The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-23
lists will be to prohibl! the-slave trade in white
men as we'll as black, at least in the District Of

Columbia.
don't pretend to set myself up as a mentor
to the good people of the South, but as sin
cere friend. | would advise them without dis
tincton of parties, to mature and preserve sep
arate organization, 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 10 come
into any Northern conventions The North is
fighting its own battles, not those of the South ;
and if any Northern candidate can secure his cleo
ton to the Presidency by sacrificing the South,
the South will be sacrificed. BY plunglng into the
whirlpool of Northern politics they will only
lose themselves. BY standing aloof they
will be heard and felt. Their absence, like that
of the bust of Cato at Caesars funeral, will ex-
cite more attention than their presence. 1t will
serve as a silent, solemn warning of the ulti-
mate consequences of persisting in the danger
Gus 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 excuses of fanaticism, and the arts of
hypocrtical politicians, opened wide gulf of
separation between the North and the South,
which, if not filled up, will some day swallow
them both.
Why should not the people of the South
select candidate for the Presidency from among
themselves, without any reference to Northern
support, which Mr. Stephens has at length dis
covered cannot be obtained but by abject ac-
quiescence, not only in past, but future encroach
ments? Surely there is some man among them
on whom both parties can unite, and such q
Union would make him match for any oppo-
nent likely to be brought against them. Why
cannot they join in one common league for COM
mon safety! They have one great common in
terest at stake, in comparison with which local
jeaouses and mere party feelings are utterly
insignificant
And why cannot they thus unite! Both par
ties-al sections of parties--are agreed on many
of the most important questions of domestic
and foreign policy. On the great measures of
the tariff; the distribution of the public lands
internal improvements by the general gov
eminent; a strict construction of the Con-
stitution, and Intervention in the affairs OF
Europe, it appears there is great unanlmity
of opinion and with regard to the rights of the
States, the position of all parties in the South
imposes onthem the obligation to maintain these
as the very condition Of their existence. What,
then, prevents their combining in self-defence,
which will best be attained by separate organ
ization Is it personal rivalry, or is it the loaves
and fishes
respectfully solicit them to reflect seriously
on the views presented, and to decline becoming
the dupes of interested leaders, who will proba-
bly, in the end sell them to the highest bidder
or the cats paws of Juggling Northern politi-
clans, who will do as they have always done,
mount the ladder and then kick it from under
them. Let them most especially beware of
"pledges they have had enough of these.
They are the sureties of school boys who prom
Use to be good if you will only give them plenty
of sugar plums The best security for the fu-
ture conduct of men is their past actions
1t seems to me that the only secure position
of The South is TO stand aloof, at least for the
present, and let the parties in the North fight
their battles by themselves. They have no in.
terest in the defeat or victory Of either, for as
respects the great questions with which the Vi
tai interests of the South are inseparaby in.
tertwined, there's scarcely shade Of difference
between Wings and Democrats in the North.
Their principles have become absorbed, or ANAL
gau ated in the great menstruum of abolition, or
are all lost in coalitions and compromises, the
sole object of which is an equal division of the
loayes and fishes. 1t has been said that when
rogues fall out honest men come at the truth
aad the late expositions Of Messrs Davis and
Rantoul furnish exempli6cations Of the progerb
These gentlemen seem TO think that politics is
nothing more than n system of bargain and sale;
that conscience or principle is as much merch.
antable commodity as cotton or Goldfish, and that
every man has right to get as much for it az
he can. Unless the Southern delegates 70
Northern conventions are equally expert in this
system Of bargaining, and Of equally pliable
consciences, they will stand no chance, and had
better stay at home, except they wish 10 perfect
themselves in this new system Of " free trade"
The Union, lift is to stand at all, must hav,
some better foundation than corrupt coalition.
or compromises, in which great principles ar,
sacrificed to the personal interests Of great ira
ding politicians. There i no truth more thor
oughy exemplifed in history than that the free
dom Of mankind has no other basis than IN.
virtues Of mankind. General intelligence alon,
is not sufficient; and the most glorious of al
the attributes Of liberty is, that she cannot ex
let, except in the pure atmosphere Of nielli
genee, under tho direction Of virtuous princi
Piles. II any man drcam< that she can live an,
move, and have her beng in the midst Of cor
rupGon and degeneracy let bin look in tn,
mirror Of the past and be will see tho reaectio,