Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1851-01-25


pendent Safes pecular and most important ia
>iituiion had grown Up. l; had entwined is 'en
drills around every interest el ;he country wheg
It eIiHe1-had become essential o'ts prosperity
With the foundation Of ,he institution ;he ance,
tors of those now warmest 20 denaunce It w"r'
identified. Sauhrons saw that its abolition, nay
even It's mod fcation by other hands than then
own, might plunge them into all the horrors Of a
new and more terrible "serylle war While
cognzant OF ak this. they could see the vast IN
eterest which pesteri,y might have in this matter
how the Moth would gov daily in numerical
superiority over the South: how slaves would be.
come IN process OF time the chief source OF the
wealth OF their descendants, aHd how complex
and lmporan, would be TIER relations TO society.
They also saw how the seeds of lanaticism would
grew, how these germs would ripen into animos
4 lty. No wonder that they ucmb ed at the pros,
pect--thal.they demanded protection, Fortlnato.
ly they had 10 dc with statesmen Of enlarged aud
Saluary views. Those Northern men who at
that day ,epre,ened their Safes, could not only
perceive how reasonable il was that slavery at
the South should be guaranteed in the new govern.
peut bat also It's immense advantages 10 their
ewn constituency, Intent epon the formation OF
great empire, which should embody the Princi
piles for which they had fought, they were not vii
ling to yield great destiny to the demand OF
a false and basee-s philanthropy They well
knew that those who lived under the institution
we're not responsible for It's toun laon; and they
saw that its roots were deeply imbedded, that
TO tear it away must bring the ie blood from the
heart ollhe hew coniedera'y. They acted wise
lu nd IN, 4 Il. IL
South could ask. p two Constitutional proy,
SONS are necessary TO secure Southern rights up.
/ on this important questionable recognition Of
slocerg wbfre The people choose II, and the remedy
/ for tHgtire siares. BY the first, loleign nerie
renee IS prevented, and the whole control and
direction d the subject left where it'bclongs in
| the hands otthose who only are qualified to un,
derstand aud to direct it. BY the other, is avoid.
ed a series OF border intestine broiIs, with which
the existence Of Union would have saon become
Incompatible, We hold that the Constitution of
the Union does recognize slavery where il exists
But with the progress Of time spirit has arisen
and grown strong. which refuses TO make this
recognition. True, no effort has hera made to
attack this principle by abolishing slavery in our
midst; but every nerve has been strained to ex.
/
''o" r-sPerty Of L"'h No..L e..l sou'h AZ.
have allowed the plain dictates of reason to be
cIouded and obscured by lie himsest sophistry.
large portion OF our States have adopted and al.
low slavery The entire country becomes pos.
sessed Of new territory, to the acquisition of which
these slave states contribute mainly, The south
admits the right Of this new territory to choose
tor itself whether slavery shall or shall not exist
there. But the north insists, that while the ter
rto'y was partly acquired by southern men, is
partly owned by southern men, that they shall not
carry their property into their own land-land
which is theirs by The righl OF purchase. Thus
lit is rendered, il these view are carried ou,, sim
ply impossible for any new state eplcsentng the
southern interest ever 10 come into the Unon.--
( The equilibrium which alone can preserve the
Constitution is utterly destroyed, And to do this,
fragrant violations of the plainest rales of right
and wrong are committed 1t is said, "Iou may
become the inhabant OF this territory; nay, it is
yours, we cannot forbid il; but your property must
be left behind Amounting in effect TO the deca'
ration, lou may pay out your money to buy land,
You may pJur out your blood to conquer It, but it
is ours; and over il shall be extended only our pc.
culiar customs, our industry, our population:
yours have no part nor lot in the matter. Men
who would tamely submit to SO rapable usur-
patton, to SO great wrong, were unworthy 10 be
reemen. Yet such was the famous "Wilmot
Proviso." Nor was the course of the North in
regard 10 the provision for the recaptUre OF iUgl
tive slaves less open TO objection, Without this
provision no Constitution could ever have been
formed. Without it now every reasonable man
would acquiesce in the necessity Of Disunion,--
We consented for the sake OF our great object, to
accept Constitutional guarantee OF this north.
ern men have been well aware; yet the conduct
of many of them has been a series of efforts to
avoid fulfilling plain, simple provision OF the
Constitution Until the last session, Congress
has allowed this provision to remain practically
a dead letter. But even the few efforts which
have BEEN made to carry into ehectits object have
met resistance. Legislatures have passed laws
with the avowed integtion Of preventing the exc
cuton Of this clause OF the Constitution, where
every member had taken upon his conscience an
oath 10 defend and carry Out that Constitution
Judicial officers have forgotten the supreme law
the land, and been carried away by the rush of
preludces. Again in this important matter was
the South outraged, her rights denied her.
During the last session Of Congress it became
evident that no further inroads upon the con-tilu.
tional rights Of the south could be permitted -
Then when the Union was endangered, states.
men Of enlarged sentiments came forward to pre-
serve it. The history Of that struggle need not
be written. II is fresh in the minds Of all, Sui.
fee it to say, that the Patriotism Of the country
rallied against its adcasm. The couhict was
severe; for agtns, the Constitution were leagued
the enthusiasts OF the North and the ultras Of the
South. But there is sometimes a princ,i""'g, 81
of strength in government = "a men, "h'ch Is
only develoeoJ BY circumstances Of danger and
AL. So in our government has been found TO
exist tenacity heretofore sufficient to resist all
forces striving to draw it asunder. Our citizens
are thinking. rejecting men, and they have seen
1 the disadvantages which are inevitable upon a
di solution of the Union. majority OF them
have therefore always rallied to its support. SO
now, after every efoT; TO warp and perver ITS
principles, the Constitution prevailed. The Con.
gress acknowledged both the great sanctions
,phch are essential to cement together the Union