The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-09-22
THE EMPIRE STATE.


We commend the following article to the
attention of those Southern editors who are
always bugabooing about the fanatics of the
North, and think, or pretend to think, thai
every man who lives North Of the Potomac
or had the misfortune to be born there de
spite his earnest efforts to prevent such ca
tastrophe, must necessarily be hostile to the
South and her institutions. 1t is copied from
the New York Mirror, and speaks particularly
of New York. But what is true of the mass
es of the Empire State in the respect indica
ted by the article below, is true of the masses
of other States North:
"There are persons within and without oul
borders, desperately bent on convicting the
State of New York, or majority of her PEG.
pie, of antagonism to the Federal Constitu'
ton and its guarantees. In 1850, she was
charged with or claimed as being so hostile
to the Compromise and the fair rights of the
South, that she would resist the former To
the last extremity, and possibly outrage the
latter In fact, she was claimed or condemn
ed as given body and soul to "niggerism," OF
the cause of the blacks over and against that
| of the whites. A baser Misrepresentation
was never made, as her current history attests
She may have been, and may still be, inimcaI
to the Extension" of slavery, but she never
did violence to the Constitution, and never
moved to break compact made under it,
She has always been trueto "good faith
Fidelity, in the highest sense, might well be
| added to her proud motto-ExcELsIoR
"New York is intelligent and patriotic; she
may be pestered with factiSnists and fanatics
animals running loose everywhere-but
they amount to no influential, popular class
of her people, and any and every attempt on
their part to shake the pillars of the Consti-
tuition, would be instantly frowned down.
The Empire State, however much she may
condemn and despise the breakers of national
cOmpacts-sacred, and old almost as the Con-
stitution-be they Presidents, or Senators
will not carry her anger to the extent of as.
saulting the Union. She will accept on
ly legitimate, dispassionate ways Of making
her grievance in such matters known and felt.
Never will she prove traitor to the Union
never an aggressor on the rights of any Sec
ton of the Union. She is too powerful to
need to be rash or unjust.
III Is not lalr 10 Judge new ioTk ny Tie nc
ton or course of one man, or thousand
men. Remember she has population OF
more than three mlions-nearly one sixth of
the white population of the Union-among
whom thousand political madmen might
rage harmless and in vain. We protest
against any wholesale stigma, sought to be
cast on one of the truest and most patriotic
States in the confederacy. Condemn indivd-
uals, and clques, and factions, according TO
their acts, but let the masses be judged by
the history Of their State. For her ASSISTANTS
from without, we have but contempt; for the
citizen who assais the good faith, integrity,
and whether by claim or charge
of the State which SO gloriousIy shelters
him-we have but init.i gnatiOn and scorn;- :,
He, above all Others, being q traitor 10 ms
State, is fit to feel and act treason !"ea'nS'
the Union"