The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-07-23
" Gou-aaru our Jlattoe Na,1p."


] tOr tnat purpose! NOW the answers
to these questions must of course be
wholly conjectural. l doubt very
much if the Cabinet itself is prepared
to answer them without qualification.
Events must control the jud dgments
and the actions of all men. But still
it is wise and proper, with the lights
before US, to enGeavor to ascertain
what are the probabilities that be III
our path. No issue would ever be
brought to an arbitramcnt, if each
party waited to know, with certainty,
the plan Of his adversary's operation.
Whether the administration may
think it possesses the right and the
power to cocrce seeding State or
not. cannot pretend to say. We
all know it did not think that it had
sufficient power to coercc a Boston
mob, and asked for more, but did
not obtain it. Now. 1 do not intend
to speak in terms Of disrcspect of the
Administration, or to excite unfound-
ed prejudiccs. Our cause is not to
be strengthened Ly throwing dirt at
any one. 1t spurns the aid of such
missiles. Let them be used by those
who havc a taste for them. But
in speaking of those who now WELD
the power of this Government, and
their friends, we must speak Of them
according to their known opinions,
principles and conduct. The school
Of politicians to which the Admins.
tration belongs is the school of con.
soldationists. It's most prominent
members are thoroughly an,i.slavery
in their feelings, their principles and
their policy. The President believes
that Congress has the power not only
TO abolish slavery i'll the District of
Columbia, but also the slave trade
between the States, and that this
power ought to be exercised, at what
he calls q proper time. His opinions
are on record, and will be found to
be extreme on this subject. Mr..
Webster believes slavery to be an
evil, and regrets exceedingly that
it exists in the Southern States;" and
whi.sr re admits that Congress has
no power to act upon it there, still
he suggests, to use his own words,
"that in the dispcnsation of Proyi.
dencc some remedy for this evil may
occur or may be hoped for hereafter.
The truth is, that both the President
and Mr.. Webster, like many other
advocates of the compromise, are re-
sponsible for much of .hat very ag
itation they are seeking to quell.
They have sown broadcast anti.s!a-
very doctrines in the Northern
mind, and now behold the fruit.
"Ihc engineers have been hoisted by
their own pctard." The Pope
taught rcpublicanism at Rome, and
rcpubllcanism drove him from the
Vatican. Mr.. Webster taught
anti.s!ayery in Boston, and anti
slavery drove him from Fancuil
Hall. French bayonets opened the
way for the return Of his Holiness.
Federal bayonets opened the way for
the coming Of the compromise.
Trained, then, in the school of the
consolidatlonists, having as little re-
spcct in principle for the secession of
a State as the scdition of a mob, with
all their feelings and opinions opposed
70 that institution on which rest our
happiness ana prosperity, and which
no minister of State has any right to
dcnouncc rs an "cyil'' of such mar.
nitndc as to call for "rcmcdy" at
the hands Of "Divinc Providence"
with such feelings and opinions as
these, say, ii is altogether probable
that the Administration, urged on too
by "thc power behind the throne,
greater than the throne ITSELF" will
be disposed to cocrce South Carolina.
The cNtirpation of the "pcstilcnt
hercsy" Of secession, the suhju cation
of Il slave State, out Of which,
through the "dispcnsation cf Prov.
dcncc," the extinction Of slavery
may be hoped for, arc triumphs to
tempt the ambition of better men
than live in these degenerate days.
In such crusade it is not difficult to
torcscc that an army with many ban
ners might soon be enlisted; but what
fruits would victory bring to them.
The Administration would be compel
led to say to their allies, like Phyrrus
OF old: "Such another victory, and
we must 60 home alone!" But it
may be asked: Is The power to
cocrce q sovereign State so clear
that the cabinet will feel authorized
to exert it on their own responsibility?
Are there not such grave doubts on
the subjects as to make them pause
before proceeding to such an ex.
trcnc? | have already said that the
Cabinet belong to the school of the
consolidationists. They deny the SOW
crciuntv Of tho Sfatpa. fhev cnnfnnd |