The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-29

Southern State. Mississippi, in this respect,
next to South Carolina, and hence these tw
States have manifested very properly the highes
degree Of resistance Of any Of the Souther
States. On the question of slavery, Virginia
not entitled to lead the South, MS events hav
shown, and as their condition shows.
| When the federal government in 1893 assumed
powers fatal to State rights, Virginia, as tn,
largest of the States, and having most at stake
was the proper leader of the opposition. Blu
on the question of slavery she is not, and W.
hope that the folly of conceding her the leader
ship, will never be committed again.
W- We find the following in the Republic
| of yesterday:
"TEACH US TO FEEL FOR OTHERS woEs"-
1t is not little singular that the good people OF
South Carolina, who have seldom or never lost
a slave, should make the most noise over the al
legged non-execution of the Fugitive slave law
They are resenting the wrongs of other people,
who are quite insensible to them. 1t has been
said that most men bear the misfortunes of 9TH
ers with great unanimity; with proper self-dis-
cipline the Palmetto Commonwealth might ar
rive at this happy state of mind in regard to the
wrongs of Maryland and Delaware.
1t is little odd, too, that the great central
champion of the Southern extremists should be
non-slaveholder, and preach resistance in the
garb of non-combatant. Such is the position
Of the Southern Press. 1t goes into daily par
oxysms over the idea Of ignOminious subinis-
sion" nothing will content it short of the d.
vision Of California by SO. 80, and the satisfac-
tory redress thereby of Southern indignity and
oppression 1t even reads lessons to our Deac,.
cratic contemporary of the Union about slavery
and Southern rights; and, in reply to one OF
them, we observe in the letter Journal a quiet
paragraph. which says SO much in few words
that We cannot omit to copy it:
"We are STAKEHOLDER oursslf, Of fiftv wears
experience, and we believe that the causes which
affect the value of this species of property must b
understood by us much better than thew can b,
by the editor Of the Southern Press, who neye
| owned slave, and probably never will But W,
can entertain no hope that our experience can b,
made useful to one who gravely asserts that tn,
Compromise plass the South out of the Union
| Now, there is certainly something practical il
this mode of argument: | have been slave
holder for fifty years. was born STAKEHOLDER
and shall probably die one-and can see no
thing to prevent me from acquiescing in tn.
compromise. You, on the other hand, who
never owned slave in your life, are exceedingly
distressed at the wrongs hav. suffered in re-
gard to my negroes, and teach secession from
the Union on my account" 1t is certainly ,
somewhat strong argument to the individual
perhaps rather too distinctly a personal appeal
But it is very much to the point.
We can inform the Republic, in the first place
that South Carolina has never be EN- distressed
at all about the Fugitive slave law, or fugitive
slaves. She has never been so stupid, SO sell
fish, or 30 abject, as to regard the issue between
the North and the South, as one of the value Of
few, or OF many, runaway negroes. She look,
upon the present controversy rs decisive of the
honor, of the equality, of the power, Of the safe
ty of the South.
AS for us, we don't 60 into parox ysms abou
any thing. 1t has been rather desperately as
serted and desired, but it is no such thing W.
have both cause and temper that preclude u.
from the temptation of intempenlnce 1t is
when we are tie most cool and cogent that the
vigor Of our conclusions and the desperation OF
our opponents dive them to the necessity OF
imputing that want of temper TO US they feel
themselves.
As for tho submission of shareholders to the
compromise, or of single slave holder like the
editor of the Union "of fifty years experience
which the Republic quotes ana exults in, it is
not near so strong case as might have been
cited. JAMES G. BIRNEY was n Shareholder OF
many years experience, and Of great number
of slaves. CAssIUs NJ. Clay is another. Yet
they are both Abolitionists. HENRY CLAY is q
! STAKEHOLDER gilmore than fifty years experience
All these men happen to have projects of amb
ton of more importance in their Imagination
than their property in slaves The editor o.
| the Washington Union already has largely in
vested in a metropolitan Democratic organ, NOR,
largely perhaps than he ever has in slaves, and
has larger interest, the refore, in the unity and
success of the great nat ional Democratic party
than in the future safety of his Tennessee slave
his party than in the equality or power of lhs
section.
AS for us, it is we'll known that we have neve
believed the Fugitive slave law could be exc
cuted--nor have We ever attempted to identif,
the continuance Of u ,e Union with the execu
ton of that law. We have neither been so sill,
nor SO disloyal. We knew il could not be exc
cuted generally--vye now know it cannot AM
we have no hest tation in saying, that if tn
South is willing tosurrender her territorial right:
her sectional go. uality, and her political power
by submitting to her territorial spoation, W
shall care very little about the loss Of propert
she may sustain, in the matter of runaway ne
groes.
We support her cause because we think sh
is right---because the fate Of the Constitution
society, civilization, and property are involved j
her fate. If she proves faithless to her trus
to her rights, to her character, and her cau.,
the loss of her fugitive negroes will sink int
contempt, in the calculation of her calamites.