The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1858-12-01

4 icail pfopifecleS DIS 10 the aclOn oi the utulO
cratic party in the next presidential campaign
and the choice of the Charleston convention
and the intentions of the leaders of the demoe
racy towards senator Douglas. They look OF
it as certain that the Little GIANT will be the
? unanimous choice of the south for the mex
presidency, and that his recent devotion te
freedom, as evidenced in bis anti Lecomptonlsn
. will ensure him several Of The northern States
To one not endowed with that peculiar vigor 0
mind and keenness of perception which belong
almost exclusively to the black republican politi
cal prophets, it would seem difficult TO deter
mine on what ground Douglas can claim the
slightest sympathy or support OF the southern
States, OF any vote at all. His speeches, during
his canvass in Illinois, have been, in many res
poets, almost as black republican and sectional
as if they had been spoken by Seward; and his
Freeport denial of the dictum of the supreme
court with regard to the power of the voters III
territory to establish or exclude slavery be-
fore they frame their State constitution, is in nc
respect different from what Horace Greeley
might have spoken had he been asked to do so
or that Lincoln has said on several occasions
Ii the south agree that a few abolltlonlsts, sent
!, out by the Massachusetts emigrant society, fol-
the purpose of insulting southern men and re-
wiling southern institutions, have the power in
territory which is part of common national
domain, to deny the ri ght of a southern man to
enter that territory with his slaves and get pro-
lection for his property then can comprehend
how the south will support Mr. Douglas for the
presidency; but until 1 am assured that south
ern men have made this concession to Seward
ism, fancy that their unanmity will not be
favorable to the pretensons of the Illinois sena-
tor. 1t seems true, however, that some dozen
presidential aspirants from the south are seek
ing bis support.
Senator Hammond, of South Carolina, par
took of a public dinner at Barndyille, few
days ago He made speech on the occasion
again defining his position, during which he said
he regarded the Kansas excitement, throughout
the whole controversy, as the greatest impos-
ture ever practsed on intelligent communities;
and he never for a moment believed that the
territory could under any possible contingency,
become slave State He regarded the whole
idea as preposterous and delusive in the ex-
IRENE. The reopening of the African slave
trade, in his opinion, could never be accom-
plished, except by the dissolution Of this Union.
The free States were opposed to reopenlng that
| trade, and their representatives in congress
would never vote in favor of such measure.
| He believed it was the destiny of African
slavery to extend over the whole world, where
ever the climate and soil would warrant it; the
black race were providentially designed as
''hewers Of wood and drawers of water" and
there is no mortal power that could alter the
decree established. He did not think that there
was any territory belonging to our Union, suita
bic for slavery, unless our Pacific slopes would
answer; but here the mongrel races Of Mexico
would amalgamae with the slaves, and the in
stitution would become worthless and inse-
cure. What pity the distinguished senator
did not find this out previous to the late presi-
dental election, and previous to giving his SUPP
port to the "Kansas excitement
Senator Hammond insisted on the importance
Of a route across the isthmus to California,
which the United States must take in their own
hands, and by force if necessary, for we have
the right to take it. We must, he said, fight
all our battles for constitutional rights and
equality in the Union But whenever the south
declares that she can no longer maintain her
position of equality in the Union, and is pre-
pared for independence out of it, his hopes, his
fortunes and his fate would be with the people
|
of the south
A New WEAPON OF DEFENsE.-Yhe London
Daily News, after a hasty sketch of modern
improvements in various kinds of arms des-
cribes new weapon invented by Charles
Shaw. 1t says:
Seeing that we cannot rifle our cannon, be-
cause of the mass of metal we have to deal
with, sir Charles Shaw-thc author of the in
venton which we now proceed to describe
proposes to divide our cannon itself as well as
the shot lie replaces the field piece, cannon
or howltzer, by row of rifle barrels, twenty
five in number. These accurately placed on
the same level. each barrel diverging Slightly
from the central one, so that the volley of rifle
bullets discharged by the barrels will cover a
width Of about five yards ats distance of eight
hundred yards. Sir Charles Shaw's rife bat
terry is indeed a reproduction Of Fieschi's in
fernal machine, placed on Wheels and made
far lighter and far more manageable than
light brass nine FOUNDER gun.
This implement may, therefore, be regarded
as a rltled cannon. divided into twenty-five
portions, as destructive as grape or canister
shot at 500 yards, or sharpnel shell at 800
yards, with its deadly aim extendcd as far as
the rifle can reach Conceive a battery of
horse artillery with four of sir Charles Shaw's
internal machines substituted for their guns
What battery of field artillery, what troop Of
horse, what battalion of infantry could with
stand their deadly shower of Minnie balls? The
cannon or howitzer requires nine men at least to
serve it, and it must be dragged by four OF six
horses; the rifle battery requires but two men
to load it, and one to fire. 1t can be fired by
one pull of the trigger, or in sections of twelve
barrels at time, may be expedient.
IMPORTANT SUIr.-A long pending suit in
Yalobusha county in which the Colonization
society are much interested, was before the |
circuit court of that county lately. 1t was the
case of Kirkman VS.. Gernett, administrator of
Herd, and closed by the rendition of verdict
for the plaintiff for $4,000. The Coffeevlle
Intelligencer says that the case has been pend
ing since 1849. The plaintiff has heretofore
obtained three verdicts, each of which has been
set aside by the high court. At the last May
term of the Yallobusha circuit court, a verdict
was rendered for the defendant, but was set
aside by the judge, and new trial ordered,
which has resulted in the verdict above stated