourselves But
whilst they underestimate the danger to it from the
action of Congress, they hugely magnify the difficult
ties and the dangers of dsunion. Yet they have
made issues and conditions connected with it which
must take for granted they will exact from the |
North. Their demands will not be conceded, and |
soon, very soon, their s. final hope will be flat des-
par.'' AS God is the Judge of my sincerity, be-
Iieve this Union and slavery cannot stand together
And unless We greatly msinterpret the omens, this |
appalling truth cannot much longer be disguised. 1t
has yet been realized by the forth the South
You seem. gentlemen, to be amazed at the course |
pursued by Virginia. Ii has not struck with eth
er surprise or disrnay. l know you taught, by !
more than one of our statesmen, to look to this
cradle State for counsel and for lead. But never
supposed she TO be the standard-bearer of the !
South in contest for slavery. The great Common |
wealth did much to rebuke the usurpations of the !
general government in former days; but what has |
she done to rebuke fanaticisn That great lead
er in the memorable contest of 1898 was one of the
earliest and eloquent of those who deprecated
if they did not denounce, slavery. No; Virginia |
will never lead the hosts of the South whose destiny
it is resist the crusade against slavery The great
duty, in my opinion. will devoye upon South Carroll !
ma or Georgia.
But, lead who may, it is destiny act conspic-
part in the when it shall and
it will as surely there is God. Interest and self
preservation will and unite the States that grow
cotton, and rice, and sugar. Let not him
der this great movement by any rashness of ours Let
not vainIy endeavor to separate destiny from
that of all those States that have a common interest,"
and from whom alone, of all mankind, have right
10 hope for succor or for sympathy. Remember we
cannot preserve slavery if all other southern States
surrender it Let us, then, yield ourselves neither
-ashness nor despair Let us look to the future with
courage and with hope. Let US do our own duty in
his great crisis, and animate and excite others
heirs If the other southern States shall follow the
example of Virginia. still let despair strike
Dur ccors. We shall sink below high destiny if
we have the courage, and the constancy, and the
Iortitude meet all the vicissitudes of contest
which involves hopes, our happiness, our exist
,nce.
During the autumn of last year, both in speeches
ind conversations, repeatedly expressed the opinion
hat if but one State should secede the general gov
,rnment would attempt to enforce the laws of Con-
yress and coerce her into obedience. have since
teen nothing to change, but much to confirm tina;
opinion. II is the province of Congress to make
avs, hut the duty of the President to execute them
This duty he solemnly swears he will perform: The
President and his Secretary of State have given re-
,eated assurances that this duty will be discharged
know of no reason to doubt that 1t will be attemp