The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-10
From The .stw York Herald Of April tn.
Revival Of the slavery Agitation r olIey Of
the South.


Revival Of the slavery Agitation r olIsy Of
the South.
1t has been repeatedly denied that there was
any design or desire among the ant-slavery fac
tons Of the Wing or Democratic party OF the
North, to reopen the agitation of the slavery
question; but the events springing up daily
prove the hypocrisy of all such protestations
emanatng from those quarters, which have
seized the first occasion to vent their malignity
upon the fugitive slave law, in terms the most
indicative, abusive, and offensive.
We have already adverted to the attempts
made ut a re-opening of this sectional agitation
in the United States, by W. II. Seward, after
several months OF comparative silence upon the
subject. Even then he acted under cover OF
the right Of petition. But the experience of
successful demagoque has taught him that
smooth faced deception is better adapted to his
position than open and hot.headed violence. He
glides, therefore, like the serpent, to his object,
and bites, and steals away. His agents and Or
gans in the North are under less restraint, and
upon the first provocation they disclose their
true sentiments in their true colors; and now
the South are fairly admonished that instead of
peace there is to be war; and war to the end
Nor is this re-agitation of slavery confined to
Seward and the Wing party of New York.
Both parties in this State, and in New England
and the Northwest, are deeply tinctured with the
spirit Of the abolition petitions lately presented
in the Senate-hostility to the fugitive law,
hostility to slavery in the territories, in the Dis
trct of Columbia, in the States-inflexible and
incessant hostility to the whole system of the
social institutions Of the South. Step by step,
the approaches upon these institutions are to be
followed up, Till the last stronghold of slavery
is invested, and reduced to surrender or the
hazards Of determination. Between absolute
emancipation and dsunion, there will be no ulti.
mate choice.
In another part of this paper we have given
Il variety of extracts in reference to the late
proceedings under the law of 1850, in the ar.
rest, trial. and surrender to his master, of the
fugitive slave Horace Preston Here we find
the New York Tribune, leading Wing organ
of this city, and the Euening Post, a leading
Democratic journal, equally violent in their I'M
scrupulous denunciations of the law and the
agents Of the law. The New York Sun, a sort
OF neutral, in disguise, supposed to be under
the abolition influence of the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher, devout worshipper of Kossuth in all
the late humbugs of goriiication in this city,
also gives the obnoxious law stab through its
agents, and laments the injustice of their pro-
ceedings. But rising above all in the unmeasured
malignity of its reprobation, is The Albany Ecen-
ing Journal the central mouth piece of the
arch-a gitator and, in the absence of Thurlow
Weed, conducted by 4 son of VIM. H. Seward
himself, and doubtless rejecting his opinions to
the life The caption Of the article from that
paper is in the best style of the Boston Liberia
tor--"NeW York market--negroes-p quail
ity $500 l,000-hoders are firm" The
temper and drift of the article are of the frs,
class of rampant Notwithstanding for open
treason and fire and sword Indeed, ahe Ian
gunge OF the beautiful philanthropist, Greeley,
and that amiable Christian poet, Bryant, are
much in the same vein.
The Tribune, after having personally de
nounced the agents of the law as the "iackalls
and bloodhounds of slavery" uses such terms
Of Cancellation as MISREPRESENTATION con-
stable, Sawyer equally INSCRIPTIONS" "com-
missioner pockets his Zee Of ten dollars" sun
happy man is dragged Off into slavery" "buIlied
by the counsel" "Busteed interrupted the legal
by pugllistic proceedings" ia fugitive slave bill
with trial. .'what trouble and what disgrace
the country would then have been spared 7"
The Epentng Post vents its wrath in explosives
of equal liberality and moderation 1t says that
the law "cannot be so administered as not to
disgrace our national character and our institu
tions," and confines its practical application to
the atrocities of the African slave trade. The
run.mad incendiary Aholtionists of Massachu-
setts, scarcely express themselves with more
savage emphasis. They employ, indeed, the
same ideas and terms of abuse In the last
annual report OF the Massachusetts Anti Slavery
Society, they speak of the fugitive law as "bring
ing slavery home to the bosoms and business
of almost every part of the free States. The
most hateful scenes of the peculiar institution
| trapcfnrrn1 frnn tho Snntb ~ "a
the streets Of Northern cities and villages.
Peaceable citizens, supporting themselves by
honest industry, were seized by force or fraud,
held in chains, and delivered up to new tyranny.
by the willing tools Of the abomnable law"
"However designed, we feel assured that these
horrors have done much more towards weaken
ing than strengthening the ties which bind the
North to the South"
We have given enough The parallel is
complete. The same sentiments are re echoed
in New York and in Massachusetts,, in Ohio and
Wisconsin. From the Atlantic to the Missis-
sippi, the elements of the ant-slavery agitation
are alive and kindliug again into action. We
publish, from Fred. Douglass's paper, in confirm
alton of these facts, the official proceedings of the
organization OF new ntislavery society, in this
State, headed by Gerrit Smith. 1t is reasonable
to expect that this movement will be followed up
by similar organizations in other States, as the
combustibles of agitation arc famed into flame
Now, where is the prospect of peace and har
mony, with these startling facts before us? How
can this law remain as a settlement of the CUES
ton involved, in view of the unconquerable preju-
dice and hatred existing in the North against it
This Is the question for the calm consideration of
the Unon-loving and law.abiding men of both
the great parties of the country. Hostility to
slavery is, to fearful extent, sentiment of
religious fanaticism in the North and while it
exists, there will be active and intriguing dema-
gogues to keep it alive, and turn it to their own
base and selfish purposes, utterly reckless of the
consequences to the country. And thus it is
that Seward. Greeley and Bryant, Fred Douglass
and Gerrit Smith, are all cooperating to the
great end of fomenting rupture between the
North and the South, and the extinction of
slavery at the hazards of dsunion and civil war.
"Black spirits and white,
Red spirits and grey,
Mingle, mingle. minrle minoIe