The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-13
REPORT TO THE
Eufaula Southern Rights Association,


On Southern wrongs $, ndremedies, by j. l.. Pugh,
Esq, Chairman Of The Committee
The Committee appointed to consider the
subject OF Southern wrongs and remedies, and
to report thereon, submit the following as the
result of their deliberations.
Their conclusions may not be understood and
approved without the proof afforded by history,
and although much of this is known to the peo-
ple yet its connection with the subject before us,
requires that it should be repeated
lst. Then, it is known, that Virginia ceded to
the United States, all her territory north west
OF the Ohio river-that the North compensated
her liberality by prohibiting slavery therein, to
which the South was induced to submit by the
agreement that fugitive slaves should be celiv-
cred up on demand, and that this territory was
not to be divided into more than five free States,
Both these stipulatious have been grossly vio-
lated by the open disregard of our right to fu-
gitive slaves, and the reservation ofhe territory
of Minnesota for anoher,free State after five have
already been admitted
Cd Ii is also known that the Louisiana ter
ritory was next acquired, and that when the
State OF Missouri was organized therein, and
presented herself for admission into the Union
an opportunity was thus afforded for the North
to manifest her design to EN- 10y the power o,
the Federal Government TO abolish the instilu-
ton of slavery. At that time the free States had
majority OF two in the United State Senate
and the admission Of Missouri as n slave State
would have destroyed the preponderance of an
Ii slavery power in Congress, and hence the OBJ
position by the North to her admission A fierce
sectional struggle here ensued, which for long
time threatened the existence of the Govern.
ment and the generous and confidilg South to
the llulOu and b,r to
tracted country, surrendered her equal rights
and great constitutional principle by consent
ing to her exclusion from all the Louisiana ter
ritory north of SO. 30, and leaving her rights
south OF that line unprotected against the rava
ges Of that fanaticsm which has since converted
the Government of our fathers into an engine
OF oppression, and now has the impudence to
declare that submission to its outrages shall bt
enforced at the point Of the bayonet Twenty
years acquiescnce in the Missouri surrender, in
duced the South TO believe that it was to be q
permanent basis for the adjustment of all future
territorial difficulties But the folly of any re-
lance upon the good faith of the North, was
shown in her refusal TO assign as a reason for
the application Of the Wmot Proviso 10 the
Oregon territory, that the same lay north of the
Missouri line, and with the acknowledgement
that such prohibition was unnecessary to ex
clude slavery, for the mere purpose of insulting
and degrading theSouth by the wanton exercise
OF an unconstitutional power, Insisted upon it,
passage: and that too when she had lust befor,
urged the re-afhrmance of the Missouri surren
der, by demanding that the line of &C. 80 should
be run through the limits OF the 81 tie Of Texas
As All evidence of the designs of our eneme,
and the seeming consciousness of their ability tc
effect them, look at the contempt with which
they have lately treated our renonstrance against
further aggressiois AN our petition that South
ern honor and equality might be partially main
tanned, by allowing our people the privilege Of
carrying their property into sinll portion OF
the territory acquired by NOR than an equal share
OF their blood and treasure. Southern States
resolved in their Legislatures, Southern people
declared in the most solemn form in their prima-
ny meetings, and in the convention lately assem-.
bled ut Nashville, that all their rights in tho
common territory could never be surrendered
and yet the calculating, graspng North, encour
aged by divisions among ouselves, and the sup
port it could purchase from Southern traitors il
Congress, treated our resolves with scornful in
difference, and moved onward without the slight
est interruption in the consummation of its fou
purposes
81. The proposition that the territory lately
acquired from Mexico was the property of al
=, " .4"'h right, ms met Win unlVer
sai assent and upon this principle it has neve
been denied that the people of one State had a,
much right as the people of another to emigrat,
TO and ENJOY that territory as an incident o,
such right, the people of the South have insist
60 upon carrying with them their slave property
II the people of New York could 90 into hi,
TERRITORY with their sheep and spinning iennies
we OF Alabama could do SO with our mules and
negroes, and any legislation by the Mexican o,
American Congress which would admit the one
and exclude the other, would certainly be de
siruciive of this admitted right of equality. II
then. 1t can be established that the Souther,
people have been thus exclud ed, it follow
nnnvoldnbly that such legislation is dangerou,
unconstitutional and oppressive.
And the grossness Of the Outrage thus perpe
trated is the more palpable from the fact that i
the acquisition of this territory the South ex
pended more than half the blood and almos
tbree-fourths Of the treasure. The question
then to be decided, is have the Southern peopl
been thus excluded from the territory in ques
lion by any Mexican or Congressional legisla