The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-15
rrogre.. Of submission and Aggression.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER Is, 1851
Progress Of Submission and Aggression.
In Is48-49 the Southern States were nnanin-
GUS in asserting their equal right with the North
ern, TO the new territory. In 1850, the Southern
delegation divided on the question of surrender
ing this right, but majority persisted in assert
ing it. la 1851, the Southern States we're as
unanimous in the sure uder, as they were in
lS4S-'49 in resolving that they never would sur
render In l848 the Northern States were
unanimous in resolving to grasp all the new ter
ritory. In l849-'50 they determined to abolish
the slave trade in this District besides And
now we behold the Southern States praying that
their conditional surrender by the compromise
may be accepted by the North, and the latter
spurning by successive elections the re ogntion
of any terms, but insisting on unconditional sub
mission.
The compromise was as great a blunder as
wrong 1t was based on gross ignorance of
human nature, as well as gross departure from
business could be stated by concessions---only
little short of their demands: whereas, all his
tory shows that their demands increase as they
are submitted to- The restitution OF fugtives
was the most trivial of all the tights of the
South involved in the controversy, and hence
was reserved in the capitulation to make show
of treaty. 1t would have been better for the
South to have retained her share Of California,
or to have preserved the territory Of Texas. 1t
would have been even better to have prevented
the abolition of slavery in the District-For the
right of recovering fugilives although of
little practical consequence or pccuniary value
to the SOUTH, is nevertheless the most odious to
Northern fanaticism of all the constitutional
provisions concerning slavery. The clause was
inserted in that instrument, when all the States,
but one, were slaveholding. But when in the
course of sixty years slavery was abolished, OF
excluded from fourteen of the States, and that
on account of general belief that it is wrong
it resulted that the people of these States could
not execute Fugitive slave law within their
own borders, without violating their convictions
of right 1t became inevitable, the refore, either
that the compact must be amended so as to cx-
onerate them from that clause, or they must Sc
cede from the Union, or they must violate the
Constitution. They have determined to resist
the law; and accordingly we have witnessed,
since the compromise was adopted Il more gen.
eral open, frequent and violent resistance to the
law, than this country ever witnessed before
We have seen men in every condition OF life, IN
the pulpit, the press, in court, and on the stump
proclaiming the duty of resistance to law, and
yet claiming and enjoying the benefits of the
compact which expressly provides for it. Suci
conjunction of fanaticism and fraud has seldom
been witnessed.
But the extent to which the sentiment ha
gone, is by no means realized In Pennsylva
mia the election viii n closed last evening, turne
principally on the maintenance and observanc
of this law. 1t was the principal topic of dis
cussion. Heretofore the Abolition party ha
been small one in that State. Now, through
this law, and particularly the recent outrage a
Christians, the sentiment of Abolition will b
developed in one of the great parties in th'
State-a party dependent on the Abolitionist
for success, and thus made their allies, defender
and friends. Whatever may be the result o
the vote, Pennsylvania is to-day ten times a
much of an Abolition State as ever before. Th
same thing is going on in New York. and tn
result i'll be the same for there also, an out
rage has occurred, in Syracuse, even more auda
cious than at Christiana-lnd in both cases thes
events will increase rather than diminish tn
strength of the party that Identifies itself wit
tie sentiment that prompted them.
But this is not all Scarcely was the com
promise consummated, when the banner of Abo
lition was publicly unfurled in Kentucky b
CAssIUs NJ. CLAY, and to the establishment o
the State, he received between three and fou
thousand votes for goyernor-enough TO deter
mine the balance of power in that State between
the two great parties, as in Ohio, New York
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and other States
Nay, more than all that: the Wings of Vir-
ginia have nominated Mr.. SUMMERS for Cover
nor, and he was one Of the most Jealous and in
temperate advocates of emancipation there, abou
twenty years ago. His speeches are now re
published, and although he has probably recant
ed or qualified the sentiments he then held, h
will extenuate, and to some degree ayow am
defend them. And SO will many of his party
We predict that the pending canvass in Virgins
will terminate in the devclopoment of more alb
olitionism than ever has been known there be
fore. a..
Such is the condition of the South.-Aboli-
ton invading her Northern ard Western borders.
and submission triumphant in her midst, and over
all her States but one--and this too when
at the North the last vestiges Of respect for her
rights, or faith in her power are crumblng into
the mighty torrent of invective and reproach
that rises against her higher and higher.
The Soil Of the south.
The October number of this invaluable agri.
cultural paper has appeared. We know of no.
thing in the whole range of publications more
worthy of universal patronage than such papers