Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1851-04-05
ArALK WITH NY OLD FRIENDS.
The Slarery Cozpr0miss-H 'ho are its support
ers AMI rhO are its opponents

eF6 All HitV arc 10 uPPUftHS'
When 7 took nay position, last summer. in ia
yor Of the Compromise measures reported by the
Committee If Thineen, provided they were
amended in certain particulars, did 50 with eau
tion--alter the best and most deliberate examina-
ton that wa. capable Of consulted no one.
was inilusnced neither by the journals Of The
day, nor by the debates in Congress. | looked !
to facts and principles alone; discarding, as far
as possible, all party feeling | endeayored to IN.
dersiand the subject ia all its bsarings-to know !
il possible, what effect the proposed measures
would have upon the rights and institutions OF
the South and the union of the States. slave
holder mysef-born and raised and educated in |
the South; never in fact, having been north Of
Mason and Dixon's line, during my whole life
with all my interests and hopes and affections
centered here, should have been false to myself
and to my friends and kindred, should have
been dead to every feeling of interest and honor
If had submissvely bowed to, or tolerated any
act, which, in my judgment, despOiled the South
of her rights or endangered her institutions. A
democrat by principle and association, | should
have forgotten and discarded the doctrines which
Jeffs.son aud Madison taught, and Jackson and
Polk practlced, il had not sternly denounced and
rebuked any open nfaction of the constitution
or any departure from strict construction Of that
charter Of our liberties and OF our union.
Yes, my friends, approached the subject eau
tiously. | examined it with calmaess and deb-
Grafton, and took my position in regard to it
not as a mere citizen Of Mississippi, but as
southerner, looking to the interests of the entire
south--as an American citizen, devoted to the
: rights Of the States as well as to the union ofthe
States. gave the matter my best consideration
: and came to the honest and unbiased concu
sion, certainly, tho some Of you, fear, may think
il a mistaken one, that the entire South might
4 acquiesce in the measures of adjustment" with
safety and honor, provided they are carried out
fully and in good faith; and deprecated then, as
do now, all further agitation Of the subject, as
y create an rreconciable hostility between the
. North and the South--between the slave holding
! and non-slave holding states and thus inevitably
! bring about dissolution Of the Union. The en-
9 tire South acqaesced in the Missouri compromise,
Y and we then had peace and quiet on the yexed
I question of slavery for some fifteen years | dc.
Al lie Han thn aun
,e by Congress of the present compromise, ant
X such would certainly have been the case, but fo
a the discon,ents in South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
:, bama and this state. What these dscontente,
!. politicians aim at, cannot understand, unles
IL their object be- as many Of them openly avow
Gu The dissolution of the present federal government
=, and the formation Of Southern conederacy
~ ~ did no, concur entirely in the plan Of nd
an jns,ment adopted by the last Congress. Their
he are parts Of II to which decidedly objected, pal
w. cuhry to the manner in which California wa
\ admitted as state, and 10 the art, or Mt least I'll
~, penalty clause Of it, which aboliShes the slaH
be trade in The District of Columbia. But in spi
ne It Of concession and compromise was willing
~ waive my objections. To borrow the anguag
M ~, :
nm Of the Father Of his country in letter which t
re-. wrote in l7s7 respecting the Constitution, the
out just adopted by the convention, there are sou
ny. things in the new form, ! will readily acknow
\, edgc, which never did, and am persuaded new
ate will, obtain my cordial appreciation; but d
vas then conceive and do now most firmly be.iey
she that in The aggregate, Is the best compromis
y that can be Obtained at this epoch, and that hi
=, OF dissolution awaits our choice, aud is the 0
and y alternatives"
. or Bu, though it is admitted that there are obe
PEI tionahle features in the compromise acts, there
~, ~ certainly compensaling advantages in them to |
bis South greater even than we had any good grou
,lu, 10 hope for at the The commencement Of the
IN Congress. will briefly point out few Of thes
y LIST. The Wilmot proviso, that measure viii
p nearly every slave holding state was deternn
,ap 70 resist sat every hazard and to the last eHre
i,g" has been eflec,ually killed, and there i
ma resurrection for il. Territorial goyefnmel
that have been established for Utah and New Me
pros co without any prohibition Of slavery north
in south Of 50 deg. 30 MIN, and the constitution
Jew laws Of the U. States are expressly extend
the over them; these laws and the constitution n
nern ognze aud protect slavery. tits true,some CT
vile tend that the old Mexican ordinance ABOLISH
dis slavery, Is still in force in the territories ha
itory acquired from that government. But there is
ance an individual in this state who will admit such
nsli> be the fact al least we have never seen one
uled would The truth is,there are already slaves
ID /, Utah and New Mexico, and il those ierritor
nsl- should prove suitable for slave labor. slaves '
nst, 60 there as sure as fate, and they will come /