The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-08
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.
From the Mississippi Free Trader.
Gen. Felix Illusions speech al Lex
iRRtOD, MISS


He first argued that slavery was In no danger
from causes existing or originating in the Southern
States; that the negroes were cOntented and happy,
and that the master were not tainted with
abolitionsm. Whatever aboltionism amongst
us was Of Northern growth and yet all admitted
that slavery was in danger of being destroyed.
He believed that If the South submitted longer TO
Northern aggression, and If the present Southern
movement for independence was defeated, slavery
would cease by determination or abolition, IN
twelve years from this time it could not continue
more thnn two or three years after the census OF
1860; and this not from causes originating In the
saveholding States, and not in accordance with
the Constitution. M
All the dangers with which we are threatened,
all the insult and degradation which is heaped
upon US, and all the fears which we have for the
permanency of our property, arise from influences
aud causes extaneOus Of our own borders and OF
the Constitution.
If this is so, how can an intelligent and brave
people submit to such injustice, which will in
evitably destroy their property, and at the same
time sweep away their civil liberty and independ-
ence. ta
None of the dangers and ruin with which we
are threatened would exist If we were separated
from the Northern States. In that case, slavery
would be under our own control, and would de-
pend, for its permanent continuance, on our own
will, and we would be freed from continual ngita-
ton, and fear of aggression. and ultimate ruin
Out Of the Union, but one thing could abolish
slavery, and that would be the conquest Of the
Southern States That we must risk We were
three times more numerous and ten-fOld more |
wealthy than fathers at the commencement Of
the revolution. We were more numerous and far
more wealthy than Hungary, which successfully
resisted the arms of Austria and Russia, until be-
trayed by her generals; We had unbounded re-
sources, means of subsistence beyond any other
people, and, one hundred and fifty millions Of ex-
ports, and we could turn out sin hundred thousand
Fighting men, the best marksmen in the world. |
And, besides, we were united by common bond
of interest, and by the very wrongs and injuries
inflicted on us.
Gen. Huston then submitted that the only dan
ger to our property, out Of the Union, would be
from war, and that had no terrors for a brave and
gallant people. In the Union it was different,
and slavery would be abolished by means which
we, in the minority, had no power to control.
And he called the attention of his hearers to the
following synopsis, all of which, he stated, was
already threatened and acted on by our enemies.
THE DANGERS WHICH ENVIRON SLAVERY In THE
UNION. 4if
LIST. From the abolition feeling in the North,
which threatens its destruction, manifested fol-
lows: tt
2d.The exclusion of slavery from all the terrific
ries.
Sd. The abolition of slavery in the District of
Columbia, in the docks, navy yards, on the high
SEAS and in all places subject the legislation Of
Congress.
4ih The opening of diplomatic relations with
Hayti and Liberia
5th. The Ebony line.
9th. The prohibition of the slave trade between
the States.
It'll. Continual agitation, the formation of abo-
lition societies, the union of the churches against
slavery, and abduction of slaves from the border
slaveholdlng States.
9th Modification of the article Of the Constitu-
ton providing for the surrender Of fugitive slaves
9Th. Receiving negroes as citizens in the non
slaveholding States, and claiming for them the
rights OF citizens in the siavehol6'ng States, and
the right to hold Office under the General Govern
ment
10th. The colonization of Abolitionists in the
border savehodng States.
llth. The seduc;ions Of the General Govern
ment, which, by its wealth and patronage, brides
Southern members of Congress to betray their
constituents.
18th. Adverse legislation, ard throwing the
burthens Of Government on the productions and
labor of the South.
18th. The enormous and vastly increasing ex-
penditures Of Government.
18th. The expenses Of defences against the In
dians, exploring the country, surveying the Pa
cihc coast, erecting light houses, and supporting
territorial governments in countries from which
the South is excluded; which mays in the aggre-
gate, be set down at no less than twenty millions
of dollars per annum.
18th. The destruction Of the equilibrium of the
Government, as between the slaveholding and
non-slaveholding States.
18th. The present and increasing preponder-
ance Of the non-slaveholding States, numerically,
by vast foreign emigration, both by the Atlantic
and Pacific sea-boards, and also by removals from
the Southern States; and, as States, by the rapid
formation Of State governments out Of the terrific
ries, and division of States which are too large,
and to increase the majority in the Senate.
17th The danger Of losing the border slave
holding States
18TH The injury inflicted on us by opening the
way to white emigration, and closing it to slave
emigration
18TH The effect which crowding the negro race
on the cotton-g growing States will have.
Goth. The danger Of an opinion gaining ground
that slavery will soon end, and its runous effects
2lst. The danger OF the idea of Northern su-
perlority, and sympathy with the negro race, and
of Southern inferiority and cowardice, spreading
amongst our negroes, and rendering them dissa-
tisfed and rebellious.
22d. The danger of distrust Of our negroes
spreading amongst ourselves, and lending to ex-
termination.
23d. The withdrawal ofcapital from the South
ern States, desire to sell and emisrate deprecia-
ton Of property, general gloom aud depression
and ultimate ruin.
Oath. The annexation Of Canada.
25th. The doing away with the three-hfths ba-
sis of representation.
26,h. Propositions for government appropria-
tons, and various devices to forward the abolition
-~ztrr~-u-
ment of the Constitution. ----'-- ~ amend
2oth. The indulgence Of low, pitiful, slack
twisted, half put-up, i'll begotted conlemptible,
cowardy spirit, which, without the courage of
freemen, or brute instinct of seIcpreservation,
humbly lcks the hand of dominant Northern
majority, and cringes before Northern supremacy,
ann calls II the GLORIOUS Union"
The following estimates, made by Gen. Hus
ton, may tend to show the magnitude of some of
the dangers with which slavery is surrounded:
Inc population OF the United States is now
about tn enty-hve millions of which about nine
millions are in the slaveholding States.
Inc natural increase is about three per cent.
yenr.
The foreign emigration by the Atlantic and Pa
cihc sca-boards may be estimated al upwards of
hclf a million year.
In twelve years the entire population Of the
United States will be about forty millions of in
habitants. -"
In that time we may calculate on losing, a,
least, four OF the siavehodinU States