The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-09-13
From the South Ca,vltnian.
The North and the, South.

Travelling We remarked that lIfncl ot the pre-
iudce against the Institution ofsltvrry, exis iig
ut the North, was owing to wilul and vuur-
tary ignnrance on the part OF the people OF the
ou-savehnIdng States OF our people and their
character, and that thisignorance was II serious
obstacle to more cordial and perfect union be,
tween the North aud the South.
The Philadelphia Bulletin gives the extract
on this point, and says:
"Onr Southern contemporary, we assure him.
does injustice to the North in the above para
graph. The majority ofthe northerncrs euter-
tain no such unjust opinions respecting the
citizens of the South. That a minority believes
all that Mrs. Stowe, Douglass, and other abo
T,ionists have said, We do not deny. Neither
do we deny that the minority in question, by
making a greatnoise, induced many to believe
them more numerous. than they are for like
erasshoppers in iiurke's celebrated smile,
: they fill the field with their importunate
cIan,or.'" -.. s.
We would be sorry to do injustice to the
North; and as the Bulletin is aware, the article
which he comments on was to suggest that the
people of the North should increase their inter-
communication with us-to come among US
and investigate and examine for themselves,
and not feed their preludces by reading and
believing mti.slavery writers and lecturers.
But hat are the facts in relation to this mat.
ter? Within the limits of Pennsylvania a
Southern citizen has ben murdered when at
tempting to recover his slave, and other nstan.
ces have occurred, which do not sustain the
Bulletin in its assertion that the people of the
North "admit The binding force of the clause
in the Constitution which provides for the re-
turn Of fugitive slaves" 1t will not do for that
paper togive credit TO the people of the North
For the passage of the fugitive slave law !; for if
that said clause in the Constitution had been
recognised. as binding, there was no Necessity
for this 9Th wheel for the omnibus BILL Had
the North been true aud loyal to this provision,
it is evident that no fugitive slave law would
ever have been thought Of. We are sustained,
then, in the position that it was the general
sentiment Of the North" against the institution
which demanded this enactment, Instead of that
sentiment being in favor of either the law or the
section of the Constitution which it is intended
to make more effective and binding.
TIE columns of the Bulletin next day show
that, in its attempt to screen the people Of
the North from the accusation we made. it
did not speak the voice of its own community.
a correspondent replies to its article and saws
'Permit me to say there is no use in attempt.
ing to disguise the fact that the great mass Of
the people in. the free States hate slavery with
deep and growing intensity. All Intelligent
people at the South know this perfectly well!
They are not niislcd by representing abolition
lists as "grasshoppers that fill the field with their
importunate clainor.' Rabid abolitiouism, I
admit, is at u large discount But there never
was time when a strong anti slavery senli.
ment was as powerful and pervading as at
present"
We have been inclined 10 think for some
time past, and were pleased in the belief that
public sentiment had undergone some change
on this poiut; but we have still evidences- Of
determination to keep up this agitation, despite
the threatened evils of sectional animosity and
even disunon, which have more than once i'm
pended over the country in consequence Of it,
A northern writeron the Liberties of America
assails the institution, and denounces it as
curse. The correspondent Of the Bulletin in.
sists that the anti slavery sentiment never. was
so powerful, and pervading as at present But
few days since we received petition which
we perceive is being generally circulated, pray
ing Congress to make appropriations for eman
cipation, and we have no doubt these petitions
will appear before Congress with an array Of
names which will give truer index to the
general sentiment Of the North" than the Bull
Ie,in does; yet all these parties disclaim any
fraternity or sympathy with aboli,ionism pro-
per, while they are looking and working for the
abolition Of slavery. The lessons and expert.
ence of the rast have simply caused northern
sentiment to change its mode of attack, and
these movements bear witness that there is an
abiding determination TO war upon slavery
until it is abolished or the Union is 'dsmember-
ed. The success Of such schemes, we hold,
can only be averted by the conservatism of
the public press at the North. To this great
work we commend the Bulletin and its cotem.
poraries, feeling assured they will do more es-
sental service than by endeavoring, with hon.
.esty Of purpose no doubt, to persuade US that
the general sentiment" around them on this
question is sound or law abiding
"
TnE Planters BANK OF FAIRFIELD.-The
President OF this Bank. Jas. r. Aiken, Esq,
(who, by the way, we are pleased to see has
returned improved in health from the North J
exhibited to us on Saturday last, the five and
ten dollar bills Of the Bank--they are chaste
and beautiful, both in design and execution.
The vignette of the former is a truly clIarac.
teristic Southern. scene, representing a cotton
plantation. In the foreground, the proprietor
on horseback is survey ing the hands busly
employed picking and gathering the silken
fleece of the great staple; in the background
is til" planters residence-that abode of gem
uine hospitality and refinement; on the left
margin is female figure, cnmely dame,
personating Ceres, the goddess Of the rlenti