The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-08

Union, having the majority, they will use that
majority in the destruction Of the Institution
II We give up the right of secession by our votes
in favor of those men at the South " no deny
the right, and daily apologising for the North,
and declaring what everybody knows TO be I'M
true-that the compromise was wise, liberal
and just" the question Is settled against us. II
the South intends To defend It's institutions, it
is high time to take the course of the North, and
some public men in the South into serious con.
sideration. The South must look at the allure
ments which are held out by the government to
corrupt her public men, which has already
reached her interest TO an alarming extent, many
of them not only yielding her rights, but openly
yihdicating her oppression. The advocates Of
the compromise say that the compromise il
T" wise, liberal and just''.. Good Heavens u
What wisdom is there in fraud and violence e.
What wisdom in excluding portion of the
States from an equality ofinterest in California
and hazarding the stability Of the government
thereby? What libcrality in the strong arm Of
the North, aided BY their official ay at the South
to stake all, for Gods sake" What justice is
there in the South being being excluded from
the ,ohoLs of a territory, which was won miiny
by Southern valor and Southern blood? " Wise,
liberal and just" indeed! Was it wise, for fear
the Wilmot proviso, for the President
to send agents to California to hurry into the
government the then territory with constitu-
ton forbidding slavery? Was it " wise. liberal
and just" to announce the existence Of the Mex
lean laws prohibiting slavery, by which an
nouncement the South was ,ecluded from en-
tering the territory? And, was it wise, lib
eral and just" for Congress to refuse to repeal the
Lar, q M ,,
What must mans feelings be, if Southern
man, who looks upon these measures of fraud,
corruption and violence, as wise, liberal and
just" they may be solacing to him, but his con-
stituents cannot be greatly comforted, unless it
be pleasure to them to lose their equality and
their property.
"Wise, liberal and justw We cannot argue
so plain case, but we will agree that we have
been put upon perfect equality, if the advocates
of the compromise, upon their own showing
that the Me1ican l1U prohibiting SLAVERY is of
force, can point to q single foot of that ter.
ritory on which a Southern man with his Prop
erty may safely tread. II we have any of the
territory open to US. beg that the advocates Of
the compromise will point it out. Where is it
Let them show it to US, or with shame retire
from the false position, and shrink rebuked from
the majesty ofinsulted truth.
Upon this question will not men be Influenced
by the truth and look at the substance of the
matters What, then, is the substance? II is
that the North has all! VINO can 90 to Cali.
forna? Nobody, with his slaves Who can
60 to the territories? Nobody, with their slaves,
for although never believed the Mexican law
was of force, and always knew that ridiculous
doctrine was announced by political men at the
Sou'h for party purposes, yet, unfortunately,
they succeeded in alarming the South, and pre-
venting emigration to the territories, and the
effect upon the Southern mind and Southern
emigration is the same as il the law was in ex-
istence. No man dares risk his negroes in those
territories after the effort, North as well as
South, to fix upon the public mind the existence
of the Mexican law and the South is thereby a.
effectualy excluded as if the law existed, or the
Wilmot Proviso had been passed by Congress
II this doctrine had not been advanced against
the Clayton compromise, thousands of Geor-
gians would have been in California and the
territories, reaping their equal benefits from the
gold mines. Men, who are In favor Of the COM
promise, assert the existence Of the law, which
Congress refused to repeal. What have we
thenf We have not even what was satisfac-
tory, last year, to large number of our citi.
sens-" the best we can getp' We have gained
uo'uue Obs oue gay tiO euppOTtcfS the
wise, liberal, and just compromise we have
the Fugitive-slave bill. Indeed! have you
And what is it compared to the Constitution
which declares that escaping slaves shall be
delivered up The Constitution Is certainly
stronger than any act of Congress. Z The Fugi-
tive-slave law il nothing, even il il were exc.
cuted, as the Constitution is stronger, for il
commands all officers of all courts, whether
State or federal. The Fugitive-slave bill it,
therefore, nothing, rs it could add no force Ia
The Constitution. Now, what have we gained
in the territories that we fought and bled for
Nothing! What have we gained in the way oil
recovering escaping slaves! NothinQl And
vet the compromise is wise, liberal, and Just p
Oh, shame
Our object Is TO preserve the Constitution in.
violate, and maintain the government pure, a. il
was created. This cannot be done but by a
union Of the people Of all parties upon the truth
Let us not hide from it, or conceal u from Others
to advance party ends, or the ambitious preten
sions Of men who will sacrifice the interests o.
their State 10 obtain of6ce from the United
Ststes government Let Us all preserve our ele
walton upon patriotic platform, and persuade
party ridden people that in too great devotion Il
rarty, our country may be lost The truth mus
have its proper influence IL IL be known TO In,
people, and if they would give little attention
to passing events, they must see that unless tn
people Of the North, and the government o
the United Statos manifest n better temper TO
wards our shave institutions, that collision mus
occur. Georgia, astray under an alarming anC
dangerous influence, may tanely submit to in
creased and repeated aggressions, but we hav
the best reason for believing, that South Carolin
will interpose her sovereignty for her own pro
lection, and those who blame her must show
that she has no cause Of complaint, or they can
not justify their censures. If we choose TO pu
up with oppression and marked degradation, j
is no reason for her following our ingloriou
example. She has the RIGHT tn judge for her
self; and unless soae Of the other sovereign
States, by their votes, maintain the right Of sc
cession, L is most probable that she viii put tn
government 10 the test Of reducing a sovereign
State to subsection. II the Southern State
were to assert the right Of secession, IL woul,
put an end TO all the threatened collisions, 70
the government and the people Of the Nortl
would appreciate the necessity Of abandoninl