The southern press., 1851-04-10
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nons," WIS his motto. fLnsd spplenss.3
were better that ouSacivil rights should be stEne
down Ut once, than gradually sapped. Slavery
WAS delicate institution, which needs friend
ly government to guard aud protect It Hcould
not exist under hostile govefument
which was perpetually making attacks and In
roads upon it 1t must eventually fall before
these continued aggressions It were far better
to incur all the evils Of separation, than place
this institution under the control of those who
are opposed 10 it.
General Qnitman then referred to the Com
promise bill, ~ 1t was called. This measure
was the joint product and special hobby Of
Messrs. Clay, Webster. Cass, and his own neigh
Dor, Gen. Footc,---the three first were al known
to be hostile to slavery. 1t would therefore be
pretty fair to conclude, If, was pretended by
some, the South was the gamer by thu COM
promise, that Webster, Clay, and Cas-, had be-
come the dupes Of their learned friend, Gen.
Foote; he rather apprehended, however. that
majority Of folks would think that 4 was the
Alssssppian who had been hoodwinked by
these astute politicians. What was the COM
promise? Its leading feature was the enactment
of the Wilmot Proviso, and the exclusion OF the
South from the whole territory acquired by the
| Joint valor and services Of all the States. Not
an inch was left to them! And what was the
compensation for this immense cOncessionl The
! Fugitive slave bill And what was the ao-called
concession but an implied acknowledgment that
the North had heretofore failed in her duty un-
der. the Constitution. Re ent incidents would
illustrate the value of this cOncessioni He
would like to see with what face the advocates
of the co npromise would now come before the
people to justify their great measure. 1t be-
comes necessary, therefore, that the South should
rely upon itself-that our citizens should take
their protection in their own hands 1t would
not do to wait until their rights were struck
dowp,-their valued institutions overthrown;
they must meet the danger like men, on the
| threshold.
| In conclusion, he invoked them to see that
1 those who were foremost in defence Of the
rights of the South, were not borne down by
their enemies, and by those who were recreant
to their cause-to turn their artillery against
those who committed the aggressons on the
South, and not on their friends.
"As for myself, gentlemen" exclaimed Gen.
Quitman, with great emphasis, my position is
taken. l have endeavored to the utmost of my
ability, to defend the institutions of the South.
The documents which have gone forth embody
the views which should maintain to the last
moment of my existence-the sentiment by
which stand or fall t is this:
"Ihe Union, acih all our rights: If these
cannot be preserved, our rights om Of the Union"
| This sentiment was drank with three cheers,
and loud demonstrations of approval.
The NAVY OF THE United STATES at present
consists Of seventy-fve vessels, carrying two
thousand and eleven guns. These comprise
twelve ships Of the line, fourteen frigates, twen-
| ty-one soops of war, four briggs, five steamffig-
| ates, and ten steamships, of which three are of
the first class. The following, says the CONNER
cial Advertiser, is a list of commissioned and
warrant officers in the service:
| Captains, 68; commanders, 81; lieutenants, 327;
surgeons, 6S; passed assistant do, "a; assistant
do, Al; pursers, 63; chaplains, 20; profs mathe-
matcs, IL; masters In line of promotion, Ill;
passed midshipmen, 233; midshipmen, Ill; mas
iers, 10; second masters, 81 masters mates, boat
swans, 43; gunners, 46 carpenters, As; sail
makers, 81. Total, l347.
The officers of the marine corps are colonel L;
| general staff 4; lieutenant colonel l; majors 4;
captains 16; first lieutenants %; second euten-
ants 2l. Total 10.
| The colonel Of marines is brigader general bv
brevet; one Of the majors (Dulaney) a lieutenant
colonel; five OF the captains majors by brevet; ten
OF the first lIeutenans captains, and seven of the
| second lieutenants first lieutenants.
| The engineers in the service are-chief eng-
neers y; first assistants 4 second assistants II;
third assistants 35. Total, 68.
| The number Of permanent navy agents is elev-
| en-; temporary navy agents two; naval storekeep-
| ers eleven; naval storekeepers in charge of naval
stores Tor foreign squadrons two; engineer in chief
one; naval constructors seven; hemp inspectors
| two; agents for preservation live oak timber
| eleven.
| The vessels in the several squadrons corrected
from the latest returns received the department
were as follows:
| Home Squadron. F. A. Parker; steam
| frgate Saranac; sloops Albany and Decatur;
| steamers Water Witch rnd Viysn
| Pacific Squadron Com. c. S. McCauley: Frig-
| ates Savannah and Raritan; soops Vandalia,
Falmouth, Vincennes, and Warren; store ships
Supply and Southampton; steamer Massachu-
sets.
| Mediterranean Squadron. C. w. Morgan;
Race Independence; frigate Cumberland; steam
| frgate Mississippi.
Brasil Squadron Com. Isaac McKeever: frig-
ate Congress; sloops st. Louis and jamestown;
brig Banbridge.
soops Portsmouth, Germantown, John Adams,
and Dale; brigs Perry and Porpose
East India Squadron.--Com J. II. Aulick
| steam-frgate Susquehanna; sloops Saratoga and
Marion; brig Dolphin.
On the Lakes.-Steamer Michigan.
On Special Serrice.-- Frgate ST. Lawrence,
World Fair, London.
In Ordinary. - Ships of -the-line Columbus,
Ohio, Delaware, and Vermont. Frigates United
States, Constitution, Potomac, Brandywine and
Columbia, &c. OF the second class, Constella-
ton and Macedonian. Sleeps ofwar Fairfield,
Cyane, Levant, Plymouth, Decatur, an Preble.
Schooner Petrol. Steamers Fulton and Aiegha-
ny. Storeships Relief Lexington, and Fredonia.
Receiring Ships.-The Pennsylvania, Norfolk;
Franklin, Boston, North Carolina, New York;
Ontario, and Baltimore.
Preparing for Ssa.--Steamers Powhatan and
San Jacinto.
On the Stoeks.-Ships- -of-the-ne Alabama. NJ
Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Virginia, Bostons
New York; Norfolk; New Orleans, Sacketss Ffar-
Dor. Frigates Santee, Portsmouth, New Hamp-
shire Sabine, New York.
Tenders.-Steamers General Taylor, at Pensa-
| cola; Engineer, Norfolk John Hancock, Boston