The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-23

Columbia.
don't pretend to set myself up Us mentor
to the good people Of the South, but as sin
cere friend. would advise them without dis
tinction Of parties to mature and preserve a sep
arate organization, at least while the present
state OF things continues. BY assuming this
attitude they will be infinitely stronger, as well
as more respectable, than if they were to come
into any Northern convention. The North is
fighting its own battles not those of the South
and ANY Northern candidate can secure his elec.
ton to the Presidency by sacrificing the South
the South will be sacrificed. BY plunging into the
whirlpool of Northern politics they will only
lose themselves BY standing aloof, they
| will be heard and felt. Their absence, like that
of the bust of Cato at Caesars funeral, will ex-
cite more attention than their presence. twill
serve as silent, solemn warning of the ulti.
mate consequences of persisting in the danger
Gus experiment of pushing them to the wall
and shadow forth that fatal crisis which it will
one day inevitably produce. 1t will indicate to
those who really cherish the Union, that already
have the excuses of fanatcism, and the arts OF
hypocritcal politicians, opened wide gulf Of
separation between the North and the South
which, if not filled up, will some day swallow
them both.
Why should not the people of the South
select candidate for the Presidency from among
themselves, without any reference to Northern
support, which Mr.. Stephens has at length dis
covered cannot be obtained but by abject ac
quiescence, not only in past, but future encroach
ments! Surely there is some man among them
on whom both parties can unite and such a
Union would make him a match for any oppo.
nent likely to be brought against them. Why
cannot they join illone common league for com
mon safety! They have one great common in.
terest mt stake, in comparison with which local
jealousies and mere party feelings arc utterly
insignificant
And why cannot they thus unite! Both par
ties-al sections of parties-are agreed on many
of the most important questions of domestic
| and foreign policy. Ga the great measures Of
the tariff; the distribution of the public lands
internal improvements by the general gov,
ernment strict construction of the Con
| stitution, and intervention in the affairs OF
Europe, it appears there is great unanimity
of opinion; and with regard to the rights of the
States, the position of all parties in the South
imposes on them the obligation to maintain these
as the very condition of their existence. What
then, prevents their combining in self defence
which will best be attained by separate organ
zaton Is it personal rivalry, or is it the loaves
and fishes
respectfully solicit them to reflect seriously
on the views presented, and to decline becoming
the dupes of interested leaders, who will proba-
bly, in the end sell them to the highest bidder
or the cats paws of Juggling Northern poiti-
clans, who will do as they have always done,
mount the ladder and then kick it from under
them Let them most especially beware of
pledges they have had enough of these
They are the sureties of school boys, who prom
ise to be good if you will only give them plenty
Of sugar pums. The best security for the fu-
ture conduct of men is their past actions.
1t seems to me that the only secure position
of the South is to stand aloof, at least for the
present, and let the parties in the North fight
their battles by themselves They have no in
terest in the defeat or victory of either, for rs
respects the great questions with which the vi
tai interests of the South are inseparaby in
tertwined, thereis scarcely shade Of difference
between Wings and Democrats in the North
Their principles have become absorbed, or ANAL
| gamated in the great menstruum Of abolition, or
are all lost in coalitions and compromises, the
sole object of which is an equal division of the
loaves and fishes 1t has been said that when
rogues fall out honest men come at the truth
and the late expositions of Messrs. Davis and
Rantoul furnish exemplifcations of the proverb
These gentlemen seem to think that politics is
| nothing more than system of bargain and sale;
that conscience or principle is as much merch.
antable commodity as cotton or Goldfish, and that
every man has right to get as much for itsas
he can. Unless the Southern delegates to
Northern conventions are equally expert in this
system of bargaining, and of equally pliable
consciences, they will stand no chance and had
better stay at home, except they wish to perfect
themselves in this new system of free trade"
The Union, if it is to stand at all, must have
some better foundation than corrupt coalitions
or compromises, in which great principles are
sacrificed to the personal interests of great ira.
ding politicians. There is no truth more thor.
oughly exempfied in history'than that the free
dom of mankind has no other basis than the
virtues Of mankind. General intelligence alone
is not sufficient; and the n ost glorious of all
the attributes of liberty is, that she cannot ex
list, except in the pure atmosphere of intel
gence, under the direction of virtuous princ
PIES If any man dreams that she can live and
move, and have her being in the midst of cor
l ,,,I 1,k ooI. -, H.