Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-04-10
COLUMBUS S :
wednesday Morning, April q, 1852
From tie Southern Press.
What is the true Policy Of the South In Regard
to the next Presidential Election

to the next Presidential Election?
The Hon. Alexander II. Stephens, a distinguish
ed representative in Congress from Georgia, and
staunch advocate of the ''fnaty of the Compro-
mise, - in private letter to friend, now become
public declares himself ''utterly opposed to send
ing delegates to the Baltimore Convention, mean
ing, | presume, the Democratic Convention In
this perfectly agree with him but should have
been better pleased had he extended his disappro-
baton to Wing Convention, should such one
be contemplated. 1t is clear from this letter,
which is extremely well written that Mr.. Ste
phens is becoming aware that the compromise is
not exactly ''fnalty,' and that cooperation of
either of the Southern parties with either of those
of the North, must be brought about, not by con-
cessons guarantees to the former, but by ac-
quiesence in encroachments of the latter. In
order the more clearly to comprehend the actual
position of the South it seems necessary to take a
brief glance at the present state of the two great
parties, now disputng the ascendency in the gov
ernment of the Unitod States.
That section of the Wing party which seems
about to rally round Mr.. Fillmore or Mr. Webster,
make it a sine qua non that their candidate for the
Presidency shall maintain the ''finality'' of the
compromise in all its parts while that portion of
which Mr.. Seward is supposed to be the head,
maintain it is not fina either with respect to the
fugitive slave law, against future aggressions Of
the Abolitionsts On the other hand, it is said
y,
in like manner rally round the fnality of the COM
promise while it is certain that a far greater pos
tiOn called Freesoers sternly adverse to it on
the ground of the fugitive slave law and especially
because it does not embody the Wilmot proviso in
so many words.
As yet, party, North, East or West, has
shown the slightest disposition to cooperate with
the South in defence ofits institutions. No party
has ventured to come forward in opposition to the
settled, avowed policy of the Abotionists and
Free-soilcrs. No Northern party dares to do so );
for these two ad uncts of one and the faction
would at once array themselves in opposition to
any candidate who declared himself willing to
make the slightest concessions to the South and
holding, as they almost certainly do, the balance
of power in the North, would defeat any obnoxious
aspirant to the Presidency.
Why then, it may be asked, should either party
in the South send delegates to the Baltimore Con-
vention any Convention, but their own ? The
only rational ground for such procedure, would
be the expectation, or the hope of their being in
strumental IN directing, or, at least influencing its
proceedings. Is there any ground for such expec-
taton or hope They will assurredly be in a mi
nority in supporting their principles; and should
they venture to stipulate any conditions favorable
to themselves, all parties, Whig and Democratic,
will combine against them-for they will occupy a
position in which all or less their oppo-
nents. At most, they will get nothing but the
''nnalltY OF the compromise, ana is tnaC an OD-
ject worth contending for ? Does any man. not
naturally or wilfully blind believe that the fugi-
tive slave law can be enforced in Vermont, where ii
has been nullifed by an act of the Legislature Oh
in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Michigan, and other Western States, half peopled
by Yankee Abolitionsts, and German Socialists
Do they believe that either the authorities of these
States, would, if they could, enforce this law, al
the risk, nav, with the absolute certainty of ruin
III dOip tbaird
ty? Almost everywhere, experience has provec
that the public officers cannot if they would, anC
would not if they could, enforce this law, and tha
if they did, the courts and juries would acquit it
violators, even when resistance carried to the
extent of murder. What then, do Northern poll
clans, and Southern acquiencents, mean by the
''fnality of the Compromise ?'' They mean only
that it shall be final respects everything njuri
Gus, insulting offensive to the South, and nul
and void as to the only measure in which all it
representatives heartily concurred
The sole agency of Southern delegates to
Northern convention, will be limited to choice o
evils for 1t Is scarcely within the reach of posi-
Dlity tnat candidate for the Presidency in th
least favorable to Southern rights will be selected
for reasons have just specified Their choice,
they make any, must be Hopson's choice, or tha
OF the French people-that or none They will
exercise the right of acceding to the selection no
of the candidate who is most agreeable, but @
him who is least disagreeable. AS in the case G
the compromise 'they must take the best wav the
can get,'' and be thankful for the smallest favor:
They must accede to the support of candidat
whose pledges are least hostile to their rights
their interest, and their safety. 1t seems to m
that this would be placing the South in false an
degrading position. Surely it is not reduced
low in spirit, or in strength as to stoop to such a
alternative But it has lately been accustomed
choice of evils, and use reconciles us to almo
everything but hunger, gout and the toothache
If this view of the subject is correct it may
again asked, why should any party in the Sout
send delegates to any convention in the North
What good can they do there and what mirac
are they expected toachieve On the contrary
what mischief can they not do? May it not
apprehended that some, perhaps many of then
may in these times SO fruitful in bargains an
coalitions, be operated upon by combination
these irresitable influences which are known
produce such miraculous conversions, to becon
the plant tools of one or other of the great Nort
ern parties This is an age in which polite
chemistry has wrought wonders in amalgamatir