The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-11

Al intervals. Il 10 an hour TO teach
Vain man his infigni6cancs and yet
Though al the elements in their might have met,
AT every pause comes ringing on nay ear
A stsrner musmur, and | seem to hear
The voice Of Silence. sounding from her throne
or darkness, mghtier than 1ll-but all alone.
BAaRr Cornwall.
letter from the Hon. WIN. Mcwrlis
WAsHIsoros, January 18th, 1861.
Editors of the Mississippian
Gentlemen,- ask my opinion as to the
course of action of the Abolitionists during the
present session of Congress. enclose you
paper containing the vote yesterday on memo
rial asking the repeal of the Fugitive slave BILL
You will see from the proceedings that ma
jonty Of the Northern votes given, were in favor
of the motion to suspend the rules, that the me-
mortal might be received and referred with in
structions TO report bill TO repeal the Fugitive
slave law.
This movement was not accompanied by any
unusual excitement: 1t went off about a. every
person might have expected--even AZ the Adolf
iionists desired. If they had their own way,
they would not, in my opinion, repeal the Fugi-
tive slave bill this session Of Congress, or even
during the next Congress. My belief il, that
we will not have much agitation Of the slavery
question in Congress for the next two or three
years. The agitation will be transferred to the
free States, for two reasons, if no more: one
will be, that the submissionists in the South
mny be enabled to point to Congress, and say
that the compromise has settled the slavery ques-
ton, and given peace to the country. And the
other is, that they may be enabled to ccncen-
trate and consolidate their power in the free
States, while the present excitement at the
Snufh IN aottliusy into o,,h, To
powers that be.
You will remember that when saw you in
the fall, expressed the same views-that is,
that tho North intended to administer their nos.
trums in broken doses; and that az they had
given us very heavy dose last session, they
would allow time for il to be worked of, with
Cruel and warm water to be administered to the
people BY the Southern submission quacks.
1t is possible that in the above views may
bs mistaken, and that the excitement in the free
States may get beyond the constraint Of the
more prudent managers of the abolition move
ment--and the next Congress may be brought
to act on this subject
You no doubt have seen some account of the
great Union party that was to be formed out of
the two old partics-the Wing and Democratic
This, a. national affair, has exploded; and at
the North you will hear but little if anything
now, Of it. In New York and many other Of
the Northern States, no sane Wing or Democrat
would for one moment entertain the proposition.
For such il the strength Of tie antislavery feel
ing, that national Union party--hostile 10 abb
clifton, or the Free-soil movement and hipher
law" enthusiastically be instantly crushed, by
the union of the Free-soilcrs, Abolitionists and
higher law Wings. In few of the Southern
States Qor instance, in Mississippi,) we may
have National Union party" for the purpose
of putting down the Democratic States rights
or resistance party. We may have national
Union party to instruct Us ia the doctrines Of
passive obedience, and non resistance; one that
will teach ~ to kiss the hand that smites us
and lead the public mind to the conviction, that
the King1or Congress) can do no wrong.
Igrestly fear that the union of the South is
to be matter of great difficulty, If not impos-
ability. am aware that the submissionsts have
laid down platform, and say that they will resist
ifitis violated. But the question 10, will they do
it, For instance, they say that they will re-
sist any serious modification, or the repeal Of the
Fugitive slave bill. fear this Is but an eva
sion. What il the Fugitive slave bill, compared
to the empire of which we were despoiled BY
the action of the last Congress! Or what ia /
in comparison with equality in the Union, anl
the power of selfprotection and government
OF which we were at the same time forever
robbed! for we never can again in any depart
ment of this government have even the power
Of self-defence. This declaration of resistance
to modification of the Fugitive slave bill, il
made in the face too of the fact that il il nullty
and never will be executed in more than three
or four Of the non-slsveholding States.
Our submission friends also tell US that they
will reSist the Wilmot Proviso. This il shutting
tho door Of the stable, after the horse Is stolen
The California Proviso and the Mexican provso,
were at the last session Of Congress put upon
all the territories, by the admission of California
with the slavery prohibition in her constitution,
and by the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of Texas by which
New Mexico il to be admitted Gas California has
already been) with slavery prohibition, thereby
completing the Gordon Of flee States around as,
and sealing Theoretically forever the territories
against US thereby making the Wilmot Proviso
an unnecessary absurdity fear that ace in
these things the foreshsdowing Of unconditional
submission on the part Of the South; it is also
Indicated in the fact that the cry Of "Union" has
been raised, and that the term il TO be substituted
for the objects it was Intended to attain. That
il domestic tranquility. justice and liberty
These are, and were, the objects Of the Union
but now they are lost sight Of There IL a union
between England and ireland. fear that fol
the future we arc to Be- the Ireland. also feal
the unconditional submtmion of the so-called
Union party from the fact that Mr.. Clay is the
acknowledged head and leader Of it-(and you
know the controlling influence he exercises over
his party friends)-and he has already in his
sreech before the Legislature of Kentucky, made
HE submission in advance, in the use Of the fol-
lowing language:
j would hold TO Il (the Union) il Congress
were TO usurp power--which am sure it new.
or wili-to abolish slavery within the States
Tor n he contingency Of such usurpstion We
shOnld b 10 better conditions ~ to slavery, bad
a. II wsujd be, in the Union. than ont Of the
Union" oa
Such arc The sentiments Of the great leader Of
The Geuthsrn submission party. VIII his party
friends fellow bin! II they DO. all 10 lost Ia
tho south, and che may make up her mind to
the worst that the Aboiidonists Gao in6ics upon
Der That is--hk emancipation Of all our slsres,