Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-01
The Southern Side of the Great
Question.

4ueSt1Ous
We ask the attention of all our readers to
the closing portion of the Speech of Gov
Hammond, of South Carolina, delivered
in the United States Senate on the 4th of
March, 1858.
THE SEPARATE SOUTHERN REPUBLIC.
Now, Sir, as I am disposed to see this
question settled as soon as possible, and
am perfectly willing to have final and
conclusive settlement now, instantly, and
after what the Senator from New York
has said, / think it not unimportant that
l should attempt TO bring the North and
South face to face, and see what resources
each of Us might have in the contingency
of separate organizations. five never ac-
quire another foot of territory for the South,
look at her. Eight hundred and fifty
thousand square miles, as large as Great
Britain, France, Austria, Prussia and Spain.
Is not that territory enough to make an
empire that shall rule the world? With
the finest soil, the most delightful climate,
whose productions none of those countries
can produce, we have 5000 miles OF con-
tinental shore line, and so indented with
bays and crowded with islands that, when
their shore lines are added, we have 12,-
900 miles ofshore line. Through the heart
of our country runs the great Mississippi,
the father of waters, into whose bosom are
poured $4,000 miles of tributary streams !;
and beyond we have the desert prairie
wastes, to protect us in our rear. Can
you hem in such territory as that? You
talk of putting up a wall of fire around
$4,000 square miles SO situated! How
absurd.
But, Sir, in this territory lies the great
valley of the Mississippi now the real, soon
to be the acknowledged seat of the empire
of the world. The sway of that valley
will be as great as the Nile ever knew in
the earlier ages of mankind. We own the
most of that valley. The most valuable
part oft belongs to US; and although those
who have settled above us are now opposed
to US, another generation will tell differ
ent tale. They are ours by the laws of
nature; slave labor aciu go over euery foot
of this great valley achere 1t aoiU be found
profitable to use 1t, and those who are op-
posed to us are soon to be united with US
by such ties as will make us one and in
separable. The iron horse will soon be
clattering over the sunny plains of The
South to bear the products of its upper
tributaries to our Atlantic ports, as it now
clatters over the ice-bound North. There
is a great Mississippi, bond of union
made by natures law. She will forever
vindicate her right to the Union. On this
fine territory we have population four
times as large as that with which these
colonies separated from the mother country,
and hundred, l might say a thousand
fold as strong. Our population is now go
per cent, greater than that Of the whole
United States when we entered into the
second war of Independence. 1t is twice
as large as the whole population of the
United States was ten years after the con-
clusion of that war, and our exports are
three times as great as those of the whole
United States then. : Upon our muster
rolls we have million of men. In de-
fensive war, upon an emergency, every one
of them would be available. AT any time,
the South can raise, equip and maintain in
the field, a larger army than any Power of
the earth can send against her, and an ar
my of soldiers-men brought up on horse
back, with guns in their hands.
SLAVERY MAKES THE SOUTH STRONG.
But Sir, the greatest strength of the
South arises from the harmony of her po-
litical and sociafinstitutions. This harmo-
ny gives her frame of society, the best
in the world, and an extent of political free
dom combined with entire security, such
as no other people ever enjoyed upon the
face of the earth. Society precedes govern
ment; creates it, and ought TO control it;
but as far as we can look back to historic
times we find the case different; for gov
ernment is no sooner created than it be-
comes too strong for society, and shapes
and molds. as well as controls it. In Ia
ter centuries the progress of civilization and
has made the diverffence so
great as to produce civil wars and revolu-
tions; and it is nolhiug now but the want
of harmony between governments and soci-
eties which occasions all the uneasiness and
trouble and terror that we see abroad. 1t
was this that brought on the American
Revolution. We threw off Government
not adapted to our social system, and made
one for ourselves. The question is, how
far have we succeeded? The South, so
far as that is concerned, is satisfied con-
tent happy, harmonious and prosperous.
LABoRING MEN BUT MUD -sILLs.
In all social systems there must be
class to do the mean duties, TO perform the
drudgery of life-this is class requiring
q low order of intellect and but little skill.
Its requisites are vigor, docility, fidelity
Such class you must have, or you would
not have that other class which leads pro-
gress, refinement and civilization. 1t con-
stitutes the very mud-sills of society and Of
political government; and you might as
we'll attempt to build house in the air as
to build either the one or the other except
on the mud-sills. Fortunately for the
South, she found a race adapted to that
purpose to her hand. A race inferior to
herself, but eminently qualified in temper,
in vigor, in docility in capacity, to stand
the climate, to answer all her purposes.
We use them for the purpose, an call them
slaves. We are old-fashioned in the
South yet; il is word discarded by ears
polite; but l will not characterize that
class at the North with the term but you
have it; it is there; it is everywhere; it is
eternal,