The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-02-05
GOOD TALK

We are glad to find a. Southern Governor,
the American Governor of Maryland. speak.
ing out 10 tone worthy Of his high position.
The views expressed in the following frolb
his late message to the Maryland Legislature
are far more general in the South than many
persons imagine, and the time is at hand
when they will be far more entertained in
that section than they generally are now: y
The people Of Maryland have always look
ed with pride on their share in the great
compromise of 1870 and Of 1850, and with
very different feelings on the fragrant viola
tions OF those compromises, and their de-
structlon by "designing men," in 1854 The
name OF one OF AlaryIu ablest suns is for.
ever associated with the Missouri Compro-
mise, which made a just partition Of the com
mon territory between those States which
maintained and those which had abolished
the institution of domestic slavery, and fur
ther established She great priLeipie that each
new State added to'tLe Union must be ad-
mtted equal and sovereign as ull the rest
without condition or restriction, or Limitation
upon the right of sei-government. The act
Of 1920 drew line through the Territories,
to the South of which slavery was establish
ed, and 10 the North of which i: was prohiL-
tied by Congress darng the teri toria condi-
ton, but it equally provided for the right Of
the people Of everJ territory, north or soutl,
of the line, 10 establish or forbid slavery in
their State constitution. And this II did by
asserting the a5soiute right Of the people To
form their own constitution, and exclusively
control their own domestic policy, and by de-
Hying any power in Congress to impose any
condition of admission.
10 William Pinckney, Of Maryland, is due
in great part the glory OF the vindicuion and
settlement of this principle; and to his fame
we may look with feeling quite different from
those with which we contemplate the action
of those Marylanders who took part in bring
ing on the country all the strife and bitter
animosity and i'll which has been the direct
result of that timed, useless, and inexcusa.
Bile measure known as the Kansas and Ne
braska bill. The policy of Maryland was ut
terly opposed to that measure, and her policy
has been the policy Of all the grent men Of
the Union, from the time of its establishment
till 1854. 1t was adopted when Texas was
admitted. II was repeated at the organiza-
ton of Oregon. II was re-affirmrd in the
compromise Of 1850. II was complained of
by no State, nor by any respectable body of
the people. Itrestored and secured the peace
of the nation for thirty years, and until it was
ruthlessly pulled TO pieces by petty conspi.
racy of political asprants. 1t was nbrogated
with the intention Of once more alarming the
fears of the South and exciting the prejndices
of the North. and was so speciously contrved
that it could be used, as it was used, for a
bribe to the sectional feelings of both the
North and the South.
The people Of Maryland saw, with alarm,
the most powerful, sectional and .fnnaical
combination against the interests of The
slaveholding States ever known in our hi-to-
ry, arise and grow strong, and nttempt to
control the Government OF The Union. That
rise, and that strength, and that attempt,
which nearly succeeded, was entirely due to
the passage of that bill. 1t secured the sue
cess of another sectional factiorh which under
pretence of peculiar friendship To the South
and Southern institutions, has now, when
they had nm opportunity of showing their
devotion, not only completely failed in their
promises, but actually BETRAYED the very in
taraSt fhay nr,f.asad q, k.Iri.nd