Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1851-01-25
CoLyMBvs MssIsSpPl lAN0ARY % 1881.
From a. Washington Tsios.
OUR POSITION,

From a. Wassigg,aa Csion.
OUR POSITION,
We have had ocessiou very often TO reeur 10
the peculiar pJ.ir'ea in which we ind ourselves
placed before the country. We hope that We
have given abundant earnest of faithful desire
" serve eur lrh0lc country in a sp,rit 81 broad
Md comprehensive devotion 10 The Constitution
and the Union of our fathers. The " Union Of
he States and the Righis Of The States have
been the platform on which we have stood and
baued all our life. This was the platform Of
Mr. Jefferson and Mr.. Madison, and all the ear
~ democratic republicans and to the extent of
our humble power we have given to il constant
and siaccre support at all times and in all emer.
gencies. We have ever regarded he perpeuy
Of the Union as the great end to tie attained, aud
The preservation Of the rights OF the States as
r. ethcient means Of securing it, The strength
'ol the UnioG consists in maina ming the proper
equilibrium OF power between it aud the States,
This is the corner stone ot the Constitution, and
il is safe SO long as ,Sai foundation remains I'M
moved. H@ce, we have always con'ended
slrenuously for the strict observance OF the exact
boundary OF authority between them. One can.
not be upheld or eIhalted at the expense Of the
other; united they must stand; divided, they
must tall. The recent abolition Ws.tare has
spread Tar and vice. aud has not only IN Is evil
consequences, threatened the dissolution of TIE
Union, but il has weakened, il il has not almost
destroyed, in manY instances, the cohesion Of
political parties, the ties o' social feeling, aud
the brotherhood Of American citizenship. For
lunstely such sent ments are confined, IN great
measure, TO mere factions, aud heated sectares
bat they have been enabled, by industry and
zeal, To infect society in all quarters with some
portion OF their own illiheral aud degenerate
feelings. The manifestations Of these symptoms
are too apparent TO be overlooked. and it not
checked aud arrested, we need no ghost To
emerge from the tomb to tell Us in what they
must inevitably end,
Darug this war Of elements ard shock of
principles. we have sought to stand erect and un-
terrihcd--to follow the standard of the Consu
ton wherever il flosttd--o strike with lis friends,
and against its foes. In such conflict, no hon
est man can hope to escape ccnsurr, 1t he do
not encounter csumny, We have been, and
arc still, prepared Tor both.
"Come one-comc ALL
Where our duty calls us, we shall be tooUd.-~
We do not belong 10 the rear guard or 10 the
skulkers. We may be charged again, as we
have been already, by violent uIfyds with apes
tdcy and desertion Of fAe rights of the South
''o" ""' ""H" such an allegation are not TO be
reasoned with. They have surrendered their
reason, II they ever had an,, . u III ..i.
dance Of the passions and We shall treat them
as we would other madmen--iet them pass quiet,
ly by, or wish them safely in a straight packet
Tor the security Of their friends There is an.
other class Of ,riSedcrcJ al the North, who affect
to know all things abont all men little sooner
and more accurately than they do themselves
who have discovered that we belong body and
SOUL to the South--hat we are ready TO peril
the Constitution and the Union for her benefit
and though al Washington, that we cannot see
beyond the precincts OF the State Of Virginia.
Doubtless we have been recently sailed on by
our sense Of duty to repel assaults upon those OF
any other section, and Tor the very obvious rea-
son that they alone have been assailed and leo>
parded. Similar assaults upon other sections
would have found in us as determined antago-
nists. To the imprisoned ultra men we are
"apos'ates;' TO the abolition fanatics and their
demagogue retaincrs. we are running "a muck"
At "hUman freedom" with the most unmtigaled
lIoispur of the South. We have been elevated
to the dignity Of "agitators," sectional organ"
provincial politicians" without reference to the
absurd Inconsistency Of these different impHla
tons. All cannot be tTue--al may be hlse
and we confess we feel degree Of proud salts
faction, Of which nothing shall deprive as, when
we look back on our course. Wo have not
written
"a word that, dying, we would wish to blot"
What we have thought and said are upon re.
cord. Should anght that We have done, or writ.
ten ever be dug up by friend or toe IN the future,
there is not an act Or u sentiment AT which we
or our children shall ever have occ iSion to blush.
We have sustained the federal constitution as
the property OF the whole country. We regard
ine Union MS one Of the greatest safeguards OF
our liberty; and the rights Of the States, so far
as they have not been transferred to the federal
government, we regard in their proper sphere
as completing the circle OF our rights aud
our felicity 10 these great objects we
have dedicated our l4bors, and we rejoice in
The hope that we have not Iabored in vain. We
shall not complain a. the injustice done to US, or
at the quenlous and quibbling splrit Of our de-
tractors. We have lived long enough to see gen
cralions of such vain and egolistIcaI assatianls
swept successfully into oblivion. They pass BY
US like swums OF hungry gnals, that hum for an
instant, annoy with their petty sting, aad perish
We do not expect our days are destined TO be
very many on the earth, bot they must he brie
indeed if they do not far ouIlasI The ephemerai
importance Of our traducers. Their names will
soon rest with those OF similar bIu.Iering pairl-
OTIS ~bere It VIII require a louder trump than
that Of fame to summon them from their dread
abode" Of OF security. To this fit receptacle hey
are fastening, and We are not inclined TO divert
their course, or write their epitaph.
Whatever may be the final issue Of the abo.
lition agitation that has Of late shaken the pillars
Of the Union, these lriillng dlsnibers Of the
peace, TO whom we have alluded, on all Sides
will soon vanish from the scene. Like the slraws
that dance along as boralds Of the approaching
storm, they may betoken lis advance, and ind
cate its directions; but when tbs hour for action
&c "a al thau will ia last in the