Squatter sovereign., 1856-04-29

these occur:
"The aggressive spirit of the people of
the United States, requires an humbling,
and it is for us to perform the task. Eng
lands mission is to complete the great
work commenced by her in 1894, when
she liberated her slaves. There are now,
over three million human beings held in
cruel bondage in the. United States. If,
therefore, the United States government
deny, and is resolved to question the right
of Great Britain to her Central American
possessions, we, the people of the British
empire, are resolved to strike off the
shackles from the feet of her 5000, 900
slaves. And there are those among US
who will sanctify such glorious cause"
There is, too, complete understanding
between our enemies in Great Britain and
their allies in this country.
The London News, another leading
British paper, in late issue, says truly, in
reference to any difficulty that might arise
between this country and England, that
f" however strong is the unprincipled ap-
peal at present made to the anti-British
feeling of the Northern States, that feel
ing is counterbalaneed by another, which
has grown up within the last quarter of
century. THE ABoLIT1oNIsrs WOULD BE
WITH US TO NAN; THE BEST OF THEM
ARE so now"
Even in this country, it must be borne
in mind that, however moderate may be
many who are not acting with the anti
slavery party, the leaders are thoroughly
hostile to US. know number of the
abolition managers, and they are, with
few exceptions, not more unprincipled
than they are envious and yindictive. Be-
ing equally cowardly, mean, and malicious,
they intensely hate whatever is honorable
and manly in the human character, and
nothing would be more gratifying to them
than to see the Southern men and women
whom they have so long vilified, degraded
to the level of the negroes. Long obscr-
vation has satisfied me that envy and
malice have more to do with the abolition
movement, than fanaticism. Tha! they
will every be able to effect their objects, I
have no fears. We have population of
more than ten millions, or four times as
large as the old thirteen colonies had at
the breaking out of the Revolution; while
the North, even if united, (Which it is not
likely to be,) would be less strong than
Great Britain was. Though we should
be able to protect ourselves, and might
have every reason to hope for long and
successful career as an Independent re-
public, yet hold that we are under the
highest obligations to ase all proper means
to preserve the existing federal govern
menr. We now, after period of more
than thirty years of wrong, stand in a po-
sitlon of equality with the North, and we
owe it to ourselves. to those who are to
come after US, aud to the cause of liberty,
truth, and honor, never to lose that posi-
ton. The increasing unanimity of feel
ing among our people, and the growing
determination never to submit again to be
degraded to an inferior station, give the
gratifying assurance that any successful
attempt to reduce US will merely be follow
ed by the destruction of the government
making the effort. Yet no one can justly
charge us with seeking undue advantage
in the Union. Al this time, the Presi-
dent of the United States is Northern
man; so is the President of the Senate,
o. Vice-President de fdeto; SO likewise is
the Secretary of State. the Minister at the
most important foreign court, and also the
Speaker of the House of Representatives !;
yet there has been no complaint of these
things by US, except as to the last, who
stands on avowed principles of hostility to
our section. On the contrary, ou- course
has shown that, provided simple justice
was done US in matters of principle, we
were willing to concede all that could be
given up without loss Of honor.
AS it IS our high duty to make fail
effort to maintain, if possible, the existing
Union of the States, what ought we to dc
in the approaching Presidential contest
Let US take survey of the field of action
and of the combatants in it. The old
Whig party (as.you remember. I predicted
some years ago, would be the case, nc
longer exists. For the last twelve months
it has not had friends enough In any one
State of the Union, to raise banner IN
| its name. Its former members have eithe1
gone into other organizations, or are wait
ing to take some new position. In tbs
North, most of them have united with the
abolitionists and free-soil Democrats, ant
formed sectional party which is held to
gether mainly by its hostility to the South
In fact, its only leading principle is anti