The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-11

ritorial condition have any such right This is
your good faith a good faith that has never
been violated
But we shall indulge in no strain of recrimi-
nation-nonly we advise Mr.. Hammond hereaf-
ter to be careful to provoke no comparison upon
point where the world has already pronounced
judment against him and his associates.
For the sake of those who may be misled
by his misrepresentation to apprehend the
worst consequences should the free States OBJ
tain the ascendency, as they most certainly
will in every branch of the Government, we
will briefly answer his inquiries. "What guar
anty will you give us that you will not plumber
us with tariffs, bankrupt us with internal i'm
provements, bounties on fish, and navigation
laws, concentrate all the finances of the country
at the North in national bank, and emanc.
pate our elaves?" We will not answer in YOUR
own boastful style, Mr.. Hammond" the guar
anty of good faith that has never been vio-
lated" Nor do we ask you to be satisfied with
solemn pledges of our devotion to the Constitu-
ton and Union. All parties profess such devo.
ton, but differ somewhat as to their manner of
showing it. The guaranty you reed you will
find, first, in your own intelligence, energy, and
bravery secondly, in our selfnterest, and in the
fact, that of the many great Industrial Interests
among us, some are nearly allied to you in mat
tiers Of finance and economy, so that it is un-
reasonable to suppose such Northern combi-
nation can be formed as to endanger you.
AS to navigation laws, we have had them for
half century, and nobody proposes to make
them more stringent. Bounties on fish are al
ready part of the policy of the country, work
ing no detriuent to the South more than to
the North, and they are kept up chiefly with
view to promote nurseries for American sea.
men.
As TO Tariff, the great Agricultural Inter.
est Of the West, becoming more and more
dominant every year, demands liberal
commercial system while the Capitalists of
New York and New England will never sur.
render their Banking facilities to the monopoly
of National Bank, to say nothing of tire Pub
lie opinion which has long since passed judg-
ment upon such an institution, In relation to
ment concerning them, is scarcely sectional.
The Slave States are no more agreed as to the
policy which should be adopteG, than the Free
States. The Mississippi Slave States differ
from the Atlantic Slave States the Western
Free States from the Eastern Free States.
Such is the contrariety Of interests that no set
tied policy injurious to the vital interests of
any part Of the Confederacy will be adopted,
whatever the Party in power.
In regard to the emancipation of slaves in
the States, theinteress, thefeeings, and opinions
of the great body of the Northern People have
always been, are now, and are likely to remain,
against any interference by Congress.
But, if you can find no guaranty in our selfin.
terest the fact that the free States are the seat
Of numerous competing intereats, which cannot
form any combination to Cypress you, surely you
can rely upon your own power and unity to pro-
tect yourselves; with territory, larger. as YOU
claim, than that of the North with population
which, as you say, is four ti.nes larger than
that which fought and won the Revolutionary
battle; with militia, you say; numbering one
million fighting men; and with rights and re.
sources such as no country of The same extent,
you boast, has ever possessed. What more
potent guaranty can you desire than all this, for
the protection of your rights, even when the
Northern men shall have possession of the Gov.
ernment2 Rest assured that when that hour
shall come-and it IS coming,-they will treat
you with more msgnanimity and forbearance
than you have ever shown in your career of
arbitrary and proscriptve domination.