The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1857-04-04
From the Richmond Enquirer.
AGITATION OF THE SLAVERY
QUESTION.

QUESTION.
Every conservative lover of law and order
every supporter of the Constitution and advo
cate of the Union, every American mind an,
heart, not false to the faith of the founders @
freedom, lost to all reverence for Justice an,
truth, or callous to the cause of civil and re
ligous liberty throughout Christendom, mus
have long ago become surfeitcd with the in
cessant agitation of the slavery question.
For more than fifty years the question .
slavery has been more or less subject of dis
cord and contention: aud, more recently il
some shape or other it has been continual,
coming up in the councils of the nation in tn,
State Legislatures Of the non-savchodin.
States, before the people of the North as al
issue in elections, local and federal, and beror,
the people of the South as an Offset to It's agi
tation Mt the North to be considered with ref
ercnce to its yindication It's one of the essentia
elements of our society, its maintenance as a,
institution for the public good, and for the pro
lection Of our rights, originating in it ant
under it, as the great God.given guaranty 0
the freedom of the white man through tho
thradom OF the black--thc accomplishment O
the destiny Of the African and Anglo Saxor
races by an observance and enforcement of tic
relations between them designed and dccrccd
by divinity. From first to last, from the ordi
nance OF 1877 to the adoption of tile Missouri
from 1920 to 1857, the agitation
Of this question has been growing greater and
licrccr and wilder; widening It's circle with
each succeeding year, and increasing lis yiru
lencc and ychemencc with every new event
and incident that have arisen, upon which it
could possibly be brought to bear until the
Union shudders under It's shocks, and patriots
Of all parties gaze aghast at its reckless and
rnnous rcyels in the halls of Congress, in the
State Legislatures and in every quarter and
corner Of the North. That the country is cor
rnptcd, that legislation in momcntous matters
of national interest, is not only impcdcd, but
and prostitnted, that our institutions
Us Il Republican people are Immediately and
endangered by the insane, suicidal
agitation Of this absorbing subject, is painfully
pa pablc to every man, woman and child in
The nation But it is idle on the part of the
Southern people to talk or think of putting an
md to it now The dogs of war have been
let loose too long to be driven back to the
kennel in day, or a month, or a year. The
waters are rushing over the prccipicc too Wild
y to hush the thunders of the cataract in an
lonr; and, however earnestly we may desire it,
however anSionsly we may hope, however fer
'ently we may pray for it, there is no human
land that can turn back, at once, the torrent
.ide of abolitionism now so rapidly rising
around US, threatening to tear the ship of State
rom her moorngs, and dash her to pieces
where the surf snrges high, from the continent
waters at Mason Il Dixon's line.
1t is Il waste of words to talk about it, and
would be waste Of time to attempt it.
Subsequent to the election of Mr.. Buchanan
md previous to the recent decision of the Su.
IRENE Court there seemed to be something
ike bow of promise in the political sky
The angry waters raved less loudly, the clouds
ooked lighter and sunshine seemed to be smil-
ng the shadows away. Abolitionism had
been bafled and beaten in desperate assault
lpon the citadel defending the Constitution
md the Union, the sovereignty of the States
md the rights of the South; and there was
Ugh hope that its most furious onset might
'e its last, except in feeble bands, the scatter
ID remnant of u routed host. But, since then.
here is every evidence of an organization con-
emplatod, and it may begun, upon broader
'asls than ever, for the purpose of placing the
ceptre in the hands of the enemies of slavery
n 1860.
The election of the Judges of the Supreme
court by the people, is henceforth to be one
i the aims Of the Abolitonists, for ACQUIRING
he means of having the Constitution constru.
d according to their own fanatical ideas of'