The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-09-26

HHH u.
The n-Slayeholding Community a
the South. b"
We call the attention of our readers to th,
following extract from letter, written Il
the New Orleans Delta by it. Washington
correspondent. 1t shows conclusively thai
this talk ABOUT dissolving the Union is 0
)ugbcar cry. 1t also shows that there is
power behind the slaveholding interest
potent enough to silence the seccss onists
when occasion calls. Mr.. Toombs and JEFF,
Davis can make great deal Of bluster
about the peculiar institution, and South
crn rights, and secession, and all that sort
of thing but there is a community down
South, who have little interest in perpetual
ing slavery. This power is beginning to
wake from its slumbering, and when the
seccssionlsts are ready to apply the match to
the train which is to blow the country sky
high, they may, pcrchance, find that the
powder will not go of, or, rather, that them
selves are blown up, instead of tho Union.
The letter leaves Mr.. Toombs limpping. 1t
unstarchcs the secession robe which he has
Haunted so grandly, and We see that, after
all, he is but a man, fallible, prone to
change his opinio is. He wasa Unionist in
lS5O-perhaps he may bc Unionist again.
600 900 mons -slaye-owners in the slave States
may conclude that it is best for the Union to
continue. What will Mr.. Toombs and his
$50 900 brethren do then? But the letter:
"The most ridiculous and absurd state
ments are made here in regard to national
politics, by men who know better. Mr..
Toombs, ,.who is out in the Herald about dis
union, was the leader Of the Union party in
Georgia which defeated Mcdonald in the
State Rights party in 1850. He then said
that secession was merely the right of revc-
luton. That is, the States have no specific
sovereignty, derived from the Constitution
al compact, but are mere parts ola harmo-
nious whole, possessing that natural right
of revolution which any province in France
or any wild beast in Africa may claim
And what says the Herald to all this? Ben
nett refers to the non.slaveholding vote of
the South. Mr.. Toombs knows perfectly
well that his party succeeded in 1850 by
that very non.slaveholdlns vote. There was
q story going the round that a banner was
flung to the breeze, in either Mississippi or
Georgia, bearing the inscription, Sixty
Cents PouSD FOR CoTToN, AND no NEGROES.
1t was Tishemingo county which elected
Foote in Mississippi over DAVIS. The nom
slavcholding vote, by some strange ~ coin
cidence, has ever been against the policy of
resistance to federal oppression on this ne
gro question. It is not directly appealed
to. 1t is an element, and very important
one, in our politics. While it can never
directly co. operate in the policy ofthc North. |
it has powerful negative influence, and
has heretofore been strong enough to pre-
vent the shareholders assuming an attitude
of resistance. The question now is: 'Will
Fremont's election be resisted by the South?
There are COG, 900 non-slave-owing voters
against about 50,00O slave-owning voters.
Now, what are the leaders, the political
rulers of the South, doing, with tho proba-
bility of Frenont's election staring them in
the face? Arc they preparing the South.
ern mind for resistance? Are they showing
the white man of the South, whether he
owns negroes or no, that his worst enemy is
in abolitionism? No. go for Buchanan,
says one. Go for Fillmore, says another.
Some little politician here gets up in Con-
grcss, and draws out his long written speech,
and begins to squirt away upon the great
flaming press OF the North and West, which
burns like very volcano and floods the
country from Maine to Nebraska with its
light for good or evil. Tho little politician
sits down. He has 'vindicated Southern
Rights He has had his word for Bun
combe. The knight Of the wooden sword
has de6ed the giant Of the North to mortal
combat. This is the way party men defend
the South. 1t is high time for the people
Of the South to begin to think for themselves
and act for themselves. AS stated in my
last letter, Fremont's election is no longer
mere possibility; it is a probability. If he
is defeated now, he iciU not be in 1860, or
his successor in the affections Of the black
Republicans"
A Suvrp WrnnIxo A verv interest;p,