The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-26

constitution which protects the South, must be up
held. The Union Is In danger. It's preservation is
of more import nee than party squabbles. will
protect; and call upon all to unite in her aid What
would be the result2 The South would support him
TO man. All lovers Of the Union ana .ne conserva
II: and the sound constitutional democracy of the
North probably. His administration would be trium.
phant If he fails to do this his administration will
&c gone The next Congress will show this Parties
will unite to destroy him, and the wing party and
the administration unsupported by the South, will be
feeble to resist them.
"The wing party who have property may see the
necessity Of supporting side that will uphold and
carry on the government in order to retain the
spoils. The contest for spoils is alarming There is
no contest but between the ins and the outs. Van
tenn, and it is folly it is laaghable now to cry it
down. Taylor is giving all the sp0ils to wings; but
this only Injuries himself The disappointed in our
party who are fighting for spoils are fifty times
numerous and become the worst enemies in tho
will continue these "reminiscences as find tune
to write them out. Yours, respectfully,
JOSEPH A. ScovILLE.
Since writing the above, I have read your able
article in the HERALD Of the 23d inst, in reference
to the Nebraska question. You close it by saying
The meeting at the Tabernacle will be the opening,
perhaps, Of the final struggle upon the slavery ques
ton and it may only be terminated in dissolution
of the Union.' There is q remarkable coincidence
between your views and those entertained by the
great dead four years ago. and his ideas extreme.
ly apropos just now, and cannot be too extensively
known TO Southern men. have written in this letter
some remarks Of bis, and l again repeat them =
Prohibiting slavery by the North in any of the ter
rtores is degrading to the South and violating the
constitution. 1t is loss to the South; but that is not
ure him. but if he don't resent his face is slapped
and then he is kicked. His moral power is gone.'
Mr. Calhoun would have carried out the idea by say
ing that meddng with the sd territories BY pEohb
Southern States and their property was splitting in
the mans face slapping his face, would be abolish
ing slavery in the District of Columbia; and then
kicking the man, would be exemplifed in abolishing
slavery in the South will be done when the North
hold complete and full power in Congress.
What am going to write now was dictated to me
It the legacy he prepared for the people OF the
United States, and to which shall more particularly
alude in another letter By giving it in your columns
now it will meet the gaze Of thousands who do not
know that such lal guage, used by Mr. Calhoun is IN
existence.
The sectional tendency OF parties has been in
creasng with the central tendency Of the govern
ment They are, indeed, intimately connected The
more the powers of the system are centralized In the
federal government the greater will be its power
and patronage; proporonate with these and increas
ing with their increase will be the desire to possess
the control them for the purpose of aggrandize
ment and the stronger this desire, the less will be
the regard for principles, and the greater the ten
deDcy to unite for sectional objects the stronger
section with view to power and aggrandizement--
the weaker for defence and safety. Any strongly
marked diversity will be sufficient to draw the line
be it diversity Of pursuit, Of origin of character of
habits, OF Of local institutions. The latter being
more deeply and distinctly marked than any other
ext ting in the several States comprising the Union
has at all times been considered by the wise and pa
triotc as delicate point and to be with great eau
ton touched. The DANCE connected with this BE-
thao -
confederation in respect to the North western terrific
ry and continued down to the time of the formation
Of the present constitution. They constituted the
principal difficulty in forming 1t but it was fortu
Datey overcome and adjusted to the satisfaction Of
both parties.
"For long period nothing occurred to disturb this
happy state Of things. But in the session Of 1919
1920 question arose that exposed the latent danger
The admission OF the Territory OF Missouri as a
State Of the Union was resisted on the ground that
its constitution did not prohibit slavery. The con-
test, after long and angry discussion, finally
adjusted BY compromise, which admitted her as
slaveholding State on condition that slavery should
be prohibited in all the territories belonging to the
United States lying north of SO deg. 80 min. This
compromise was acquiesced In by the people of the
South and the danger, apparently and as every one
| supposed, permanently renoved. Experience, how
ever, has proved how erroneous were their calcula
tons. The disease lay deep; It touched fanatical
the Northern portion of the Unionvho believed that
slavery was sin as well as q great political evil;
and who remained quiet in reference to it only be-
cause they believed 1t was beyond their control and
that they were in no way responsible for it, So long
as the government was regarded federal govern
ment, with limited powers, this belief Of the sinful.
ness Of slavery remained in dorman. state. Is it
still does in reference to the institution in foreign
countries; but when it was openly proclaimed as it
was by the passage of the act Of 1885, that the gov
eminent had the right to judge in the last resort OF
the extent Of its powers and to the military and
naval forces Of the Union to carry its decision into
execution, and when its passage by the joint votes
of both parties furnished practical assertion Of the
right claimed in an outrageous case, the cord was
t,ucbed which reused it into action. The effects
were soon made visible In two years thereafter, in
1885, systematic movement was for the first time,
commenced to agitate the question Of abolition, by
flooding the Southern States with documents cal
cuated to produce discomfort among the slaves, aud
Congress with petitions to abolish slavery in the
District Of Columbia.
psratively to q few, and they obscure individuals
without influence. The great mass of the people
viewed It with aversion. Bat here az ain, the same
measure which reused It into action mainly contri-
buted to keep alive the agitation and ultimately to
raise party, Consisting, at first, Of few fanatics
sufficiently numerous and powerful to exercise con-
trolling influence the entire 1r'hern section of
the Union. BY the greas increase Of power and
patronage which it conferred on the government, it
contributed vastly to increase the concentration and
intensity OF party struggles, aud TO make the eeS
ton OF President the all absorbing question. The eff
feet Of this was 10 induce both parties to seek the
votes Of every faction or oombinat-o on by whose ad
they might hope to succeed--fetteriug them 10
return with the prospect OF establishing the doctrines
they protested, Of accom- pshng the objects they
desired. This state Of thiDga could not tail to gve
importance to any fanatical party, however small,
which cared more for the OBJECT that united them
than for the success of either party especially ii it
should be Of character 70 accord, in the abstracE
with the feelings of that portion Of the community
generally Each Of the great parties in order to Sc
cure their support, would in turn endeavor to con-
cilat5 them by protesting great respect for them,
and disposition 20 aid them in accomplishing the
objects they wished to effect This dangerous sys
TEN Of electoneering could not fail to increase the
party, and to give il great additional strength TO be
followed OF course, by Increased anxiety on the
part Of those who desired Its aid to conciliae its
favor thus keeping the action and reaction Of these
fatal elements from day to da,-the one risn Ia i'm
portance its Influence extendes over the section
the other sinking in subserviency to its principles