The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1856-10-31

| OF nonor. Southern honor has been great
ly deridcd of late. That it existed once
none will deny, and it remains to be seen
whether it sleeps with the death of our Rev.
olutionary sres, or still lives among their
sons.
Safety, rs well as honor, counsel resist
ancc to the medi.atcd revolution. We can
not submit without the prospect of dan.
gers, before which disunion and civil wal
are as nothing.
The first effect Of the change will he the
annlhilation of The veto power, so far as the
South is concerned. The next will bc the
rcmodcling of the Federal judiciary rs va
canclcs occur, and the introduction of Alb
otionism on the bench OF the supreme and
inferior tribunals. The Senate will fall in
the natural course Of events, ut no very dis
tant day, and the whole Federal Govern
mcnt, in all lis branches and dependencies,
will bccome hostile to slavery. We shall
then be viewed by this Government, as the
| London Star warns us the British Govern
ment will look upon us, when we implore
| permission TO return to our former alcr-
ance, we shall be considered as "a colony of
lcpcrs," and "a gang Of convicted felons."
OF course, our treatment will be accord
ingly.
But it will he said this is mere conicc-
ture-that we should not act upon unccr-
talntles III SO grave a matter, but wait for
some overt act of aggrcssion-tllat the Sen
ate will be sound for time at least, and in
the meanwhile reason aud moderation may
resume Is constitutional and no ground of
resistance, and that prudence requires us
not to act hastily, but to try his admiuistra-
ton before we condemn it.
So we should do, if the trial were safe
and prudent. But we must remember that
the trial itself consolidatcs the power of his
party by giving it time to carry out its pol
icy. We do not suppose that overt acts of
aggression will come first, no matter how
violent the leaders Of the Republican par
ty may be. They are alroit politicians, and
not such bunglcrs to resort at first to the
vulgar means Of force and intimidation.
Much will be done to open the way for force
before that is rcsortcd to. The powers Of
corruption will be first tried to weaken and
divide the South. Efforts will be made to
draw marked line between the slavehold
ing and non-slavchoding classes, by con.
tning tic tavors Of the government to the
latter.
Mons shareholders will find themselves the
sole recipients of Executive patronage, and
the eye OF the man hath not seen the Joys
that will be prepared for such of them rs
may become an,i-savcholdng as well as
non-slavcholding. Shareholders will
see themselves ilattcred and carcsscd, and
shareholders degraded and submitting to
that degradation; and may we'll excuse
themselves for taking up arms in defence of
men who will not defend themselves No
efforts will be spared to build up strong
minority in the South and it with chains
Of gold to the Federal Government. These
overt acts may begin to dawn upon us, al
most imperceptble at first, but gradually
looming up into the dimensions of open
war. AS matters new stand, the Army and
navy are weak, the Notifications in the
Southern harbors unfinished, weakly garri-
soned, and many of them commanded by
Southern officers. Of course this State OF
things will be quietly rectifed. The forts
will be finished, the garrisons strengthened,
and entrusted to men who may be relied on.
Such public property as might be seized in
the Southern States-arms, munitions, the
contents of sub-trcasuries ships in the dock
yvrds, and the like-will be quietly with
drawn.
Then slavery in the District of Columbia,
in the forts and dock-yards, and the slave
|, trade between the States will be abolished,
kansasreje elected if she adopt slavery, the
| fugitive slave law repealed and if the South
be maddened toEesistance the effort will he
made to "subjugate her to freedom"
Is there any reason to hope for favora-
bic change in public sentiment at the North
on the subject Of slavery? Certainly, in
the long run, as truth is greater than error,
We may look for such change; but not in
the brief breathing time the Senate will give
us. Abolitionism, nnlike other isns, is for
titled by sectional hate and its consequent
blindness. Nothing can he more difficult
than to get the North right with regard to
slavery, for it hears unwilingly anything
favorable to us or our institutions, while the
exaggerations Of Uncle Toms Cabin are ca
gerly received as true picture Of slavery.
Moreover the North, especially Now Eng
land. is much influenced by the British press,
and England must be set right before the
North can become permanently composed.
This is the work of many long years, and
in the meanwhile we may be destroyed.
Richmond Enquirer.
VALUE OF REpUrAFfoG.-Daniel Web
| ster. when a Young LAWYER, was employed