The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1854-11-23
From the cnrotiu;dn
The Question BSIor, Us.


awake M III til great QUESTION of the day
thouy!n in 1892 that it was our policy q
dissolve tbs Union. thought SO a",i.
in 1852. sill think so in 1851. Bn
the REASONS for This opinion are very 'liif'l
cnt now from those which Influenced IN,
twenty-five years ago. The preservation {"
this Union is no long'r a question! Thc
time for that lscu 's;on has long sine,
passed Saving the Union is as dust in tn,
balance when compared with ,l,s< ~su,
about being made up for us. The matter
for our present consideration is that mo-
myn,ous question of ~lfprr*creniion.
Not our prosperity, bu. our existence as
people, tl.p"'r!s upon oar system "l
slavery. With us slavery is question
nothing short of lii;c anal death. This is
the great problem which the nineteenth
question isasls<:in,rl to ahs,'5 a!l ";hrr~,
anlnpons its Solution ri,pnds tn" :a,e not
only Of 'tl..S r"nn'rv, In of the West Irtla
i~l,mlS AMI SuntL Amrir;,.
That man must he a Very sup rG,'i:,l oh
server of human events lav" r,""! history
to vr:v liulr rurp'sr-w.3 thinks that this
,),l.Sin,, can b.. settled w::!,um! an open
isSu,.--:,n iS<u, nni of words. hut Of d..fS.
Some twcn'v-ve Years ago II tvw unknown
and lrsp;s'.I ;,l,"l,ii"n!*:S. "s,'i'ary aud
alone" st i'll motion this hail ot;t!oitioIsn.
They cam. into Congress with their p..;-
tinn>. They began li.. work o! agitation.
They have cnn!nn>,l To M...nt., wi!"u:
giving sleep to their eyes, until they ar"
now firmly in Their seat anl the r.il,s i'll
their hands.
I This is an assertion which il irur. should
- make every Southern man begin To ruf
his house in order" f,r wl!rn ,lr' :,!nii' :"a
party actually, .n:rrs npcn III" ;sd:nn'',r-
ton OF this government all distinction will
cease between master and slave. II in tl,a,
day Southern Shareholders are still the sub
jccts of this Federal Government, and
amcialc to its laws, their lives anl their
property will pass away like the morning
cloud. There is an Importance i'll This view
i'll our controversy with the aholit:oa;Sts
which has not yet been duly considered.
This controversy, we may safely admit, l,:ul
i.s origin in an honest. but fanaical zeal
for liherty-a morbid and mistaken sym
pathy for imagined wrongs. But to what
is this feeling growing Where is it 'es-
tined to end elimination ,,:. r.,.."...
ti"n, rp"ts'l acts ,oi- InRsr -. u; ;? z.
cnrc and ou:ras on one sic , g. ,.>... is'i .
d.fianrc Oh IN. other, is d.,:r cr.'n,; sag
feeling between the p,r:..s ta "s. y H.,
final is>ur is mai. hv an act. they
will be- founi arrayrd in Fl rrr aud mor:ai
hatred. "-ny"non,"d by irrevnra!'lc wrong"
The conflict :hrn will be not for the pres
crv;tinn "f the slave, l,ut determination If
the master; and the mrrcil,ss struggle
between the G;ron;list and the Jacnl;n vii!
again he enacted, only upon q wid'r field.
That this issue is roming-is obliged to
coma-an,l musl BE- met, is u fact to whh
sefssr people, by fatal infa'uati"n, seem re-
= 3lvcd to close their eyes. That the aloI;-
'sstspn party have already guined II strong
I'd from which they cannot be displaced,
Inns ITO be too manifest longer to be
- sdR3uhtcd.. They have acquired an influence
in this government which it is sheer fa'ui'y
I to hope will ever again be shaken off, My
..n,iil has reached this painful conclusion,
: That the abolition party has. in point of
fssssct, alreadg adhered its purpose, and that
at only requires lime to ripcn and execute
ss,na fell DEGREES. Since, however, to .stal,-
: lish this fact is the chief purpose of the
, present writing, it must not be left to rest
upon assertion or opinion. What then are
|, the facts which lead to this painful conclu.
5 sion.
dnaksEEirst then, I would urge every Southern
! sMiaT gravply to consider the unmistakablc
FslSsyi.lcnrc afforded by The late Congressional
! selcctions at the North. The Democratic
y party has been defeated, "horse foot and
Y lraguons," in three of the largest and most
Fin fortant snon-slavchol,l;ng States. This is
~ virtual, triumph Of abolition prinriplcs.--
kTheY well understand it, and are embold-
snca by it to redonble their efforts. Does
ttSshe South see in this fact nothing to arouse
Sehensionsl To this extent have
kxys isan and Fred. Douglas strengthened
s4heif takes and heightened their cords" in
ssfwenfys years. And this evidence Of
ssNorhcrn hostility been sadde',ly disclosed
4venty-fvo, years ago, Calhoun ora
McDuffie would have thought of nothing
II ..I1;,o, , ccbr.p+;op ~ tho aoyo,-