The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-04
For the Southern Press.
Relies Of Scraps and Musings.
"THE HEALING MEASURE"


No. 10.
"THE HEALING MEASURE"
The healing measures of the compromise, sc
far from "giving peace to this distracted coun
| try" seems destined to produce confusion
worse COMPOUNDED" The efficacy Of this great
quack nostrum having been brought to an issue
in the Wing caucus at Washington, as dose
! which was to cure the disorders of the country
was rejected as being out Of ORDER What seems
still more strange, the Wing members from the
South, who in the early stages of its progress
most bitterly opposed that measure, are now
the most strenuous advocates and supporters OF
its inality, by which is meant, not that it shall
come to speedy end, but that it shall last for
ever. II is as clear as daylight that neither the
Wings or Democrats of the North dare commit
themselves to any portion of the compromise,
an Infringement of the constitutional equality
and rights of the States, and that they will not
and cannot be brought to pledge themselves in
behalf of the fugitive slave law, which the South
clings to like the drowning man catching at n
straw, already sunk or sinking. Both parties at
the North know very well that such pledge
would be fatal to either one that should give it
and hence the silence of General ScoTT, whose
orthodoxy on this point is only vouched for by
Mr.. STANLY, who merely pledges himself ant
not his principles. AS to the Democratic nom
inee, have no doubt he will give plenty o
pledges, which will be like the advice of thu
old Syb of Panyoust, when consulted by al
honest man who wanted wife but was fearful
Of consequences The "Old Fogie" discreetly
$AH~ered:
''Before you act be sure to fast,
For what shall be, was never past
Say, unsay, gainsay, but save your breath,
Then wait at once her life and death
Take or not take her."
The story goes that the poor gentleman was
sadly puzzled by the oracle, and finally deter.
mined TO consult dumb man, whose refusal to
make any response whatever, was considered
quite satisfactory.
The position in which the South has been
placed by its own want of concert decision and
frmness, is that of an owl between hawk and
buzzard, or more appropriately, an honest sim
pie clodhopper between two rogues, one wits.
pering promises in his ear, the other picking his
pocket with the intention of knocking him down
afterwards Cannot the wise men of the South
to whom those of the East can't hold can
dle-see that both parties-all parties in the
North, are only laboring to wheede them into
the support of Presidential candidate who,
when they have assisted in electing him, will
turn out a mere instrument Of the Aboltionists
and Freesoilers ? But it may be asked what
shall they-what can they do 4? The question is
difficult of solution. What they have already
done, has in a great measure rendered all future
action nugatory, and in my opinion the best
course they can take for the presents to do
nothing.
RIGHTS OF THE SOUTH.
There is party at The North calling them
selves "the friends of the constitutional rights
of the South" Where is it-what is it :? Is
it Wing or Democratic Is it to be- found
among those who are, or pretend to be con.
tented with whit they have got by violating
the cyAAsautonal equality of the States, or
thosecwho refuse to sanction the fnality of the
compromise, because it stands in the way of
future spoliations know of no party in the
North, that at this moment has any other object
than that of electing its nominee for Presden,
whoever he may be, either by coaxing the South
into CO operation, or splitting it into factions
that will neutraize each other Were it posi-
BILE for the two Southern parties to unite, they
would at this moment be in position, if not /,
chose their own candidate, at least to defea
any one they pleased. But this Sc ems impossi
BILE, and those who cannot, or will not he'll
themselves, must trust to Providence.
RESISTANCE AND SECESSION
A great expounder of the Constitution ha
right of resistance, or revolution, and that {
peaceable secession, the former Of which h
considers UNSUITABLE in extreme cases, the latte
reasonable. Yet both are founded on the sam
right, and involve the same principle, as will ar
pear from the following exemplifcation.
+ The thirteen British colonies of North Amer
lea, though not equal constituent parts of Grea
Britain, were portions of her political system
possessing certain rights and being bound b
certain obligations to the mother country. Fo
causes they deemed sufficient to justify thei
course, they declared themselves Independent
and seeded from that great body polite q
which they had for ages formed part. Nov
according TO Mr.. WEBsTER's distinction, ha