Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-03-31
From HE Bgfin,ore American.
The South and the Compromise

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From HE Bofinore American.
The South and the Compromise.
The position of South Carolina in refer
ence to the sectional difficulties which have
SO seriously disturbed the national harmo-
ny, is not one that commits her to seces-
SION. The language of portion of the
press in that State, and of some leading
men, and Of some public meetings, has in
deed been at times violent and uncompro
missing; but the State herself has never
| through her Legislature or her Convention
made choice, even by implication, of that
desperate alternative designated by the
term Secession.
A correspondent OF the Charleston Mer-
curry quotes the language of the act calling
State Convention in South Carolina to
show that the members Of that body were
chosen for the purpose of consulting in the
first instance with the other slaveholding
States, and that the main object of this con-
sultation was to deliberate with a view to
arrest further aggressions and to restore
the constitutional rights of the South or
the rights of the South under tie Constitu-
| tion and inthe Union. If should be found
that this cannot be done, then other meas
ures might be devised; but what those 9th
err measures would be the State has never
announced, and to pursue any other specific
measure, beyond that of Convention for
consultation, she therefore does not stand
pledged. The Mercury's correspondent
adds:
ssSou,I CaroI,n, ,Jyoc.,o, ra.,-.,,,o
almost to man, and we are not prepared
to say that in no event will she secede a.
lone; nor do we desire that she should come
to any such determination. But we do
say that she does not stand pledged to go
out Of this Union by herself, and we
think that to adopt any such pledge at this
tune would be most unwise. Associated
as she is with other States equally aggriev-
ed and equally brave shall she assume to
disregard their counsels and precipitately
assume measures which may foil the very
ends she may aim att She has been coull-
sellcd, by the measures of her Southern
allies, to await yet longer. Shall she VEN
ture TO presume that, by disregarding this
counsel, she will gain their sympathiesl"
Hc tOlniNGIGilUu uCTc 10
South Carolina is associated with other
States equally aggrieved as herself and
equally brave is one that naturally presents
itself to any mind that reflects at all upon
this subject; and the inference follows quite
as naturally that while Georgia rDlains
quiet and while Alabama and Mississippi
are willing to abide by the Compromise
orl e. to-, 90, ,,-,,l,. ,L,r,, co,, h., M, -,,.
cial occasion of distress to South Carolina;
no peculiar cause of grievance which could
render it necessary for her TO take ground
different from that occupied by sister and
neighboring States having like interests
with herself and similar institution s. The
idea that by decisive course on ler part
prccipitating extreme measures she would
compel the other Southern States to go
with her, whether by force or sympathy or
by the apprehension of worse consequent
ces ifthey held back, is an idea which ought
not to have influence upon the action of
the considerable people of that State. 1t
points to desperate measures with the
doubtful support of a forlorn hope at the
best
No; the only strength which the cause of
secession can receive and hold at the South
is to come, if it should come at all, from the
dereliction of the North in the matter of
enforcing the laws and the Constitution,
with their guarantees Of the rights Of the
South. 1--WE are firmly convinced" says
the New York Journal of Commerce. that
the fear that the compromise may not be
maintained at the North fairly and square
ly, and consequently that separation is es-
sential to security, are at the root of the
whole difficulty even in South Carolina,
and that to be satisfied on that subject
would quell the whole disturbance. We
skpeak after careful investigation and in
curry, when we advance this position"
We are not of these who would urge
suggestions of intimidation to States or to
men, among whom courage abides and
nationality exists. Its not the fears of the
North that weshould appeal forthe prompt
and faithful performance of their part of
the recent compact-although the conse-
quences of failure in that behalf might be
appalling enou. h-but to their sense of
Justice, to their patriotism, to their regard
for the Union, the Constitution and the su-
prcmacy of the law. We here quote with
pleasure the language of the CONNECTICUT
Courant one of the ablest journals of New
England.
We are accused of havingchanged our
views upon the fugitive slave law. What
ever change may have passed over our
mind is change In common with a large
part Of the thinking community of New
England. At the first consideration of
that law, and looking at it unconnected
with any other measure, we disliked its
aspects, felt regret at the necessity of its
passage, and were disposed to believe that
it might be alteredor modified in some of
its details. This feeling was a universal
one. But when we saw how much its
execution was looked upon at the South
as criterion, of the sincerity of the North
in unfolding the compromise measures
and IN preserving the integrity of the I'm
ION, our views underwent a change. Be-
sides, it was the law of the land. Every
good citizenmust uphold the execution of
the laws, and waive all personal objections
while they continue such. What crime is
there in such achangel 1t was felt by the
whole community who loved the Union
equally bv mon of both the great parties I"