New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-04-12
SLAVERY AND THE UNION

SLAVERY AND THE UNION.
II seems TO be time, in view of the circumstances in
which Il country is now placed, AID of the great
controversy respecting Slavery revived by Pierce aud
Douglas and their southern allies in the extinct Wing
party of the South the Badgers the JOneses and the
Clay tOns-a controversy whose conclusion no man
can resee-t is time, we say, to examine the point
OF which the South makes the greatest account which
it constantly employs by way of both defense and Of
Tense aud without which, indeed it would ofpn be
difficult for southern champions to have anything to
say at all This point is succincty expressed in the
following extract from The Union, Past and Future,
pamphlet published at Charleston in 1850, widely cir
cuated at the time and since repubshed in whole in
part in various other places throughout the southern
States:
The North possesses of the material elements Of
greatness in which the South abounds whether regard
the productions of the soil the to the markets of
the world the capacity OF military defense While the
slave States produce nearly thing within Themselves
the free States will depend them for food
they do for rice sugar tobacco and cotton-the
employment of their ships in southern commerce the EN-
poymen If their labor in the manufacture of southern
cotton and all that they can purchase Of other countries
with the fabrics Of that great southern staple We have
shown that the price Of that staple must be permanently
raised how would the manufacturing industry Of the
free States stand this rise If their raised By
dissoluon Of the Union and hor uouA their hborers sab
sist under ms ne,c burden If they at once lost the employ
millions Of southern capital and the dsbzr.eraeat of
tVCay millions Of southern taxes! The answer TO tins
question viii bring to the last view we shall present OF
subject and win show that The Union has. IN TRUTH
tnesmdJ T0rh for The North. 1t defes oil the powers
Of figures calculate the value the free States Of the
conservative influence of the South upon their social
ganizatioD.'
Few ideas are more widely disseminated or more
deeply seated amorg Southern men than that
which is here nculcated-the oppression OF the slave
holding States for the benefit of the free Few
rors are of more universal acceptaton than is the belief
throughout all the country south of Mason and Di1ons
line that the prosperity of the North is due to its con-
necon with the South aud that continuance of that
connection is to the former matter of absolute
city if it would avoid returning to the original pow
"erty and weakness" that must inevitably result from
dissolution of the Union. To northern men
such an event, as we are told would be fatal,
because it would be followed by an Increase
Of taxation, q diminished demand for labor, and
diminished power to command the capital OF the South
accompanied by increased difficulty ia finding freight
for their ships, material for consumption in
their factories and mills. To them, therefore, the
Union is according TO universal southern authority
Of Destimable worth" whereas dissolution of the
Union would to the South be fraught with blessings
Once separated from the North, says our pamphlet:
Her trade would revive and grow like field of young
corn when the long expected showers descend after
witherng drought The South loses the OF me
1870 l4O millions year Of her capital and also pays
the federal Government at least 20 millions of taxes % of
which are spent beyond her borders This great stream
of taxation continually bears the wealth of the South far
away its and small indeed is the portion which
returns in refreshing clouds reensh its
Turn back TO its natural channel and the South will be
relieved of Is millions of taxes to be left where they
be most wisely expended in the hands of the payers and
the other II millions will furnish salaries to her people and
encouragement 10 her labor Restore to her the use Of
the 100 lao millions year of her produce for the foreign
trade and ell her ports will hrong with business Nor
folk and Charleston and Savannah so long pointed by
the North proof Of the pretended evils Of slavery will
be crowded with shipping and their warehouses cramned
win merchandise. The use and command of this large
capital would cut canals would build roads and tunnel
mountains and drive the iron horse through the reoest
valleys, till the desert should blossom like the rose
-Four years have elapsed since the publication
Of this pan phlet and with each and every Gay of those
years these ideas have obtained srocg ger hold on the
southern mind, until at length we find theqi cow re-
pested from every quarter Of the slavehOdrg States
In all the continuance OF the Union is now regarded
the great necessity Of the North-as the eondi-
tOn of its existence as thriving and prosperous
muniiy. All that northern people desire as We are
told by The Charleston Mercury is power and gain,
and to secure these they must cling to the Union as
tie sheetanchor OF all their hopes With the South,
the contrary the great necessity is dissolution and
if the Union is to be maintained il can be so only on
condition that southern shall be the masters O!
its policy, both external and internal The North may
vince but il must submit So says Tie Mercury even
now
They threaten with great northern party, and q
| general upon the South. II thew were not mere
kucksters in poitc-vh only this peculiarly that every
offers himself instead Of other commodity for
sslewe should surmse that they might do wha, they
threaten and Hs brsg out The real triumph Of tie S0V
b. neking dssoEtioH Of the siOa necessary But they
will do such thing They will blusier and utter
world of swelling self glorcsion and end by knocking
themselves down to the highest bidder To be II
they could make the best bargains by destroying the
South they would Get about il without delay But they
esnrot They hre upos u.s. and The SoEh affords hen
The double eradication Of object for hatred and field
fer yuHd How far they may be moved to carry their
Indignation at this time ii is mposs bic to say but
be they viii cool of just al the point where they
discover that they make nothing out Of il snd
ma lose
Tb, rs.i IA Nh III "a, ,.u,.n vania q. v M. ts