The Nevada Democrat., 1856-10-22
Southern Aggression.


i'll feeling now engendered in the minds of the
people of the two sections of the country, and
its capacity for evil is commensurate with the
value of the greet Republic, whose power is now
felt in every corner of the Union, aEdwhich, pre-
served, is fruitful Of blessing to us and our chill
dren. This charge has been grounded upon the
disposition made of our territorial acquisitions,
yet so far from sustaining the charge the truth
of history presents the South as always act
ing with an eye single to the harmony of the
Union, and willing to sacrifice everything con-
sstent with honor to insure its preservation.
| Let the candid man of the North, who is in
dependent enough to think for himself, and who
has sufficient courage to resist the appeals which
are made to his pride by designing demagogues,
take up the map of this extended country, and
with its history in his hands, examine this
charge, and to his sense of truth aud justice,
rigid and inhexible, we clone appeal to undo
the damnable wrong, which bad or misguided
men would induce him to commit in this hour
of danger, for hereafter it may not be in his pow
er to correct the deed of mischief which must
result from the triumph OF sectionalsm.
Such a calamity we cannot for moment an
ticipate. The noble northern Democracy are
standing firm in their lines. Upon them will
fall the brunt OF the battle, and we look with
confidence upon their ability to achieve mmor-
tai honor. by continued fidelity to the sacred
compact of the constitution. Before the eyes
of the whole people there are facts spread out
which they are called upon to see. These facts
should be pondered well, for they will stimulate
the pride Of the South too, if it ever come to be
the settled purpose of the North to degrade her
people to the condition of mere dependency
upon the bounty of the stronger section.
Men of the North, of generous and patriotic
spirit and of all sections entered the Union; the
States co-equal in rights, the weak secure under
the constitution against the powerful. How
has the South conducted herself under it? We
leave it to facts to determine
The following statistical history in regard to
Territorial acquisition, was compiled from the
records by Hon. C. G. Clay Of Alabama, and
was recently introduced into speech of Hon.
Horato Seymour, made at Sringield Mass. on
the 4tI of July:
"At the conclusion of peace, 1888, the States
! then north OF Mason Dlxon's line had lG4, ,OSl
square miles. The states then south of that
line had 647 ,202 square miles.
"Pendlng the Revolution, the northwestern
territory excited, (as Mr.. Madison expressed it,
''the lucrative desIre' of the northeastern peo-
pie to degree threatening the existence of the
Contederacy. The territory belonged to Vir-
ginia, by repeated royal grants, as well as by
conquest achieved at her sole expense and by
her unaided arms. To satisfy those desires,
quiet the contest and secure harmony and
peace, she surrendered it to the confederacy,
and the ordinance of 'S7 devoted it to Free Sol.
That surrender reduced southern territory near
ly three-iold. Northern territory was thereby
swelled to 425 76l square miles. The territory
OF Louisiana next acquired in which slavery
was maintained by both French and Spanish
laws and guaranteed in the treaty of acquisition
was, by the Missouri restriction SO divided that
the north took exclusive of Oregon) $50. 1888
4 square miles, and the south retained 2z5. .456
square miles. BY that settlement the south sur
rendered of slavcholding territory to the north,
about three-fourths and retained about one
fourth. But including Oregon as part of the
Louisiana purchase. the north took 972605
square miles, and the south retained 225 45G
square miles. Thereby the south surrendered
more than four-tifths, and retained but oae-ffth
| of that territory.
"The acquisition of Oregon, (f not included
in the Louisiana purchase,) Florida and Texas
resulted in diviion, by which the north got
about 4l5,467 square miles, and the south re-
tained about q ,268 square miles. By that ar
rangement the uorth obtained about tnree-ifths
of those territories.
"The Mexican conquests engrossCd by the
North, added to her limits about 4Ul 1873 square
miles. The South has grown from 647 202 to
SS2,245 square miles, having added but z35, ,047
square miles To her area since 1888. LII the
same time, the North from 164, ,OSl has grown
to 9O3,2O4 square miles; having added in the
same time LBS, l2S square miles to her limits
The South has increased less than fifty per cent
in territorial aree since the revolution. Tue
South commenced with four times the territory
, of the North; the North has now near two and
half times the territory of the South. The
Federal Government never had one foot of ter
r'tory east of the Rocky Mountains that was
free soil when acquired. Ald, indeed ques-
ton whether she ever held any west of them
that was free soil. The Northern States never
ceded one foot of territory to the United States;
and never yielded one foot of territory, that
was free soil when acquired. to the use of the
South but have retained it ALL
"The South has ceded of her own exclusive
T territory, 25l.67l square niles, and has rein.
quished of other saveholding territory when
acquired, belonging in common to all the States
912,6O5 square miles, and of slaveholdng and
non-slavehoding territory in all, not less than
l,73s,l23 square miles-an empire eleven fold
greater than the entire area of the Northern
States at the peace of 49, and more than doub-
lie the entire domain of the States of the Confed-
erationn
The political power of the country has passed
into the control of the Free States and that
power is increasing with startling rapldlty-
The preservation Of the Union now depends up
on the wisdom and patriotism of the North.
To CoRREsP0NDENTS.--We have received from