Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-07-10


future aggression, and resistance in any form
is at an endss But have intimated that thi;
measure might. be adopted in a form which
will fail toEproduce the result which oul
friends predict. Let me explain what mean
If slayeryis abolished in the District o:
Columbia ats the present day, it will be done
with the copsent of the shareholders there
That speciesof property is becoming daily
more insecure, and of course less valuable
The facilities for abduction, the spread Of
Abolition doctrines, and the presence of some
8 or 9C0o free negroes, against 3 or 400C
slaves, ont Of a total population of $4,000
all combine; to render slave property there Of
very little yalue When the alternative is
presented to the people of the district of los.
ing their slaves altogether, or selling out even
at a reduced price, it is plain which course
they will adopt. The consent of the slave,
holder to sell will thus be easily obtained
and then thesright of Congress to purchase
will be the only remaining difficulty to be
overcome. Now, it must be remembered that
the general Power of Congress to abolish
slavery in thesDistrict of Columbia is still an
open question: Mr.. Clay, and his school Of
politicians, ifI understand them, admit the
power, but say that its exercise would be a
breach of faith to Virginia and Maryland
whilst they remained slaveholding States
and now, sincethe retrocession of Alexandria
to Virginia this objection would be narrowed
down, / presume, to breach Of faith to
Maryland al62e. If slavery, therefore, should
be abolished iifthe District of Columbia with
the consent ofsthe shareholders the question
then comes up:. Will the South unite in
dissolving thesUnion because Congress has
done, what, in33the Judgment Of the greatest
party leader-oS the day, and his numerous
followers; is only breach of faith to Mary
land? Will Maryland herself, with $4,000
free negroes toss9 900 slaves within her bor-
ders (for such.is the astounding fact dis
closed by the. .lSst ccnsus) be the first to raise
the banner ofgDisunion. Will Georgia do
so? Before her Convention met l would
have answeredthis question without an in
stant's hesitati6nin the affirmative. But the
action of that Convention has afforded ground
for very grayesand painful doubts on this
question.
Previously The nieeHng of that body it
expression on this subject By all the Southern
States to say if Congress should abolish
slavery in the District of Columbia, then &c.
This was the stereotyped formula of words
plain, distinct and unequivocal, which had
entered into the vocabulary of the whole
South in laying down their platform of re-
sistancc. But the Georgia Convention de-
libcrately, and upon consideration, abandoned
the use of these plain terms, which could
give rise to no dispute as to their true intent
and meaning, and adopted this mode of ex-
preston: "Tht the State of Georgia in
the Judgment of this Convention will and
ought to resist even Gas q last resort TO 4
disruption of every tic which binds her to the
Union. Any action of Congress upon the sub
jeet of slavery in the District Of Columbia,
or in places srbject to the jurisdiction Of
Congress, incompatible with the safety, the
domestic tranquility, the rights, and the honor
of the slaveholding States &c"
Now, Task, what does this change of phrase
ology mean? 1tnust mean something, or why
adopt it in preference to the other, which had
become rs familiar rs household words to the
whole South. Was it intended to leave
door open for new issue on this question? =?
'To abolish shrery" is simple idea easily
understood. 'Any action of Congress on
that subject Incompatible with the safety, the
domestic tranquility, the rights, and the
honor of the saveholding States" is very
complex proposition, and gives rise at once
to doubt and construction. This action on
the part of Georgia justiies, l repeat very
grave doubts as to the course she would pur-
sue if slavery should be abolished in the Dis
trict of Columbia with the consent of the
shareholders, O in any other way which it
might be argued was not incompatible with
the rights, hoIor safety and tranquility Of
the s. .th."
Let it never be forgotten that Virginia, in
1S47 and '4S, made the abolition Of the slave
trade in the Ditrict of Columbia, measure
which she wotd resist at "evcry hazard and
to the lust extremity" But, in ls4s, she
abandoned thii ground, and fell back upon
the abolition q the slave trade between the
States as her s'casus belli." When asking
how this change of position was justified, the
only reply lave received was this: awe
found we had aiken too high ground and we
abandoned itand took another position"
So fear it will be found that in ten years
from this timethe emancipation by Congress
of some two three thousand slaves in the
District of Columbia, with the consent of
their owners, involving, as many think, no
breach of the Constitution, but only breach
of faith to ingle State, which State may
be the first teexcusc it, is too high ground
to Justify the secession of any member of
this Confcderry.
repeat, Therefore, my deliberate opinions
that slavery yil not be abolished in the
District of Columbia in our day and genera
tion, or, if it i abolished, it will be done in
some way wfch will prevent united resis-
tance on the prt of the South.
The next nasures to which have refer
red, is the rcpal of the fugitive slave act. 1t
is matter ofnGnite surprise to me how any
close observe of our political affairs can for
moment suppose that this law will be re-
pealcd by thu next Congress, or for many
wears to come This is the only measure of
the Compronse whose repeal is threatened.
Some of thos, measures are, in fact, irrepeal-
able by Conges; they need no further help
from their frieRs, but can now take care OF
themselves. BIT the issue of repeal is dis
tinctIy made orthe fugitive slave law, and
though the effos of the Abolitionists may
be bold, open, ad vigorous, they cannot car
| ry majority o both Houses of Congress
| and the Presidat. The Administration and
all the advocats of the Compromise have
determined TO KEEP this law upon the Statute
/, Book. That ishe issue. Its execution is
another thiug. We all know it is practical