The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-13

arstocratic pride, but in even TO a decent
OF seif-respect
For about fifty years down the election Of Mr. Van
Buren, 10 the presidency il fixed and settled doc
trine Of the savehoding arisocracy that none but
southerner and STAKEHOLDER fit TO be President Of
these United State"
The article then goes on for a column or more,
endeavoring to make good its leading falsehood by
series Of minor ones citing the elections of the var
Presidents and inyentng with elaborate ingenuity
series of spurious circumstances to show that they
were the mere creatures of the slave aristocracy.
That Washington was elected to the presidency be-
cause he was slayeholder-that Jefferson owed
his election 10 the same cause-that Madison, that
Monroe, that jackson, Harrison, Taylor, and even
Polk did-all of whom were supported by the North
as warmly as the South, several of them even more
SO, is falsehood too vile and monstrous we would
fan hope, for the credulity of the readers of
the Tribune.
But let us proceed to Wednesdays number of this
Journal We find that it returns to its favorite no
ton that the nonslayeholding whites of the South
are ready to declare for negro freedom and negro
equality
Those who have studied with care the social condi
ton of the South have long oeseen that or later
must tncfe, not 1nucn between
the whites and the blacks between the great of
poor whites, whose only of rising in the world
their labor made dsgcefu by the existence of slavery
and the few rich shareholders enabled to live in ideness
and luxury by of that institution There is in
fact strong resemblance in several essential points,
whatever differences there may be in other respects be-
tween the position and relations Of the shareholders and
the observation-disclosures of southern States and that of
the mobiles of ancient Rome and the great body of the
simple czensa relation of anagonisic interests which,
in the Roman history led first to the agitaons of the
Gracohi aerward to the terrible seventh consulshp of
Marius then TO the fghful dictatorship of Sylla and
finally to the overthrow of the Roman Republic and the
imperial despotism of the Caesars.
'The natural and inevitable hostility in southern
States between the rich and luxurious few and the de-
pressed and impoverished many-a depression and i'm
poycrishment growing out of the very existence of sla
very-has lately taken new and curious develop
ment, which may lead speedily TO very marked and
serious results We allude to the growing agitation in
the southern States for the revival of the African slave
traean agitation based by its advocates specially on
the benefits to be derived thereom to the poor whites
the facility which it will afford them for rising to the
rank of SHAREHOLDERS
And so on for column in the same strain.
On Thursday the Tribune, by way of varying the
scene of its ucubratons, though still harpng upon
the theme turns its regards to Russia, and re-
joices at the prospect of the emancipation of
the serfs of Muscovy. 1t parades variety of sta
tstlcs OH e supJect anu gives III out lnC IL mas tne
whole learning of serfdom at its fingers ends 1t
mentions the conduct of the Emperor Alexander
with patronizing appreciation, and gives him to
understand that he preserve its good opinion by
persevering in the work he has commenced in
which ''there are great obstacles to be surmounted
but also great good to be done and great glory to be
achieved"
TbaI If tboce i,o Till 1,
that that journal and the whole sectional party of
which it is the organ, are in full accord with Mr..
Seward in announcing fierce crusade against sla-
very wherever it is found, less in the States of
this Union than in the Territories. The people of
the South and of the Union may learn from the
tenor of Mr.. Stewards speeches and the articles of
the Tribune in what temper the crusade is to be
Quoted.