Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-08-02
Sound Sentiments.

Commodore Stockton delivered Grafton on
the fourth, fro1a which we make the following ex-
tracts. Unfortunately for the North she has too
few such men, who are bold enough to stem the
torrent of rabid fanateism and independent enough
u speak tie truth The only drawback to the ut
terance of such sentiments is as to the point of
time. Its now too late, we imagine, for them to
accomplish any good. We give them as Infinitely
more Southern than the staple of the articles we
find in the Union papers of the South
Our lot has been cast in pleasant places, but
we have fallen upon evil times. AT the North, a
fanaticism, the widest and most ndefcnsible that
ever swayed the passions of men, is at work to
strike down all that is valuable upon earth of hui
man liberty, in the vain and deusive expectation
of demonstrating upon its ruins some Utopian
system of beatifc bliss, and Of the equality OF the
white and black races of men. At the South the
watch fires of the revolution have been rekindled
in the preparation for the defence of their homes
and fresides Groaning under the pressure of
apprehended wrongs, and writhlng under the lash
OF constant and reiterated insults, the men of the
South arc preparing for war, IN the hope of-re-
dressing their wrongs, and ayenging their insults
by an appeal To- the sword. Every north wind
goes southward freighted with lbels and insults,
and every Southern breeze bears on its wings notes
of defiance and revenge. Thus two great prlnc-
pies, never before in the history of race re-
conciled or appeased but by blood, stand in hos
tile array to each other. Yet there are those who
say there is no danger of a confict-no danger of
the safety of the Union. With the thunders of
secession roaring along the Southern coast, and
the pillows of instruction breaking on the North
ern shores-sure presages of a storm-they tell
us there is no danger to the ship of State-that
the sky is clear and the sea is smooth But, fell
low-citzens be not lulled into fatal security by
these syren voices. Take heed-be warned by the
roaring thunder and the forked lghtning-that
this may be the calm which precedes the tornado
IA smooth and deceitful surface on the edge of a
cataract.
Fellow citizens, 1 dislike much to speak Of
the dissolution of the Union. l loathe the term
But it may despite of all efforts to avert
1t. Therefore it may be proper for me to say a
word err two in anticipation of such result and
for the purpose Of turning the attention of my fell
low citizens to the course which New jersey should
take under such circumstances. For one, if such
a calamity should occur, l hope that New Jersey,
following the dictates of duty, well as interest,
will unite for better or for worse, with those who
are willing to abide by and respect the compacts
of the Constitution. You may depend upon it that
reliance is to be placed upon the faith of those
who refuse to acknowledge the obligation of the
common compact of the present Union. If a dis
solution of the Union is inevitable. then | would
prefer that the lines of separation should be drawn
along the Hudson and the lakes rather than the Po
tomac and the Ohio [ have no doubt that in such
an event the North western States would unite
with New Jersey, Pennsylvania, aud the South.
The South is their common customer-there is
their market The republic so constituted would
have no natural repugnance to the spread of civil
cation and reformed religion over that portion of
the continent which seems now to be but imper
fectly subjected to their influence
1.-The position which would practically limit the
republic at the South, assumed by a great North
ern statesman, for whom have the most profound
regard, and whose virtues and patriotism are bet
ter known to no one than myself, cannot approve.
That position is assumed under the plausible idea
of limiting the area of slavery The assumption
that would not permit the admission of a State in
to the Union without restriction of slavery, is an
aggression on the South which finds no warrant in
the Constitution. We have as much right to say
that the population of State shall be all Protes
tants or all Catholics, to prescribe the kind Of
tabor to be employed by its people. We have as
much right to force slavery upon State as to in
terdict it. If the South shall obtain majority in
Congress, they would have as much right to intro
duce slavery into the free States as the North have
to force the Wilmot proviso upon new States
There is no such power in the Constitution. That
Incompatible production of human wisdom nowhere
gives authority to Congress to prescribe to an en-
igrant going to the public lands what kind of prop
erty he shall take with him, or what kind of prop
erty he shall not take with him. The attempts to
exercise any such authority can only be made in
virtue of latitudinarian construction of the Con-
stitution, which would invest the General Govern
ment with unlimited powers The paramount du-
ty of the small States consists in restraining the
General Government within its delegated limits.
Because, as soon as the National Government re-
fuses to recognise the obligations of the Constitu-
ton, the small States will only hold their sover-
eighties by the sufferance of their neighbors''
Gov. TrOun tn fol T.cLCon