Daily national Democrat., 1858-12-25

poulH.--lne New orleans lrue DelJd says.
In the last speech of Senator Hammond
that addressed TO an audience at Barnwell, 5.
Che repeats with much more elaboration
and method the leading views contained in
his previous speech on Beech Island. The
same merits and blemishes mark both produc-
tions. Scholarly Mr. Hammond undoubted-
" is: wide information on political and gen
era subjects he undoubtedly possesses; but
while his speeches read like essays instead of
orations, they do not pass beyond rhetoric
into the sphere of craftsmanship. lie argues
with the cogency of a special pleader topics
that are relatively trivial, and slurs over with
fippant phrases themes of the most comman-
ding importance Shallow water he stirs to
the b tom, but out in the great deep he
skins nervously on the surface, scarcely dar-
ing to imagine the vast abysses that may be
underneath or the fierce storms that may rage
above.
Mr.. Hammond, in his last speech, reiter
ates virtually, though not in express terms,
the idea that the South would not regard the
election of a Black Republican, such as Sew
ard, to the Presidency, as u fact sufficient of
itself to justify dissolution of the Union. In
view of the fact that the tone ofexpression in
the South has heretofore been to quite a con
trary effect, 1t is pretty evident that the pre-
uictiOn in this case was preceded by the with.
But letting this pass, how is the cultivation
of an opinion like that calculated to affect
Democratic policy, Southern policy, and
Union policy, interests that Mr.. Hammond
processes to have deeply at heart? Why,
certainly not for good, and possibly for great
and disastrous evil For it was upon the re
verse opinion that the South and the South
ern Democracy stood in 1856 1t was upon
! ha oY,Vosifa tboorx. tba &c 81
of instant and absolute refusal to submit to
the Inauguration of sectional and hostile
Administration-that the South, the Demo
cratic party, and the Uniouists and Conserva,
tives of the whole country united in 1856,
and secured the election of Mr.. Buchanan
Are we to be now told that all this was stu
dious insincerty on the part of the South,
cunning vile of Democratic tacticians and
cheat and deception practiced upon the
Unionists and Conservatives? Mr. Hammond
implies as much, and thus encourages the ad-
vance of Northern sectionalsm by holding
out the idea of impunity, and invites the oc-
casion of resistance and dissolution, by repre-
senting that the South would be indisposed
to act when that occasion should arise
Whether such a position looks to ultimate
submission, or is an ingenious form of dis
unionism, depends upon the spirit in which
it is taken.
With respect to the material interests of
the South, and the progress of the entire
country, Mr.. Hammond dwarfs into almost
invisible Smallweedishness He sees a lion
in every path. Terrific giants swing destroy
ing swords at every gate He is paralvzed |
by nightmare of skepticsm. Renouncing |
hope, he has not even the poor courage of
despair. lie may believe in the God of
yesterday, but for tomorrow he only secs a
hard, stony fate.
Forgetting that change is the law of life,
Mr.. Hammond desires to eternize the present |
lie would reject the annexation of Cuba; he |
would not have foot of Mexico Central
America, &c and the requirement of more
slave labor by the South he regards as i'm
possible for all time, because it has been i'm.
possible for few years past, and morever, as |
if it were possible He thinks it |
to introduce more slaves into the
country because we have not the territory
for the additional slaves, and opposes the ac-
QUESTION of more territory because we have
not the slaves for the additional territory
This argument of beautiful circuarity is ad-
but scarcely less so than Mr. Ham
mond's ideas respecting the Africanizing of
Cuba. That would prove a great benefit to
this country in his opinion, and the Africani-
zing of st. Domingo and Jamaica was an un-
doubted blessing. Especially would it bene-
fit the cotton interest of South Carolina by
diverting from cotton to sugar so much labor
in this country, that cotton could scarcely
fall below the present price This is a kin
dred idea to that of the Dutch East India Co., |
who, having monopoly of their cinnamon
trade, burnt all their cinnamon at Amsterdam
in order to keep up its price, Mr.. Hammond
must rejoice when he hears of overhows oc.
curing in the cotton -egion, and if he got the
news of the burning of the steamer Ben
Franklin, with the loss of 5000 bales of cot.
ton, must have lamented that the loss was
not doubled. According to Mr.. Hammond's
political economy, the less a country produ
ces the richer it ought to be ; and production
might be carried to an extent that would
impoverish the people. The theory Involves
its own contradiction. 1t is the very essence
of monopoly, and looks to the protection of
few at the loss of the many. 1t is miserably
selfish and contracted, and has been long ago
exploded, and We hope to hear no more oft,
even from Mr. Hammond.