The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-06
THE POLICY OF SECESSION ABANDONED.

We do not mean that the South has abandoned
the policy of secession, for we never believed
that she seriously entertained it, She had some
thing to gain by threatening, and so she threat
ened Our neghbors Of the Southern Press, how
ever, appear to have made up their minds not to
secede, but to stay in the Union, and "grn and
bear it, They say that the indications are too
clear to be mistaken that majority of the South
ern States will submit to the late measures of
Compromise" although they believe, "that not
one State of the South can be found to approve
of that scheme The Press predicts disastrous
consequences from the Southern infirmityp
which has thus abandoned Southern rights:
"The first effect of Southern infrmity was the
loss of the great right involved-the loss of all
share Of the territory in dispute The second
was still worse-the loss of that character for
dignity frmness, and faith which the South had
previously achieved loss which no power of
computation can compute The third is the inev-
liable division Of the South, one part seeing that
power in future is conceded to the North, will al
ways be tampering, bargaining and shutting with
that section at the expense of its own"
What is the remedy No effective one ssys
our neighbor-but there is a palliative. The
Chief Executive is the strongest department Of
the Government, and the South must secure the
control of that. How is this to be done Not by
National Conventions. Philadelphia and Blti-
more Conventions will no longer be able to swim
die the People.
al let the South then, nominate her own candi-
date lie can be sent into the House Of Repre-
sentatives The South there will be almost twice
as powerful as in the districts. And power in the
Presidential election IS power. She will have
much more respectable chance Of electing her IA
vorite there than in any other manner. Aud, II
she fails in that, she will exercise an influence in
electing some other man least hostile to her, twice
as great az can he done in q National Convention.
Those. therefore, who have allowed a supersti-
tious reverence for the Union to overcome that
much more sacred sentiment Of attachment to the
Constitution, and to equality, and who have pro-
tossed n determination to do everything within
the Union for Southern rights, cannot hesitate
now to lay hold Of q great plain constitutional
provision that is conservative of Southern equal
ityn
Agreed
Bnt is the Press right sure that should the
South nominate her own candidate, he would be
sent TO the House, A sectional nomination of
that kind openly made might compel the nomina-
tion Of a candidate who would secure the electoral
votes Of the free States-and they, if united can
cleo, Of themselves Is the Southern Press coun-
selling the best policy for the Interest it is an1-
tious to render all-controlling
It thinks, if the election should go to the House,
tho South would be able to make much better
terms than it could in National Convention.
May be so--wed do not think there would be much
difference. Northern People are pretty we'll train
ed by their old party organizations to submit to
Southern domination. and the South when united,
either in National Convention, or in Congress,
can generally carry its point. Still, Freedom has
at least as much to expect from the action Of the
House as from from that Of a Convention-and,
as things cannot be worse, have no objection to
a change.
Amen, then, to the proposition of the S'~hu"
Prss. Down with National Conventions! LET