Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-08-23
TEhPER AND TONE OF THE DIsUNIoNIsTs


gree never before paralleled in the United States,
unless by the same nearly identical party during
the Modification period twenty years ago.
We have before us the Charleston Mercury" Of
Thursday last, the organ of the Immediate Seces-
sioniss, a glance at the contents OF which will
give to the reader pretty accurate idea OF the
state Of feeling of the Revolutonsts of the feeble
ness of their cause as established by the character
of the appeals by which they are endeavoring to
exasperate their own party to deeds of violence
against the General Government, and Of the fierce
denunciations and threats by which they are seek
ing, apparently, to force upon the rational and dis
Greet Of their own party degrading submission
to the demands and behests of the Fire-eaters.
The first thing we meet with in this number
Of the Mercury Is siIu conclusion OF Speech
delivered at Edgefeld Courthouse, on the 7th of
July, by Hon. Francis w. PicKENs, lately a
Member of the Nashville Convention, and formerly
for some years Representative of the same dis
trict in Congress. This part Of the speech begins
with lamentation that VIRGINIA did not take
the lead in this matter" and that GEORGIA also
Stunned the snare which was set for her, as well
as VIRGINIA. "Those two States acting together,
them" says Mr.. PIcKENs, :" could have controlled
the South and DICTATED TERMS" They neglected
the glorious opportunity that was offered first to
one and then to the other, by SOUTH CAROLINA;
and hence, says Mr.. PIcKENs, "we must make
our own liberty" That "lberty," he argues, has
been wrested from SOUTH CAROLINA by the admis-
sion into the Union of CALIFORNIA upon the prin-
cple of the right Of any State, coming into the
Union, to do upon the basis of its own Constitu-
ton; principle which was first distinctly laid
down by South Carolina herself, at the instance
Of the bright and Godlike spirit as he is called
in an article in the same number of the " Mercury
to whom has been decreed by his native State
statue, in honor of this and other of his services
during long public life. The effect of the admis-
sion of the State Of California into the Union upon
this principle Mr.. PIcKENs describes and COM
ments upon in the following terms:
they put the citizens holding slaves certain States
under the ban of the Confedeacy they put the States
themselves by name, and the citizens citizens The Con-
stuon declares that the citizens Of each State shall be
entitled to all the privileges and mmunes Of citizens of the
several States And yet the Government openly that
the citizens Of near half the States Of this Union shall not be
allowed above certain line with the privileges Of their
property but shall dsposess themselves the most valuable
part of that property before they claim equality privi-
eges with the citizens of Ohio Massachusetts, They make
compromise line Of $50 30 when it suits them to seize half
the territory Of Louisiana and them instead Of carrying out
that line in good faith intended in spirit and sub
stance to the Pacific, when suits them seize territory be-
low it they do without and without shame.
"Where is their compromise Where is their pishted
faith Are to be crcumscribed at their pleasure Are
to be encrcled in great penenay walls by our masters
and our keepers
Mercifu God Are born slaves, born free
men Are the descendants of cavaliers the
their orefabers hang around them in their halls for
ever Do they dread to draw them because, forsoob
on Of Yankee shoemakers may let drive them with their
avis, nation of may threaten raise their shut
ties and spind!es "
After this explosion, which, if not characteristic
of the eloquence of its author-by whom it is evil
dent that this speech has been carefully written out
for publications. not without precedent the dis
tinguished orator goes on with an elaborate argu-
ment of several columns, intended to impress upon
his hearers the truth of the following proposition
Mr.. Chairman, the final result of all these mea-
sures is to abolish slavery in the States, or to
render it valueless, and thus to force those who
own them to abandon the country or perish in its
ruins"
Upon proposition so directly in the teeth no
only of the certainties which in his own mind
every man must admit-such, for example, as tha
slave property within the Union has never from
the year l776 to this day been fully protected
it is, and the improbability that it ever
be as securely protected as at present by any form
of separate State Governmental is hardly worth
while pursue, for the benefit of our readers (who
well understand the whole matter,) the train of ar
gument by which it is attempted to be supported.
From the remaining reading-matter of the " Mer.
curry" of Thursday we shall make only such brief
extracts as will, with little comment, other than
itaHcising few sentences, serve to illustrate the
quasi civil but really uncvil, war that is waged by
the Disun:on press in the city of Charleston, moi
only against the authorities of the General Govern
ment but also against their own neighbors who are
not as mad as they themselves.
mERcuRr
HE PLor THIcKEss-The planters Of James Island hav
been In the habit carrying their children For, Sum
Ter ior reeshment and recreatonts situation in the mds
the harbo making exceedingly airy and pleasant
On Tuesday the following incident took place gentleman
ofth highest especaby with his friend aud two or hre
children went over to the Fort and when the boat was with
in short distance OF the landing the sentinel on duty lower
ed bis musket and demanded whether ii was Govern
Such sngusge as this in argument against the CON