The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-23

WASHINGTON CITY.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL %. 1851.
The Union of YESTERDAY, says !:

Union If our neighbor is right there is 10
Democratic par y. All that is left of this once
powerful denomination of people, is the tribe
called seceders, of which Messrs. CHEEvEs and
RHETr of South Carolina, are the chiefs and ii
is certain that these, like the remnants Of the
abOrigines Of the land, are fast disappearing
melting awayr rs the snow before the heat Of the
summers sun. So sad u picture deeply affects
us. 1t recalls to our recollection scene that
we witnessed here in the winter of 1924, when
PUsH-MA.rA-HA the warrior and chief OF the
Choctaws) was on his death bed. He sent for
his friend and companion-in-arms,G General JACK
SON, and taking him by the hand, expired as he
uttered these mournful words: My friend, zoe
haze fought together for our great Father. My
people hare l their homes 10 make room for yours.
When / am dead, bury me al your capitol, and lei
the big guns fire orer me-"
The quotation of the speech Of the Indian
chieftain, was appropriate enough to illustrate
the condition and fate Of the South, but we think
it was singularly unfortunate for Southern
editor to make, in an article defending the CON-
promise.
When we reflect that since this confederacy
began, the institutions of the South have re-
tired, like the Indians, from the eastern shore of
Maine to the Delaware, and are now prescribed
in all that territory extending from the western
boundary of Pennsylvania to the Rocky noun
tains, which once belonged exclusively to the
South, and have just been excluded on all the
shore of the Pacific in our possession, down be-
low the latitude of Charleston, we cannot fail
to be struck with the striking resemblance be-
tween the destiny of the Southern people and
of the aborigines.
The mournful and touching reproach of the
dying chief to General JACKSON, reminds him
that they had both fought for their great father
the federal government, but that the Indians
people were leaving to make room for the whites
So have the South and the North fought to-
gether for the same comm on government. The
sition to make room for the North; and it only
now remains for the Southern people to leave
their homes to complete the parallel.
But then there are good many people in the
South who are unwilling to perfect the parallel
between themselves and the aborigines and
hence repudiate the Compromise which the
Union so much extols-a compromise 80 much
like those we have generally made with the In
dams, by which the ,ceaker party gels a lille
money, and the stronger much land.
The Union thinks that those who differ from
him in supporting the Compromise are a small
party of seceders, led by Messrs. CHEvEs and
RHETT Let us see In his inaugural address
only one week ago, the editor of the Union saif
he would cordially sustain the recent compro
mise measures" and that " 1t is fortunate tina
this Compromise is the joint work of both thu
great political parties of the country, and that i
may therefore be referred to in all time to come
rs a monument of patriotism, which towers
above the ordinary spirit Of party, when the safe
~ of the Union is threatened
Now the best defence of the compromise
which the late editor of the Union could make,
was 81 that it was the best we could get" But
here comes the new editor and proclaims it to
be monument Of patriotism, toaoering above
the ordinary spirit of party, which he will "cor-
daily sustain" Now we say that in this senti
ment he departs from the Democratic party OF
epery Southern State in the Union. Why, even
the Virginia Democracy, which lately capitliateo
to the Wings in the legislature of that State or
this question, and agreed with them on a joint
declaration, would go only so far as to say that
the people Of Virginia differed about the justice
constituiionaliy and erpediency of that measure
The Maryland Convention of Wings and Demo
Gratis, in State not deeply interested in slavery,
could not endorse the justice Of the compromise.
The Georgia Convention, whose members were
opposed by large majority of the Democrats
of that State, rs too submissive, and who
framed platform, which is considered the most
orthodox among Southern compromisers, also
expressly assert and lament the injustice of the
mpromise-although they agreed to abide by
it--not to sustain it cordially They intimate
pretty distinctly that it was the very utmost az
erosion they could stand. The Democracy
of no Southern State has approved the Com
promise without disruption Of the bonds Of
the Union.
As for the whole Southern Democracy, so far
as we can Judge by its representation in Con-
gress, when this towering monument of patri-
otism was constructed, majority in both houses
opposed every important part Of 1.-THE Cali
fornia, Texas and the District of Columbia bills
And the only measure which the Southern
Democrats did support-the Fugitive slave law
received the vote of just two Northern Demo-
Gratis in the Senate, and 81 in the House.
If, then, the Compromise is a towering monu-
ment Of patriotism, the Southern Democrats are
not towering patriots at all. They don't aspire
to any such distinction. They don't understand
the glory of degradation, by voting themselves
out of the common territory of the Union, as
unfit for its occupancy--as obstacles to its pro-
gress--as odous to its character.
In one respect it seems to us the present edi-
tor OF the Union is more reasonable than the
rest Of the Southern compromisers Some O