Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-05-08
The Past--The Future.

mississippi unsettled, as we early Sd" IL
party bias of men, and cast many on the broad ocean
of speculation without chart or compass Among the
'hoaters cur Standard was seen and while thousands
saw, or pretended they saw in the Baltimore conven-
ton haven of political safety if not assurances of
more perfect security the South were free to say
that we were incapable of detecting any prospect of
security and of honor 1t may have been our in
nate want of faith lack of sagacy, or. slowness of
perceptions or perhaps and the latter is probably the
true secret our cid fashioned mode of reasoning all
subjects in which the mind and the prejudces of man
kind are involved. The Past is before us-we know
its altitude its length and breadth Its marks are seen
in history peoples and its influence is potential
over our public men, and the councils of the Nation
bend its unhoy and fanatical dietum. How unwise
it is them behind the experience of the Past
to shun under any ubteruge, those prudent and wise
precautions which check in season. the progress OF
a corroding and dangerous evil. Acting upon pruden
tial maxims, hestated-more, we doubted not only
the propriety but the which most likely would
spring out of Reorganization of old parties upon
platforms that have proved under the pressure of ia
naticism and prejudice, utterly unsafe We were at
sea- and while the little sockleshe crafts were oun
dering along amid waters made turbid by their splash
ing, onward and upward. Our consis-
tency is untanted and we have regrets, only
that of having been unable to do toward advanc-
ing the cause of human rights and the equality of SOW
ereign communities.
1t is settled that both the old parties 90 into
National Convention in June next for the purpose of
selecting opposing candidates for the Presidency and
Vice Presidency To say that anticipate from the
action of either of those conventions anything worthy
OF endorsing, or men we can cheerfuly and cordially
support would be inconsistent with past opin
ions and contrary to our understanding. We really
expectno such thing Pushed by demagogues into
the power of dominant sectional coalition the poor
privilege alone is allowed u.s. of selecting as best we
may, the man that of the Conventions tenders to
the South, a candidate for the Presidency. That
either convention will present which true and
conscientious States Right man can cheerully sup
port, do not believe. Between the two evils, it
shall be aim to choose the least The the least
observation-disclosures whose avowals and positions
accord more nearly with our notions of political equal
ity both national and sectional and who conceive
honest enough to do justice and independent enough
to frown upon the forwardness of political fanaticsm
may meet with what the requirement of duty demands
from toward our fellows Under no circumstance
can we pledge ourselves to the action of any
ton, nor wiilw support any man upon the mere re-
| commendatio n of any convention
Our opponents here and elsewhere are insisting up
on the inaity of the Compromise as a settlement of
all agitating sectional questions Several county meet
ings in this State have gone far their
adhesion and support of the National nominee depen-
ded upon the recognition of the Compromise measures
fnality, by the convention comforting the nom-
nation. With all due Difference to those who propo-
gate such doctrine fan to believe it most I'M
christian quackery-profoundh umbug 1t is unneces-
sary to argue this point. All political laws are re-
peaable by Congress- and aresoluton announcing the
fact that any measure is 'inality' may be annuled
the day after its passage together with the measure
announced the final 'fnality. Maorities rule un-
der form of government, and hence the fugitive
slave law, the territorial bills may be altered amen
ded, or even repealed-more the Wilmot proviso may
be annexed by majority of Congress- and the minor
ity is wholly powerless to redress themselves, except
it be to-resist by force of arms. The gentlemen who
persist in declaring the Compromise fnaity, simply
seek to coalesce with their northern allies
they seek subterfuge to keep the slavery agitation
knowing, every intelligent must that the ia
natcism and prejudice at the North is SO intense and
heated that this thin guaze shield of "fnality is in
any sense, but painted sepulchre hosted to misead
men and deceive the ignorant Presidential aspirants
t on the hand and Congressional and local dema-
gogues the other, striving force the finay
of the compromise into the coming campaign, by the
ofwhich, is hoped, that the abolition excite
ment will be kept up the side, resistance to
the demand. of abolition sentiment on the other and
making, by this dishonorable means, a Union party
8 apparently respectable and necessary This is the
ann of the "fnality'' mongers-they the ag
tators the thorough dsunonists, and they playing
# just the game that Stewards and Gddngs plans
because they adroitly turn it to their purposes Az
# taton is the life of these men-wthout it in Pres
dental campaign, their adherents would be swallowed
q up by the excitement around them. Let the Soutl
u beware of these 'fnality'' men!
Error is wise in its own day and generation, ant
they who called battle with it, do themselves lit
tie credit the of Truth and Justice no good, by
permitting themselves to be betrayed into the employ
ment of the nstrumentaties adroty projected by thu
: propogators of Error. Compromise What is it =
Is it settlement of issue between Truth and Justic
o and the advocates of Error ! Can mankind hope 70
e acquesence when they called on to Compromis
" with Error } Can any stable and fixed Principle b
established, when Truth on the and Error tn
other side, are the parties contesting No! Truth
can never be compromised; The eternal years of Go
are hers and she divide her domain with tn
advocates of Error. Her rule to be righteous must
}, sovereign. When Error presses Truth into compro
mise, Error wins, because all she gains by it, is gal
, without loss. We have been; says one, CONFRONT
sing and compromising for half century, in our Cor