The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-25

tanned In square miles l64,O6l
The States now South 6l7,202
The surrender Of Virginia affected the
result SO, that the North measured
(square miles) 425,76l
South 385,52l
The next acquisition was Of Loaisi-
ana. Its CONDITION as to slavery
was settled by the Missouri COM
promise. The North took (square
The South retained 284,445
The acquisition Of Oregon, Florida
and Texas occasioned another set
Element. The North took Oregon
(square miles) 34l. 463
Santa Fe country 100000
The South obtained Florida 59,268
Texas 2l2,0O0
The Mexican conquests, engrossed by
the North, swell her limits, in addi-
ton, (square miles) $4,000
Thus from l64 ,O8l square miles, the
North has grown to (square mies) 1882 1903
While the South, from 647,202, has
only reached to 660,83l
This table shows that in 1890 she drove us
from nine tenths Of the public domain, and set
up a standard of adjustment of all future diff
culties growing out of this matter, outside of
the Constitution-that in l846 she drove US
from all of Oregon, and declared the principle
that Congress should hereafter exclude us from
effected that exclusion, and drove US from our
entire Mexican acquisitions, and set up the
standard Of abolition even in the saveholding
District of Columbia Does any man hope that
she will retrace her steps, and yield again to the
Constitution and to the South any part of this
rich prey! We think we may safely assume
that none 80 think. Are there any who think
that, satisfied with the past, she will give any
Uuarapfeas aUainst future WronO1
If so, to him do we reply, in the strong, EN-.
phatic language of Mr.. Randolph, fanaticism,
political or religious, has no stopping place short
Of heaven or-of hell" As long as there is
food for it to prey upon, fanaticism will flourish
As long as there exists slave to free, the Abo.
litionist will continue his efforts. Every agency
in the Northern States points to this aim, be il
educational, religious, or political. In no coun-
try does the pulpit exert a more decided infu-
ence than in the North; and her divines are uni
versally opposed to slavery, and conscienciously
believe il to be the duty Of the North to eradi-
cate it. Many of them doubtless desire to con-
form their action to the Constitution-but all
aim at its eventual abolition. The most believe
that the Constitution is not in the way-save
that il is but that it should be amended. Every
party there believes slavery to be an evil, and
will be found prepared to aid in amending the
Constitution, with view to take from the South
the political yer now based on its slaves. Its
abolition il but q march Of time. From the
magnificent territory torn from Us. free-soi
States VII rapidly and inevitably be formed
Already New Mexico, Utah, Oregon, and Ne
braska, are on the eve Of admission, and Mich
gan is contemplating division into two Suites
the northern and southern Peninsular States Of
Michigan.
Such is the power Of the North, the result o.
aperversion of the powers of our government
and Of the assumption of powers not granted
Such is the unity and universality of the anti
slavery feeling there-such Is the convictions
which urge its citizens to ceaseless action against
the institution of African slnvery-such the
prospects of the increase of political power in
that section, and the resources from which it
can freely draw in all future contests with the
South.
Turning our eyes TO the South, how strong is
the contrast Of our political condition and pros
poets to those presented by the North. Owing
to the causes already enumerated, there is no
part of the common territory out Of which We
can hope to form a new slavehodng State 1t
is true that by the act of annexation, it was
provided that four new States might be formed
out Of the State Of Texas. But in that contin-
gency the one which should lie north Of 36
deg. 30 min was decreed to be free soil State
and more than a sufficient quantity of the
State of Texas to make large slave State,
that State has been buied and bribed into a
surrender Of to free-soil New Mexico. II is
hardly probable, therefore, that more than two
slave States can be carved out Of Texas while
even in that matter we are at the mercy Of the
North, already in a majority in every depart
ment Of the government, and with we'll ground
ed expectations Of a speedy reinforcement of at
least four new free-soil States
Looking then to the prospective condition Of
the present saveholding States in the Union
there appears to be no hope Of relief from the
aggressive and unjust policy which has turned
the very powers Of the general government
against us--and which, when they have been
found insufficient TO mark our ruin, has been
limited in it, action only by the discretion Of an
insatiate fanaticism. Let us examine some of
the results which the present state of things
will inevitably entail upon us, as members of
"the Union an it is"
The census has shown that the slave popula-
ton increases with great rapidity That fact
has heretofore been just source Of hope and
power to the South. BY it we have been ena-
bled to counterbalance, In times past, to very
great degree, the heavy European emigration
which has 40 rapidly populated the North west
ern States. As long as the territories were
open TO slave immigration, as we'll as TO the
Free-soiler, we kept up the balance of power in
tho Senate, and we were at all times ready to
bring into tho Union a slaveholding State, to
of.et the admission of free-soil State. Now
hereafter, with the territories closed against
slase immigration, that il made to present it.
ueN to the South in new and startling aspect
and he who looks beyond the mere crust of
Ihis question, at once asks himself, what is to
become o. this great increase of the African
sassi
We arc surrounded by free-soil. The out
- provided By nature, and the wise forecaste
4 ar Statesmen, have been seized upon BY our
oewtsa asd forever closed aeainst it The In.
tttutjon y circumschbed, and It's increase,
hosgh moi to b felt delstsriously, II may be,