The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-09
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.

From the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin independent
September9.
If the remark were ever true that those whom
the gods would destroy are first driven mad, il
would seem to be so at present, in reference 10
the conduct of the South. We have of late
been frequently made aware that thousands
upon thousands of persons, even here in Phila-
dephia, almost upon the edge of the South.
are under an impression that the occasional
extravaganza outbursts of fury and flame, of
eagerly -awaited war upon the North, and cries
for the indefinite extension of Slavery, are mere
gasconading shouts from the newspapers here
and there, which do not represent a general
feeling and that, at the worst, all of the South
ern shrieks are mere ebullitions of a fiery
temper-blazing up like straw, and subsiding
as rapidly.
Such is by no means the case. II is well
known that in the South the newspaper repre-
sents popular sentiment with singular accuracy,
and that if it ceases to do 80, it soon expert
ences " reminder" Of no very gentle nature.
AT the present instant, the entire press of the
South is clamoring for privileges which few
years ago would have been promptly rebuked
by many of them. "Only let us alone, and do
not NEEDLE with our property was the cry a
few years since. Now it is, We will subdue
you'll" Without any hasty irritation-nay, with
the most emphatic calmness and elaboration
we are told by scores upon scores of influential
Southern papers, that if the Republican party
conquers in November, there shall be more
than passive withdrawal-there shall be war
and rapine. Already, papers in many different
States have sketched out a programme of attack,
and shown the chances of success. The Rich
mond Whtg points out the booty which can be
wrested from the North the Examiner, in
company with vast number of contemporaries,
urges, in seriousness, the reduction of poor
whites to Slavery. The New Orleans Bulletin
declares, that if any Southern member should
vote for Fremont, he should be burned alive at
the stake the Charleston Telegraph cries, that
if any man even dare to discuss the great ques
ton now agitating the country, "his tongue
shall be cut out, and cast upon the dung hill ="
the Norfolk Daily Neics yells, that "prepara,
ton for war is the surest means TO avert it f"
and, CONTEMPORARY asserting that there should
be no more reasoning or demonstrating, cries,
we would lay our hands upon our sword hits,
and warn them for the last time that we NAV
be forced to bring them to their senses with
bullets and bayonets" Finally, papers of
great weight and influence in the South are
discussing, with the utmost minuteness, and
with seriousness and energy which they have
never before displayed the possibility Of revi-
wing, In company with Brazil, the slave trade
1t is hoped by them that, whether buchanan
or the Republicans succeed, this will become a
fixed fact. Slaves have, of late years, become
so expensive, and the supply is so limited, that
the far South is distressed for labor. If Bu-
chanan is elected, this is to be brought about
slowly; if Fremont, it will be an Immediate
consequence of secession and, consequently,
there is already an ultra Southern party, who
seem to look hopefully forward to the latter
alternative as the dawn OF a, new era for the
South. What il 70 De done with the rest of the
civilized world, in case it opposes the slave
trade, we do not know. Perhaps it is to be
annihilated with the North.
Through sill this, it is amusing to see deep
seated contempt of Buchanan, and of their
Northern Democratic allies, peeping out, from
time to time, in all these Southern papers. 1t
is amusing to see proofs Of it in the correspond