New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-18
SLAVERY AT THE SOUTH.

ShhS EN- M h'asS Wv
We notice of late decided change for the bet
ter in the way in which the Slavery question aud
the Northern Anti.Slavery sentiment are dealt
with by some of the more intelligent Of South
ern newspapers. Instead of corfnng themselves,
az heretofore, and ss most of their Southern CO.
temporares still do, to vague declarations against
the Abotionsts, full of sound and fury, but signi
fying nothing except the excited state of mind Of
those who utter them, the more judicOus of the
Southern journals have lately taken to copying
Leading articles from THE TRIBUNE in extenso,
sometimes with and sometimes without comment
by way of showing TO their readers the ideas pre-
vailipg among Northern Anti slavery men upon
tie topics discussed in those articles.
Now, this appears to us to be very sensible
movement-in fact, the only sensible movement as
to this matter of Slavery which has for long time
been made by the Pro-slavery party. Unpalatable
at the South as the sentiments of THE TRIBUNE
upon the subject of Slavery may generally be-
nevertheless it is certain that they the senti
ments Of large, growing, Jealous and energetic
party, snd-what is worthy of special considera'
ticn-a party embracing within it's ranks very
large proportion Of those younger men who are
rapidly coming forward to take the lead in our
public afairs. Surely it cannot but be desirable
for our Pro.Slavery brethren at the South to I'M
derstand distinctly what the feelings and the opn-
ions are of body Of men which has become too
numerous and too powerful to be any longer dis
posed of by mere expressions of contempt and ex-
clsmatiCAs of adherence and disgust.
There has been good deal of talk and buster
in the Southern prints and still il in many OF them
about fire, bloc d. retaliation, defending their homes
and bear.hs-and slave quarters, too we suppose
with arms in tbei, hands, separation, disunion'
civil war, aud all that "a kind Of gas which does
well enough to fill up editorial vacuies, and which
answers tolerably q temporary purpose in supply.
ing ard even partially concealing the lack of brains.
Every body knows, however that in this country
it is not by swords and bayOnets, but by public die
cussion, that all great questions are brought to
settlement This method of public discussion in
Congress and in the newspspersis indeed the great
Growing and peculiar glory of our American sys
fem of policy and in commencing now for the first
time the discussion of the Slavery question-in
spite of repeated protestations that they would
not discuss it themselves nor allow others to dis
cuss tour Southern Pro-Slavery friends are tax
ing the very first step toward rational arrange
ment of the points in dispute between us and them
This 10 a ield-that Of argument and discussion
upon which we shall ever be ready to meet
them, and though ss we do not intend to ask, 30
We do not mean to give any quarter, we still hope
that the contest will at sll times be conducted, on
our part as well as theirs, with the courtesy which
mutual respect ought to inspire, and with the
strictest adherence to the rules Of honorable war
fare.
Among the Pro Slavery champions who have
had con idence enough in themselves aud their
cause to step into this new arena, and to pick up
one Of our gloves, is The Mobile Daily Register.
That paper gives at length one Of our recen!
leaders on the schemes of Pro Slavery retaliation
sesipst the North, now in agitation 10 several
Southern Legislatures, and makes it the text of an
article on Foreign and Domestic Abolitonsm which,
in imitation Of our Mobile contemporary, we have
also given at length in another column.
BY way of fixing a stigma upon the AntiSlsvery
idess of the North, The Mobile Register insists
that they are Of foreign and British origin. So
are all our ideas of liberty, and almOst all the val
liable parts of our nstitutions-representatio
trial by jury, voting the supplies, writ Of habeas
corpus, our whole civil and criminal Jurisprudence.
Twin bonn with these, AntiSlayery ideas are their
natural companions their rational supplements,
their inevitable consequences. When we reject
ard rail against babeas corpus and the trial BY jury
as some of our Southern contemporaries indirect
" do in their attacks on the Massachusetts, Person
al Liberty bill-because we have them in common
with reat Britain we shall reject and rail at Anti
Slavery IDEAS because they find advocates in Exc
ter Hall and friends among the British nobility.
-. ,:tgis,er seems to think that TIE TRIBUNE,
noted az it is for its Republican sentiments, so as
in Europe to be thought almost red is guilty of
strange inconsistency, in joining what denounced
as a foreign aristocratic conspiracy to overthrow
Republicsnism BY sbolishing Slavery in the United
States. But it is not Us. tie The Register and the
Slavery extending Democrats against whom this
charge of Inconsistency should be brought. We