Daily American telegraph., 1852-06-17
A southern View of the " Finality."
From the New Orleans Daily Delta.

/ We regard the whole excitement, got up by
politicians, in regard to the necessity of obtain
ing pledges TO the Finality of the Compromise, y
as the cant phrase has it, as proftless and absurd
| in the extreme. We have doubt that the great
mass, who shout this new political Cry, are moved
| by some underlined apprehensons and ideas that
the Union depends upon the preservation of n
mere empty formulary; but the leaders and chiefs,
who are SO incescantly harping on this fnality,
have in view some party or selfish end. There is
still another class of fnalty men, who, conscious
Of having shrunk, when the real battle for South
ern rights was fought, now seek to reinstate
themselves in Southern confidence by raising a
great cutlery about the fugitive slave law. With
the latter class Of agitators we have nothing to
do Their mouths viii be closed, their mission
will conclude as soon as the people of the South
begin to take what we believe is the correct view
of the matter.
That view, in our opinion, does not make the
rights and safety Of the South rest upon such
frail foundation rs the pledges of candidates, the
platforms Of conventions, the promises of our
!" Northern brethren" They depend upon our
ability TO protect ourselves; upon our union in
resistance to aggression e upon cool, calm, and
fixed resolution to yield not an inch beyond a GER
tain prescribed line What is all else worth
What are the extorted promises Of party neces-
sites-the pledges of the North, made on the eve
of an election, in view Of the spoils, worth
Who is bound by such promises? Who author
ICES them? Your members of Congress? Their
constituents boot at such self-constituted action
| Your members Of party conventions elected at
some ward or roadside meeting? The people
whom they so absurdly pretend to represent, re-
pudiate such pledges. Can they be bound by an
act of Congress? Just so long az they NAV
choose to submit TO il, or rather just so long ms
they find it impracticable and imperative There
is no form in which you can give such pledges
permanency.
Indeed, the multiplicity Of your attempts to
make il more binding only weaken it, Just as an
awkward carpenter splits his plank by driving toe
many nails into it. Your agitation TO put down
agitation has done you more harm than the
fugitive slave law will ever do good. Ii only
serves to show your weakness and precipitate d
sectional contest in which you are bound to be
beaten. How can you call on the North to be
SILENT when you are so loud-spoken on this sub
ject? How can ku ask for peace and quiet
when you insist upon agitation and excitement
Suppose n majority prevails and carries all the
pledges you require: will that stop agitation? will
that gag fanaticism Vain thought! The pow.
erful minority will begin to agitate with renewed
vigor-they will go on, untilhey become stronger
and overwhelm their couqueror
When the federal constitution was under dis.
cussion in the State convention Of Connecticut,
Mr. Johnson, an able defender Of that instru.
ment, was greatly annoyed by the unfair and
extravagant hypothetical illustrations which
we're brought forward by the opponents Of the
constitution of the dangerous tendency Of the new
form Of government 1t was particularly objected
that the powers of Congress were too great; and
innumerable instances Of the probable dangerous
exercise of these powers were gven-whicI
array one Of the orators concluded with tho
assertion that Congress might order them into
Canada.
Instead Of replying seriatim to all these objec.
tons, Mr.. Johnson took up the last hypothesis
as nm illustration Of the whole batch and re.
sponded, "The gentleman says Congress may or
der us into Canada--my reply is, then, we wont
go"
Let us adopt the spirit of this reply in regard
to all attempts to invade our rights let us not
make long speeches, pass eternal resolutions
, build platforms, extort pledges, and huzza over
mere paper securities but, when deliberate
aggression upon our rights is proposed or con
templated, let us say, and mean ii when we say
it, " We 'front.' submit