The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-04
The Rcpublic's Parallel.

lei columns some extracts from the SouiAe, n
Press and Nationa! Era, both condemnatory of
Mr.. CLAy's project for gradual ncipation--
prefaced by the following remarks
ExrREMxs nEEr.-- We observe that the Southern
lrsss, the organ Of the Dsunionists. and the NJ
tionsi Ere, the organ ofthe AboitoDists, are both
assa'ling Mr. CLAv for the sentiments expressed
by him q the last meeting Of the Colonization So
ciety IN this city. They are both opposed to the
Colonization scheme; the Preu because it will
promote emancpaton--the Err because it will re-
lard emancipation, BY the removal Of the free
blacks. The Pres il opposed to ensting the aid
OF The Government, and to holding out induce
ments TO the Shareholders to emancipate their
slaves for this purpose. The Era 10 opposed to
establishing a |" safeguard for slavery" by :" car
rying 10 Africa the free blacks, who constitute the
chief source Of disturbance aud danger to slave
ry." We append ia parallel columns portion Of
the editorial comments Of these two journals on
this subject:
Now the confusion Of ideas and the want of
Logical sequence displayed in these few remarks,
are indeed lamcntablc. With IN air as trium-
phant N that Of . Jack Horncr' on a memorable
occasion, the editor
Puts ia his thumb,
Pulls out plum,
And says wtat good boy am !!
aExtremss meetw behold the aorgan of the
Disunionists" and the organ Of the Abolition
lists" both assailing Mr. CLAy's scheme, the one
urging that It will promote emancipation, the
other that it will retard abolitionism and
incapable of comprehending how both objcc-
tons may be valid, the pur-bIind CLAY cham
pion chuckles over this "meetng Of extremes
Now, had the editor Of the Republic only read
the whole of our editorial, from which he has
scissorized portion-or having read it, only
possessed sufficient candor or courage to lay
before his readers that portion Of it which ex-
plains the reason why Mr.. CLAY, the gradual
Abolifionisf, could not at present obtain the nc
tive cooperation Of GIDDINGs and the immedi-
ate AJoilionisis,he would have spoiled his pretty
pay-thing Of parallel altogether. I" Thankful
however, for tho smallest favors.' we acknowl-
edge our indebtedness to him for giving his
readers ray Of light even through SO small a
chink iE his columns-for the organs are exceed
ingly shy of reproducing our arguments in our
own words, while we rejoice in showing up
theirs, shivering in the rags which they are orig
iually srrayed in. Had it only reproduced the
following paragraph from the same editorial, it
would have shown that the extremes" instead Of
meeting, run off precisely on opposite tracks
and that both are consistent to their avowed
principles and purposes, in opposing the projects
of Mr.. CLAY.
Here is the paragraph which the Republic
should reproduce, as proper pendent to that
already given. Speaking Of Mr.. CLAWS speech
thu Press goes on to say
The language Of Mr.. CLAY is so clear and ex
plicit to need no commentary. II is not our
purpose, at present, TO expose the sOphstres and
fallaces with which he seeks to sustain his posi-
ton. Our object is merely to present extracts
from his address to prove that we have correctly
indicated that positIon-italicIsing certain pas
sages to invite attention to the admissions they
contain. In the very outset of his remarks he
thus unfolds his plan of prospeeiue abolition. The
differences between the plans Of the Abolitionists
and colonizationisls as stated by Mr.. CLAY, 10
this: The former insist on the sudden and violent
extirpation of savery--,he latter advocate gradu
al and painless extinction. With the full knowl-
edge now on the part of the Southern people, that
the power, the prosperity, and the existence of
the Southern States, rest, on this institution as
the foundation Of ALL The choice is an agreeable,
and az benevolent, as that accorded to privileged
malefactors Of old, 10 designate the mode IN which
they preferred to perish-by gibbet, axe, or
ball.
The extracts given from his own speech prove
concusively these two things:
LIST. That in his ultimate objects he goes a
bowshot beyond GIDDrNGs and the fanatical
Abolitionists, who seek only the abolitioIr-of
slavery, and not the expectation of those slaves
and their descendants at public expense; and,
Cd That another difference between Mr..
Clay and those Abolitionists, is question
Of time. He having failed in his own State
to secure immediate emancipation, has changed
his tactics-abandoned the storming party, and
joined the corps of sappers and miners The
Abolitonists, of whom the Era is the organ,
believe the South TO be SO submissive and
broken-spirited by their recent trumphs over
her. that her people will submit to spoliation of
any kind. Consequently, the Era repudates
this watch-and-wait policy-it belongs to the
class that Mr.. Clay so pathetically beseeches to
reAtrain their aimpa'ierce," and wait for the
good time-a-coming.
we deem proper and general understand
ing Of this matter so important, that we venture
to reproduce the portion of Mr.. Gays remarks
in which his purposes and policy are fully re-
vealed. lie is for leaving emancipation TO
"naturol causes"-having been convinced by his
failure TO secure emancipationip Kentucky, that
slavery cannot be abolished by "law"-whe,
with striking consistency, advocating the inter
position Of Government to effect that object in
directly. His language is as follows
But this isnot all mean. / believe, and I have
al much confidence in the belief as have in my
existence, that the day will come--distant, very
far, perhaps, from the present time--but the da v
when, by voluntary emancipation and the acts Of in
aridwais and Saiss Themselves without ususpafion Of
poscer BY the General Government, there viii be end
10 siscery Slavery may be terminated in different
modes. II may by law; 1t may by the sword; it
may by the operation Of natural causes; but IL Is
by the operation Of natsrnI causes to rhieh look for
its ultimate extinction. As to the sword, nobody.
trust, will think of the employment of that to