The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-06-11
The Effects of Delay.

ho'i iuItiler contlnuanCc 81 this Union
we are IN minority IN a government which
is every year becoming more powerful and
more hostile TO slavery, and from which,
therefore, it would be worse Than idle to ex-
pcct the furlhcrunce Of tho interests Of the
save States. Ii is certain that no territory
hereafter acquired will be opened to slave
ry. II Mexico, tired Of alternate anarchy
and tyranny, shall seek peace and pro,cc.
ton for life and property by becoming a
par, OF this Republic, no STAKEHOLDER will
be permitted TO carry his property into
those rich valleys and oxhausllcss mines.
II was less probable, six years ago, that We
should now have California as n sister
State, than that, before ten years, the
West India Islands and the whole of Cen
trail America will Lc comprised in this Con-
lederacy. VIII any reasonable man risk
his reputation on the assertion that this
government will permit slavery to extend
itself over any portion Of this territory =
When there were Is slave. to Is free
States, the political power was in the free
States and the South was injuriously treat
cd and degraded by the acts of Government:
her own sons perceived the advantages OF
| being untrue TO her, and her enemies the
security with which they could make ng
grcssions upon her. When there shall be
| thirty or forty an,i.slavcry, 10 ten ar twelve
slave States, what norc can the South hone
10 be than an humble submissive depend
ency, thankful, not for prosperity and sccu-
rlly, bu; for mere permission to drag out
her abJcct existence during few wrc,ched
years. Some Of her sons use her now as
a mere lootstool 10 reach National honors
then, thongh they will prey upon her with
out cc:mpnnc.ion, they will feel it disgrace
to be known as Sou,herners Ctivalry,
independence, Sovereignty, are terms that
will never be thought of in connection
with any slave State. 1t was this coming
degradation that SO oppressed the mind Of
lAlr. CALHOUN during his last hours, while
iFyet Cafhss..sa was t5.TnM'y afiu 1t was
possible for the South to maintain the
equilibrium Of the Government. But his
warning voice was not needed and the
South initiated her own destruction Now
behold us hcmmed in on the West and
South, while our border on the North is
drawing higher; and concurrent with this
| retrogrcsSion is the exhibition by the bor-
der States Of a loss of interest in the qucs-
ton. They are almost willing now to join
with tho North in attacks upon slavery in
a few years they Will be our nearest enc
mics. But what is more ominons than all
is the aimnution Of moral power Of the
! South. At least one the States, in which
slavery mus, exist while it exists ut all, has
seemed TO have lost the spnit of resistance
! to aggrcssions, and there are many in all
! paris OF the South who, observing the want
OF unanimity Of the Southern people and
| knowing that his institution is opposed to
the sentiments OF the greater part of the
civilized world, feel powcrlcss, aud, in dcs.
pair Of sustaining il, are inclined 20 cease
all agitation on the subject. The South
has hitherto, with regard TO general nation
nj affairs. maintained something like equal
ity OF position in the Union. Though tar
ifs have been imposed ana appropriations
made at her expense und chiefly for North.
crn benefit, yc. tic great parties have divi.
ded her as they have done The North. and
wc have had Southern Presidents, Cabinets
and Generals, who gained their stations
wiitolt d.shonor to themselves or injury to
their section. Ru, i, is easy to see that we
will soon have no influence in the councils
OF the nation. or in the administration Of gov
crnn.cnt, which is not Obtained by surrcn
der Of, or silence concerning, Southern in
tercsts in fact the great c!ii,cs of the Un-
ion viii be bu! so many bribcs to trcach herv
FoorE sod himself and the South for a
chance for the Vice Presidency, and vet
has a strong party at his command in Mis-.
sissppi.
Now, if we Should desire to avert this ca
'amitous state Of things, shall we delay to
act' Delay will rid the now border States
of their slaves, which wn will buy aud pay
for, as we did for the saves Of the North
they will then turn against us, as did the
North. The cause of slavery will then
have fewer supporters and will he threat.
ened with greater dangers and the NUN.
her OF Southern men, who arc hopeless o
sustaining il, will be greater, while ,hcil
fears will infect tie rest. More inllucn,ia
men will he brought up by Government
) possessing so many great posts and fifty
millions of revenue !: and besides, .hcrt
will be general depression Of spirit, re-
, suIting from tho weak, degraded condition
of tho South in the Union. VIII not delay
then, unfit the South for resistance, and i
South Carolina rcirains from action vii
not the rcst OF the South hold back also
until the progress of time, perhaps cvcl
ten yrars, shall produce this state Of things
and il shall be forever too late We fca