The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-07-05
THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH.

THE NORIH AND IhE Sobih'
Its impossible for any man who is familiar with the
state of southern sentiment on the subject OF slavery 10
listen to the debates in Congress without feelings OF pro-
found establishment and deep regret at the want OF correct
information which marks the speeches Of prominent north
ern members We venture the assertion that no southern
man heard the speeches of Senators Wade and Wilson,
made in the Senate Wednesday, who did not feel sur
prise at the confident with which they assumed to
speak of the views and sentiments of southern nonsaye
holders in respect to slavery, and at the utter uneabiy
of the Of their information. Mr. Wade undertook
to define what is called in abolition dialect the slave
power" and said its meaning was illustrated by the
fact that although the non-slavehoders were as five
or ten to in comparison with the shareholders,
vet that the latter held and exercised unlimited sway
and dominion over the former. lie asserted with a
confidence that approached nigh TO impudence, fact
that the comparatively few of slaves as COM
pete of the overwhelming numbers of nonsave
owners as of the slaves themselves. Mr. Wilson repeated
the assertions with equal postyeness, and An
nounced the fact that lie and his associates in daily
receipt of letters from the South in which they told
that there is widespread antsavery feeling in that Sec
ton which is repessed by the influence which the slave
holders exert public sentiment We repeat that there
southern man listening to these statements who
does not know that they without the slightest truth
funess and who did not feel astonshed that American
senators should be the channels of diusng information
false, and mortified that senators should allow them
selves and their elevated positions TO be abused by propa
eating information groundless and well calculated
mislead the people of the North
II is purpose to these statements by de-
nunciaons but to oppose TO them the results oour obser
walton in the South and to appeal to every south
ern man who reads our paper for the truthfuness Of
what shall say We do not doubt that there per-
residing in the South who in correspondence with
Mr. Wilson and his associates do we doubt that their
sympathes in the same channel and that they labor
under the monomania which afflicts the minds Of
northern abolitonis they have made the communications
represented by Mr. Wilson II must be borne in mind
that there thousands Of the present citizens Of the South
who emigraed from the northern States and general
proposition their associations with southern institutions
have removed all their preudices prepossessons in
gard TO slavery This fact ought not to be overlooked by
northern men, and it ought to suggest that very much
the local feeling in the North against the institutions OF
the South arises from the want Of correct information
But there exceptions to this general proposton-ra
exceptions know-and il is not improbable that there
residents in the slave States from the North who are
there judge fairly and mparally Of the institu
TONS but to furnish isolated and exaggerated instance,
oS nhumsny for the express purpose Of encouraging the
sectional agitation at the North. 1t is not doubted by
southern that there such residents amongst them
and when Mr. Wilson assumes TO Judge the South upon
The information Of such correspondents he is grossly i'm
posed upon and grossly lends the weight Of his senate
rial position extend the information TO Others II the
of thousands Of northern living in the South
M only
the truth to the mpositions practsed the
northern people but they would tell them that amongst the
people born and reared the South and amongst those
born the North but citizens Of the South whether
Shareholders or not there the cordial harmony
of sentiment and feeling the question of slavery and
the madness and folly and danger of the agitation
which has possession Of the northern mind.
We have been reared ia southern State and have been
somewhat actively connected with political contests there
for than twenty yesrs We state unhesatingy and
we believe every southern will endorse the statement
that we have at any time in any election political
municipal heard suggestion which implied that a
didae the the less acceptable non-slave
holders because be stakeholder that candidat,
the the less acceptable to SHAREHOLDERS be-
cause he non-saveholder. We have frequently
non-slavehodes Shareholders elected to every Of
Zee political and ministerial and municipal We believe
we will be fully sustained In another remark which will
probably strike northern readers with surprise In
the recent political contests at the South the slavery ques
tion connected with the action of Congress- has nj
trac.ed prominent attention but in selecting members TO
Congress have knowledge belief that either slave
holders nonsavehoders have been controlled in the least
degree by the fact whether the person selected was the
Of slaves not In such contests observation
is that the nonslavehodes manifest quite as much zeal
and activity In opposition to aboonsm the slave
holders The idea that there is jealousy envy, any
other feeling than that Of cordial and earnest reciprocity
Of social and personal and political friendship is wholly
fallacous The ownership Of slaves gives no superior
priyieges-it no social dstnctionit does not
separate the people into distinct classes sayeowncrs and
meet socially and politically as equals
and as friends bound together by mutual interests and
harmony the question Of slavery however much they
may differ on other political topics, To talk about an
oligarchy of slaveownes" the South s TO talk nom
sense there and he who does IL at the North produces
ASPIRATION in the bosom Of the nonsaveholder but Il Is
evaporation against the uterers of such false charges
and not against the Shareholder The dignity Of labor at
the South is not affected by slavery the free white labor
ing man. who knows that the labor Of the slave eevate
rather than depressss the value Of his own toll and who
knows that bis own repectabiy is not the ess because
he works with his own hands and with those of slaves
feel, no dminuoa Of his dignity and he win the