The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-12

IA liet4 Erp$eabais 49, l049 the wefka& Ne CO
shsion'teas ARMED; and gentlemen will ~ how
far Mr.. Iiafett and those who thought with him
had to go before they could act without repug
nance with the Free soil party. The following is
one of the resolutions reported by MIR. llalleu :;
| Resoiped, That we are opposed to slavery
in any form and color, and ia favor OF freedom
AND FREE SOIL wherever man Iives through
out Gods heritage"
That is one of the resolutions, here is
| other
Resotred, That we are opposed to the exten
sion Of slavery 10 free territories, and III favor
| OF the exercise Of all constitutional and necas-i
sary means TO restrict it to the limits within
which it does or may exist by the local laws OF
the State
Now, gentlemen will ask me, what is the vote
upon these resolutions of Mr. 1allet! 1t was
very fun Democratic convention, and the vote in
favor OF these resolutions was unanimous one,
on the 10Th of September, l849. Gentlemen
who write one kind of resolutions for the news
papers, unanimously adopted, circulating them
Throughout the State of Massachusetts, in
printed FORM for effect and who will write an.
other kind of doctrine in private letters to mem
bers upon this floor must submit to have their
two systems compared. say here what have
said in Massachusetts. Print them in parallel
columns, and you will find no difference. Ii the
gentlemen wish to make the North all hypo-
critics; If they wish every man at the North
| who entertains sentiments that are not perfectly
palatable in high Southern latitude should falsify
his own record, and pretend to love that which
in his heart he abhors; if gentlemen desire that
why there is way to make some men do that
but there is no way to make oil men do So
The thing is impossible | think too well not
only of the people, of the freemen, of Massa
chusetts, bu, think, thank God, am able to
say, too we'll of the freemen of the United
States, | think too we'll of human nature all
over the world, to believe that universal sys-
tenn of hypocrisy upon the subject of slavery, or
any other sui ject, is possible now, or will be
at any future day. You may succeed in maxi
ing
MIR. CABELL. Will the gentleman permit
me o ask him single question?
Mr.. RANTOUL. | have not time. The
gentleman can speak after me for an hour.
MIR. CABELL | only wish to ask The gen.
tleman if the person of whom he is speaking is
the same one who is chairman of the Demo.
cratic committee?
Mr.. RANTOUL. 1t is the same man--what
is called at the North, Hunker Democrat
Laughter Nov, sir, was saying, and | can
not go over the matter that intended to pass
over, that this issue of slavery is a great ma
tional issue to be met with national, constitu
tional principles. We have got to see what is
to be done with it. say it is zoe say that it
is not one third Of the Union that is to settle
this subject if the Uniled States government
take it up. 1t will be settled by two-thirds of
the people of the United States, and not by one
third. Yes, sir, gentlemen should remember
that tho State of Massachusetts has a greater
white population than any State south Of Ma
son and Dixon's line, and yet Massachu etts is a
small State at the North Are these States that
contain one third part of the white population,
to say that the general government shall take
hold of this subject? That is the first PROPOSE
ton. Second: When they take hold of it are
they to do what they demand-they being one.
t third Of the people, and we, the other two
thirds, shall humbly submit 10 it to the end Of
our days. They will make that demand, but it
will not be granted; that is all Is it wise to
make it! Is it not better to look about a little,
and see what you can do before you embark in
an enterprise of that kind see but three
issues to this great question of slavery. will
PROFOUND them in a few words, for see my time
is very short. There are three issues, say 1t
may result in civil war and anarchy. say
that is possible; but in my opinion it il mere
possibility. But it is a possibility that prudent
men ought to look at, because bad management
may drive the chariot of the precip!ce, when,
with the slightest degree of prudence and skill
the course would be perfectly safe 1t may re-
suit in civil war, if badly managed, indeed,
without any sort of prudence. Then, what are
the two other issues in which it may result I?
Why, there is a fed raj, and there is a Demo
cratic issue. Slavery will not last forever; for
the seeds of its death are within itself. Now,
almost the whole civilized world have got rid Of
it; and that portion of the civilized world of
which speak-for say nothing of the barba-
rans--which still retains this institution, retains
a temporary institution and it must look about
to See how, with the least Inconvenience and suf
fering to itself, that temporary institution is
to come to an end That is the great question
for Southern men; and if it is to be pressed
upon this government-and think it ought not
to be--then it is the great question for Northern
men.
i And | say there are two ssues---a federal
issue and Democratic issue. What is the
federal issue! That the federal government
be forced day after day to take more and more
interest in this subject of slavery, and TO inter
i fere more and more with it, by at one time
making fugitive slave law, to compel all of
my constituents to be the catchers of runaway
negroes, which is repugnant to my people
They do not like it. Or, by an arrangement
which they say is constitutional, and to give
the great capitalists OF the North an opportuni
ty to raise an amount sufficient for the cxigency
either by taking the national lands, or making
great national loan to build up great ma
tonal debt, greater than that Of Great Britain,
which they would delight to do, to buy up the
negroes of the South. That is the federal is
sue. Towards it you are tending now. BY
and by gentlemen will see this tendency more
strongly developing itself. 1t is of no avail for
gentlemen to try to shut their eyes to it. When
the federal party see that slavery must come to
an end, they will endcavor to prevail upon the
general government to buy itup. Against that
protest beforehand. When that is done, il
makes a complete revolution in the whole nature
of the government. 1t builds up debt az
great as that of England. 1t gives the Presi-
dent power which makes the republican en-
pire, even though your forms remain unchanged,
as France has been transformed into an empire,
from the great patronage existing in the hands