The southern press., 1851-11-01
From the Galveston Weekly .Nsics.
ssDIsun IOm PriUeIDlos.o


the Della is imbued with 'disunion principles"
Ours is an independent course, which few, we
are sorry to say, have the honesty or manllness
to pursue, and we contend that to adhere to
strict construction of the federal compact indie.
pendent of compromises, and abolition and other
encroachments, is no disunion course,
but on the contrary, the only true policy by
which this mighty confederacy can beperpetuated
in its original purity, beauty, greatness and
strength If to be lover of the federal Consti.
tuition be to be called dsunionist, we pray God
to let us die a disunionist; and we would be
proud of no other eptaph over our humble grave
than "Eere lies a disunionist."
ave are willing for the experience OF years
to determine who are the true Union men OF the
day; whether it be those who cry aloud their
devotion at the corner OF every street, and pub
lish their patriotism in the highways, or those
who defend the provisions of the Constitution
as they are, in opposition TO all amendments
compromises and provisos"
We would take this occasion to say that we
think there is great lliberality and injustice in
this very common practice of charging disunon
principles upon every journal which contends
for strict construction of the Constitution, in
opposition to those repeated compromises by
which that instrument has been essentially
changed from its original construction, as under.
stood BY all the eminent statesmen who assisted
in framing, or have written commentaries upon
il. At first, there was no restriction whatever
on slave property in any part OF this Union, any
more than on any other property; and it was,
and is even now admitted, that the Constitution
permitted no such restriction. But look at the
change that has been effected by various CON-
promises from time TO time!
The first step, we believe, was to exclude
slavery from the Northwest Territory by an act
of Congress The next was to exclude it to the
north of the latitude of 36t degrees, as far west
as the Missouri territory extended. Bot by
this act, the institution of slavery was also ex-
pressly established to the south of the same par
ael and to the same extert to the west. Next
the Oregon bill excluded slavery to the north of
the same line as far as the Pacific, while the
provision for establishing it. to the south OF that
line Gas was done by the Missouri compromise)
was insultingly rejected. We say insultingly be-
cause the Northern members openly proclaimed,
it as their reason for that rejection, that it
was their unalterable determination never to
cease their efforts till they had excluded slavery
from every foot of our territory, even to its
farthest Southern limits Next comes that series
of compromises of the last session, included in
the same bill, by which the above threat was
carried into effect, and slavery excluded to our
extreme Southern boundary on the Pacific, not,
it is true, in 80 many words, but by making the
exclusion a prerequisite to the admission OF
California as State and its exclusion from all
the balance of the Mexican conquest is Just as
certainly and effectually secured by the same
means, as also from that portion of Texas,
which, by the same bill, fell under the jurisdic-
ton of Congress. or Of the same majority. The
same system of compromise also enoroached
upon all the previous constitutional rights OF
shareholders in another respect, by depriving
them Of the right to sell or make any transfer
of the slave property in the District of Column
bia and the next compromise will, doubtless,
exclude slavery altogether from that territory
and we certainly look for this further triumph
Of free soil by the next, or the following Con-
gress.
Such has been our legislation upon the subject
Of slavery, and that, too, while both Wings and
Democrats and men Of all parties, admit thai
such legislation is in violation Of the Constitu
ton of the country. Judging of the future by
the past (of which we have taken this brief review,
what other conclusion can We come TO than that
the Constitution will, ere long, be so compro.
missed away as to lose all its original features
| Il seems that these compromises have now be-
come 30 fashionable that oppostiJn TO them is
L
ments, or of treason TO this government We
have always entertained the opinion that firm
and unyielding adherence to the Constitution,
and a consistent and fearless resistance Of all
those compromises Of its great and fundamental
principles, were essentially necessary TO the pre-
servation Of this Union. The perpetuity Of
| this Union, with all its privileges and manifold
blessings. must depend upon the sacred inviola-
| bility Of this Constitution. With US this Is n
| cardinal doctrine. IL scems to Us, therefore, a
contradiction in terms 10 say that resistance 10
measures, admitted to be unconstitutional, is
evidence Of disunon sentiments, for such eyi.
dence proves exactly the reverse, il il proves
ANYTHING. On the other hand. the advocacy OF
measures or compromises involving usurpations
of our constitutional rights, must certainly tend
TO the destruction Of the Constitution itself
and, therefore, Of the Union which rests upon il
as its only sure foundation. Still, we are not
willing TO charge the advocates and supporters
Of such compromises with being the enemies
Of this Union. They appear TO entertain the
idea that as long rs they can preserve Union,
under whsteyer notifications, or, however cor
rupted or perverted from its original purity or
design, IL will still be he Union which our fathers
left us. They seem 10 forget the lesson that
all history teaches, namely, that free governments
nave much more IreIutntly Iosb ueI HOeIues
by the gradual usurpations Of those in power,
than by sudden revolutions. Such usurpatons
almost imperceptibly undermine the organic law,
and destroy the vital principles Of freedom,
leaving nothing but its forms and external OBJ
servances by which the people are the more eff.
fectualy deceived until, when il Is too late, they
find they have been embracing the shadow, after
the substance had departed. And is there moi
reason to spprehend that we are also liable TO a
similar deception-that those who are now ad.
vocating compromises Of the Constitution for
the sake Of the Union may, by and by, find that
instead Of The Union which they have so long
Justly venerated, and which it was their patriotic
desire TO preserve, they may have nothing lef
but Union Of very different character-a con-
solidated central government Of unlimited powers
Gen. John A. Quitman's Opinion oil" fetch
er's studies on Slavery"
MONMOUTH, Oct Ia, 1851.
jackson Warner, Esq, Ndtchez:
L - = H.