The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-03

proclaim his love of Union a. loud and a. long
as he pleases, but it will be like faith without
works-a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal
AS for compelling State 10 remain in the
Union by force, that's impossible. She may be
converted into conquered province, but that
dissolves the Union as effectually as her sepa-
ration 1t is to prefer extinction to separation
AS for Mr.. RHETT's speculations on the course
OF the federal government in case of secession,
we are unable to form definite opinion. We
have seen 30 much folly and infatuation in both
parties in Congress, that we are very far from
presuming that, in any controversy they would
act in q sensible manner General CAss, Judge
DOUGLAS, and others, have intimated their belief
in the absurdity and impracticability Of coer-
con. WEBSTER, CLAY, and FILLMORE, are de-
cidedIy for force. 1t would seem from this that
the Democratic party would be opposed to a
war on South Carolina--the Wings in favor of
it. But both are uncertain.
tB- The following, from the Albany STATE
Register, the organ of the New York compro-
misers, says that the North got "pretty much
every thing" by the adjustment Some of its
friends in the South claim it as a Southern vic
tory. Who is cheated, or cheating! These
two wings of the compromisers are as keen as
the two Yankee boys, who each made large
speculation by swapping clothes with one an
other. I
The compromise Is often defended because il
displeased the ultras on both sides, North and
South. That is true. 1t was so clumsiIy con-
trived as to offend equally the fanaticism of one
section and the reason of the other. 1t has aug
mented incalculably the discomfort of both Sec
tons, and ruined the fortunes of both the great
parties that combined to adopt it. Instead of
being compromise, it has cut like two-edged
sword--instead of being peace measure, it has
aggravated discord-instead of being Union
measure, it has scattered many Of the elements
of cohesion before existing.
The idea that the question of the extension
of slavery into the territory now free is still in
issue, continues to be delusively held out by
many papers and politicians 1t is an attempt
to deceive the people BY the admission of
California, the fixing of the Texas boundary, and
the organization of territorial governments for
New Mexico and Utah, and free-sol question
was finally disposed of, and we need not add,
that in the settlement the North gained pretty
much everything to freedom.
That being settled, the only slavery question
now being agitated is, whether slavery shall be
attacked in the States by stealing and enticing
away negroes and refusing to give them up, or
whether the Constitution shall be obeyed.
And now we assert without the fear of con-
tradiction, that the Wing party Of this State,
has never, by resolution or otherwise, sanctioned
the running away of slaves, or refusal to full
fl our constitutional obligations to give them
up. True, the approval of the Fugitive slave
law is no part of its creed, neither is opposition
to it. The doctrine promulgated by the head
of the party is that the law is to be obeyed
while it lasts, and continue till time and expert
ence demonstrate the necessity for amendment.
Time and experience have as yet shown no such
necessity Whenever they do, we 60 with the
President for a Qualification to prevent evasion
or abuse.