Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-09-08
Letter of William C. smedes, esq.

having been invited to attend the grand jubi
Ice of the Opposition held at Memphis, Ten
nessee, on the 25th ultimo, declined in ar
able and patriotic letter, which is published
by the Memphis Enquirer. From that letter
We cite the subjoined extract:
Is it not possible now to leaven this nation
again with the spirit Of compromise? l be
lieve it is. To do it we must come to the
task with the same spirit which animated
our forefathers. The great difficulty, the
great sore that eats like an ulcer IN the
public mind. grows out of the existence o.
slavery. That slavery exists, is q real, sub
stantial, living thing, is, strange as 1t may
seem, apparently forgotten by those who are
most exercised by it. 1t exists in fifteen Of
the States of this Union, and must ezist there
as n physical fact, let the result OF elections
be what they may, or platforms declare what
they will. 1t cannot be got rid of. South
ern Shareholders would never have given the
subject prominence had they been left to
themselves: but Southern politicians, tol
party ends have pressed the subject into tho
public arena till it has become the absorbing
topic of national politics, till it has almost
divided as by line Of fire the North from
the South What is the remedy for this? II
is-and it appears to me to be the only RENE
dy-it is to witidrdw MiS exciting Su6ec'
pholly from the arena Q national politics, ana
by constrained action, .torcs II into ITS tegit''
mate sphere, under the control and JuriSdic'
ton of tile Suites WheTe HeriStS.
| know that this suggestion will not meet
the approval of the extremists of either sec
ton Of the Union. Southern politicians who
have by their action on the subject of slavery
driven the Northern mind into hostile at
titude towards it, indignant at the result OF
their own work, want to dissolve the Union
to escape association with men who appear
to care so little for the rights Of property and
personal safety of their fellow citizens, and
who utterly deny political equality to them
Northern fanatics and demagogues who
would rule or ruin this great nation, will see
that agitation, the food upon which they live,
will thus be withdrawn from them, and that
they will die of their own hamilton; and they
too would oppose the withdrawal OF this
fruitful source of all our Woes from the po-
ltical battle-ground. But the great body OF
the people, men women and children, the
good and true men of the nation, will rejoice
at the great quiet which will peryade the
land; at the renewed prospect of Il long and
prosperous career which would be outspread
like broad stream Of light before the Re
public; at the preservation of this great, pow
erful, and happy Government from the peril
impending over it,
Can this thing be effected? Is it possible
to bring about such result? think 1t Is;
and will briefly state to You how | think it
may be accomplished. 1t is for the conser-
vative and national men of all parties TO
agree that It shall be done, dHdhen .tahtntty
to stand Jy and e.r,r"ie their dgreememt.-
Let party be formed whose fixed and unal-
terable principle on the subject of slavery
shall be, that it shall not enter into the dis
cussions in Congress, and that it shall not
enter into Presidential canyasseS, but that it
shall be withdrawn altogether from the polit-
ical arena, and this party will sweep the
Union from one end of it to the other; and
the land will once more have peace.
Before this could be done some questions
would have to be afiirmativcly settled and
agreed upon as fundamental principles on
this subject, which under no circumstances
were to be disturbed or disputed One would
be the proposition, admitted and recognized
during the last ten years by all parties, and
now tile settled law of the Republic, as itcer-
tainly is that Of the Constitution, that new
States shall be admitted into the Union without
reference to whether they recognise or reject
slavery in their constitutions. On this point
there would be no serious difficulty. Ii
would meet, as it has already done, the al
firmance OF nearly the whole nation.
But another point, and the only other
about which there could any difficulty arise.
would be the one now causing the hcrcest
conflict in the ranks OF the Democracy, VIZ:
what should be the condition of the Terrific
ries during their pupiagc rs to the institu-
ton Of slavery? Shall the theory Of squatter
sovereignty prevail, or shall the demands OF
the Southern politicians for the intervention
of Congress to protect slavery III the Terri
tories be allowed? Or is there some rfn me-
dia which shall also prove n rid iaIa. There
must be some compromise here. The South
would not submit to the theory of Mr.. Doug.
las, as it takes away the substance, and
leaves hardly the shadow of right. The
North would not yield to the theory OF Gov.
Wise, because requiring of it apoSltye act
to protect what their people believe 1t wrong
for them, by their active agency, to uphold
OF maintain. This theory Of protection by
Congress, based on a paragraph in the deer
sion of the Supreme Court in the bred Scott
case, is of recent orr gin, and finds many all
vocates at the South, who do not reflect upon
the utter impossibiity Of procuring such leg
islation from Northern men. 1t is sufficient
for slavery if it is iA dioHe IN tie Territories.
1t will 90 where soil and climate and pro-
duction invite it, and will meet no opposition
from the people who live there. 1t IL from
those who know nothing of slavery IN Its
practical workings that opposition comes
What suggest, that the friends OF the mon
of harmony, of the Government, shall re-
solve on this vexcd question is, that in all
Territorial acts it shall be hereafter inserted
that no laws shall be passed by the Leglsla-
lures of the Territories prohibiting or inter
fering with the existence of slavery in them;
thus leaving the people to adopt or reject 1t,
o. it may please them, when they meet to-
gether to form State government.
These propositions, established and ratified
by large majority of the people, North and
South, with the further agreement that the
present legislation of Congress on the subject
should be untouched, and this hydra Of din
cord, which now breathes its pcstllential
poison over the land would be cfcctually
stihed. The legitimate objects Of national
legislation would occupy the National Legs-
lature: Presidents would no more be elected
on sectional issues and the real and vital in