Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-06-05
EDGEFIELDs S. O., JUNE 5, 1851.

so to excite tnet PuDuc mlnu rs 10 DrlnB IL I
the point of decided action, if that body, wit
the consent Of masters, abolish slavery in til
District of Columbia because, rs the juri.
diction of the Federal Government over tn
ten miles squasa is aexclusive," it will b
alleged that iEs can exercise any authorit
within its limits which the Legislature of
State can oyersits people. If it abolish tn
slave trade between the States, the argumer
that Congressas eonstitutionally competen
to regulate commerce between them, an
that slaves, as Roperty, are embraced in tha
provision, willat least cause reflection an
hesitation on The part of those who have al
ready submitted tn greater outrages.-Practi
caly,. these unWarrantable measures, in sub
mission parlance, will infict no positive evil
on Georgia; atSany rate, the danger is to-
remote to hazard the consequences Of dis
solving this sgiofious Union" Utah ant
Mexico willabe admitted into the Confedera
cy as free States,,by means of the same arti
fees and-insultmg expedients which intro
duced California into, our political family
There will be en6 necessity formally to repea
the fugitive slase law. 1t is already en-
tombed. 80 sSgg -
For the reasons thus summarily assigned
it may safely bspredicted, that Georgia and
the advocates Of her policy have abandoned
all purpose offesisting by concerted or separ.
ate action, either present wrongs or probable
future aggressiois. -s
My second proposition is, that it is not ne
cessary for the e;Eederalt Government to CON-
NIT another Outrage, and that the mere ope.
ration of the S Compromise" measures must
sooner, or later, ,annihilate our domestic in
stitutions ;-c consequently, that unreasonable
delay by South Carolina is dangerous, and
ought to be avoided. l.. -.
California, now one State, will, in few
years, be dividedSnto three or four States.
Two new frees Estates will be established
within the Territory carved from the bosom
Utah and NewaaIexico, under cover of the
Wilmot Proyiso aag, manufactured, we shall
be solemnly assured, solely by their own peo-
pie, will very early ask to be numbered
among the sovereign States of the Union
tits already kn9wn that, by the census just
taken, the powerbf the North will be greatly
increased in Federal council.
The ordinary yc6urse of events, aided by
measures it is SO basy for Congress, without
creating alarm, tesadopt, may, and probably
will, at the next decade, exhibit to the South
the astounding spectacle Of forty-fve mem
bers of the Confaleracy, Of which only ff-
teen will be sla9eholding. ng.-This will insure
to the North tIo.thirds majority in Com
gress, or alumk Sufficient to amend the
Constitnti ilrse to alterI basis
Beaa ii enembra
day, 1.-The North5 after efforts artfully made
and zealously prosecuted, has q majority in
the Electoral College, and in the Senate and
House of Representatives.; in a word, that
the power and patronage of the Government
are under its control. Let4it also be kept
prominently in view, that the Central Gov
ernment is the interpreter of its own acts
that it has virtually nullifed the provision of
the Constitution in relation to amendments,
and that assisted by q fanatical public senti-
ment, it is aiming. by virtue OF power to
be possessed, or in obedience to an authority
which overrides the Federal Compact, forever
to dissolve the tenure which unites the mas
ter with the slave. 's
Having borne our condition of inferiority
for ten years, or until 1860, with. only an oc-
casional abullition of indignant feeling, Con-
gress, having stealthily advanced further on
the road of encroachment, but not so far as
to awaken serious suspicion, living, rs we
will have done, on the forbearance of a Gov
ernment which has already substituted inva-
sion for protection---broken in spirit, and so
accustomed to insult as to receive it without
emotion, we shall then be ready to bow sub
missiveIy to the edicts of our federal master.
The " Compromise measures" have been
insufficient to dissolve old party ties. Wings
and Democrats are. still engaged in strug.
gle for the ascendancy. The forfeiture Of
principle in contest between their respec.
tive States and the Federal Government, ii
seems, is too weak an instrument to over
come the power Of ancient political afinities
Had the two parties in the South, forgetting
existing feuds, consented 10 unite on the
common platform Of protection to Southern
rights, the aIgury would at least have been
favorable totheir preservation. But no such
glad tidings haye greeted the ear, the ins ant
tho outs are still ut war, and hope for the
future is annually becoming less certain
The Wings and portion of the Democrats
have indeed coalesced in q sister State, but
for what purpose? To. force the Sonth into
dishonorable and ruinous concession, tt
compel herto submit to federal legislation
SO revolving to South Carolina, that on tina
account merely, she may yet bid adieu for
ever to her copartners.
But othet events, tending to one calami
l tous result, rs well rs to the dissipation of al
hope of union in the South, must happen,
unreasonable delay be our policy.
Agitation will shortly recommence in Con
gress, and at the North, on plan better ar
ranged and more systematic and sweepin!
than the most vivid imagination is capable o
portraying. The effects on our homes of
bitter discussion, already too prolonged, il
which, on one side infammatory languag
will be used, and incendiary suggestions Of
fered, are too plain to be prominently pre-
sented to your notice. Unless speedily al
! rested, it may be that the. scenes of horro
" and devastation which the fendish ambitio
of an are is alone capable of conceivinG
;. will, at no remote period be attempted to b
realized somewhere in our Southern limits.
! Again, procrastination will give time t
! central authority to exert its whole power j
= greatly weakening, if not destroying the prt
sent impregnable positionwhich South Care
, lima now proudly occupies.
Itis historically true, tltatthe majority,
it be n decided one, is able at any time
distract and divide the leounsels of minor
ty. The. President of the United State
j welding the patronage of the Goycrnmcn