Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-04-10

/
party politics nothing so opposite but what may
| be combined and no substances but what NAV
be brought to unite by the irresistible sympathy
of the loaves and fishes. We have lately seen So
many strange unions "for the sake of the Union,
SO many extraordinary steps backwards, forwards
and sideways at Washington, that l cannot but
earnestly hope the next move of the Aboitonists
will be to prohibit the slave trade in white men
as well as black, at least in the District of Co
lumbia.
l don't pretend to set myself up as a mentor to
the good people of the South, but as a sincere
friend | would advise them without distinction OF
parties, to mature and preserve separate organi-
cation, at least while the present state of things
continues. BY assuming this attitude they will be
infinitely stronger, as well as more respectable
than if they were to come into any Northern con-
vention. The North is fighting its own battles,
not those of the South and if any Northern can
didate can secure his election to the Presidency
by sacrificing the South, the South viii be sacri-
feed By plunging into the whirlpool of Northern
politics they will only lose themselves. By stand
ing aloof, they will be heard and felt. Their ab-
sence like that of the bust of Cato at Cesars fu-
neral, will excite more attention than their pres
ence. 1t will serve a silent, solemn warning of
the ultimate consequences of perssting in the dam
gerous experiment of pushing them to the wall
and shadow forth that fatal crisis which it will one
day inevitably produce. 1t will indicate to those
who really cherish the Union, that already have
the excesses of fanaticism, and the arts of hypo-
critical politicians, opened wide gulf of separa-
ton between the North and the South, which if
not filed up, will some day swallow them both.
Why should not the people of the South select
candidate for the Presidency from among them
selves, without any reference to Northern support,
which Mr. Stephens has at length discovered can
not be obtained but by abject acquiesence, not on
ly in past but future encroachments Surely
there Is some man among them on whom both
parties can unite, and such a union would make
him match for any opponent likely to be brought
against them. Why cannot they join in one com
mon league for common safety They have one
great common interest at stake, in comparison
with which local jealousies and mere party feel
ings utterly insignificant.
And why cannot they thus unite Both par
tes-all sections of parties-are agreed on many
of the most important questions of domestic and
foreign policy. On the great measures of the tar
iff; the distribution of the public lands internal
improvements by the General Government; a
strict construction of the Constitution, and inter-
ven;ion in the affairs of Europe, it appears there is
great unanimity of opinion and with regard to
the rights of the States, the position OF all parties
in the South imposes on them the obligation to
maintain these the very condition OF their ex-
istence. What then, prevents their combining IN
self-defence, which will best be attained by sep
arate organization Is it personal rivalry, or is
it the loaves and fishes
l respectfully solicit them to reflect seriously on
the views presented and to decline becoming the
dupes of interested leaders, who will probably IN
the end sell them to the highest bidder; or the
cats paws of Juggling Northern politicians, who
will do as they have always done, mount the lad
der and then kick it from under them. Let them
most especially beware of ''pledges''-they have
L r Il IL, ,cl
school-boys, who promise to be good if you will
only give them plenty of sugar piums. The best
security for the future conduct of men is their past
actions
/ 1t seems to me that the only secure position oi
the South is to stand aoof at least for the pres
ent, and let the parties of the North fight their
battles by themselves They have no interest in
the defeat victory of either, for respects the
great questions which the vital interests Of the
South inseparably intertwined, there is
ly shade of difference between Wings and Dem
ocrats in the North. Their principles have be-
come absorbed, or ANAL gamated in the great men
struum of abolition are all lost in coalitions and
compromises, the sole blect of which is an equal
division of the loaves and fishes. 1t has been said
/ that when rogues fall out honest men come at the
truth and the late expositions of Messrs. Davis
and Rantoul furnish exemplihcatlons OF the pro
verb. These gentlemen seem to think that poll
i ucS Is noLnlng more Than system ol odlS"ln ant
sale; that conscience principle is as much {
merchantabe commodity cotton or Goldfish, ant
that every man has right to get much for it a:
he can. Unless the Southern delegates to North
ern conventions are equally expert in this system
of bargaining, and of equally piable consciences
they will stand no chance, and had better stay a
home, except they wish to perfect themselves II
this new system of 'free trade"
The Union, if it is to stand at all, must hav'
some better foundation than corrupt coalitions o
compromises in which great principles sacri
feed to the personal interests of great trading poll
ticians There is no truth more thoroughly exem
pifed in history than that the freedom of mankinC
has no other basis than the virtues of mankind
General intelligence alone is not sufficient; ant
the most glorious of all the attributes of liberty is
that she cannot exist except in the pure atmos
phere of intelligence, under the direction of virtu
: Gus principles.
If any man dreams that she can live and move
and have her being in the midst of corruption AM
degeneracy, let him look in the mirror of the pas
and he will see the reflection of the future. Polit
ical corruption is moral corruption, which irfeyo
cably calls for strong government and, in tn
! United States, this means not Union, but conso
q dation.
Il A NORTHERN MAN AND A FRIEND TO THE UNION
A Talk for Southern Wings.