The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-08
THE BEGINNING OF AGITATION.

THE BEGINNING OF AGITATION.
Thus far in the session. the slavery ques
ton has not been much agitated But thi
speech of Mr. Cleyeland'S and that Of MI
Fowler, of Massachusetts the day before. hav
set the ball in motion 0-SOmhern Press
The ball was set in motion in the caucuse
preliminary to an organization of the House
by slayeholding members, and has been KEEP
in motion by them ever since Whatever agi
tation there is they are responsible for The
records show it. 1t was they, not the Free Soil
men, who dragged the question Of Slavery into
caucus, and undertook to make a test on the
subject 1t was they who obtruded the subject
upon both branches Of Congress, undertaking
to force the adoption of resolutions endorsing
the Compromise and Fugitive Law Such reso-
lutions were introduced by Mr.. Foote into the
Senate. The general question of Slavery in
connection with them has been discussed in
that body, in elaborate speeches, by Foote and
McRae of Mississippi, Houston Of Texas,
Clemens of Alabama, Rhett of South Carolina,
and Downs Of LOuisiana-only one speech up
to this time having been made on the Anti
Slavery side of the question,
1t was Stakeholder who introduced the
Compromise test into the Democratic caucus of
the House it was at the instance ola Stakeholder
that it was introduced into the Wing caucus.
1t was one of the " Northern Allies" wh6first
attempted by a suspension of the rules, to get
the subject before the House it was a Slave
holder who, by an arrangement evidently pre-
concerted succeeded III presenting resou-
ton respecting it, and forcing partial action
upon it, 1T was Mr. Cabell of Florida, who
opened the agitation in the House. and from
the South speech after speech was made, lay
ing down the law on the question of Slavery,
to the North before a single member from that
section could get chance to open his mouth.
Members from Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky Tennessee,
Mississippi, kept up running fire on the sub
ject agitating necessarily until at last, the
FREQ Soil men were forced to speak but their
speeches have been few and far between. Agi-
tation on the Slaveholding side has been the
rule on the Anti-Slavery side the exception.
Three months and half of the session had
gone by, before the delivery Of an Aut-Slavery
speech and up to this time, only five Anti.
Slavery members have spoken, occupying in
all but five hours of the time Of the House
Who have been the agitators! Who have
been wasting time with windy discussions
Who have been delaying public business
Who have been seeking to establish new tests
and manufacture Presidents
Anti-Slavery members have been silent long
enough 1t is time that they also should shov
their opinions. Since Slavcholding members
viii have agitation, let them have it. Doubt.
less, they would Ike to monopolze the business
Opposition they seem to regard as very ungra.
cious, nay, inhammNtory and factious Free
speech is an offence unless on their side of the
question 1t is for them to speak, TOR the North
to listen
For many years have We observed their pol
icy. Their first movement, at the opening of
every Congress, is to obtain the control Of the
organization. Next they make an issue on the
slavery Question, and work on this until they
have magnihcd it above all other subjects,
made it test secured unity among themselves,
and produced division among Northern men
Meanwhile, they declaim and argue, dictate
and insist until they succeed in generating a
pro-slavery atmosphere, paralyzing the ener
ges and distortng the vision of members real,
Anti-SIavery. These, accustomed to hear in
silence the law of Slavery constantly expound
ed and urged, begin after II while to shrink
from questioning it. And then, having nc
common platform, having made no issue having
eyaded the issue rendered by the shareholders
they become discouraged, and distrustful one
of another, while the pro-slavcry public opin
ion pervadng the halls of Congress- dsqualifes
them for seeing things in their true light OF
proportions That is not all The speeche,
and movements Of the Shareholders have beer
duly reported to their constituents, who prompt
ly respond and sustain them but the North
ern constituencies are silent and inactive, be
cause their representatives have neither sale
nor done anything calculated to arouse and or
ganize them. Al last, pressed to the wall, her,
and there an Anti-Slavery member turns no
30 much to strike for Liberty, az for himself
his attitude is one Of selfdefence, not of con
scious power, anticipating the blow Of his an
tagonist What is the result All his for
bearanee goes for nothing he finds that hi
long-continued silence, while it has failed tC
save INN from denunciation us an agitator, ha:
also shorn linn of half his power to agtate to
purpose.
Members Of Congress, who hold that the
Federal Government should be controlled by
the National Interest of Freedom. and not by
the Sectional Interest of Slavery ought not il
seems to us to stand on the defensive. Il !,
enough for them TO know that the Federal
Government is controlled by Slavery. Their
duty j.. not selfdefence, but reform Let them
agree upon great Constitutional Principle il
relation 10 Slavery, and boldly proclaim theil
determination to carry it out Nos.INTrRvEN
TON is that Princi ple-Non-I Intervention b.
hS Federal Goucrnment nth Sidpsry or III
EHIadiioa of Siares. Agreeing upon thi
great Principle, they can cooperate heartily
sEeak INTEL gently, work by method and drive
the sopForters Of Slavery from their aggressive
position
We slaA resume the subject at another
tine