Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-05-21
Movements in the South.

| The Southern Convention, now mt Vicks-
burg. seems To have been mainly engrossed
with discussions upon the chimerical and
ruinous project, the special bantling of MIR.
Spratt. Of South Carolina, which occupied SO
much of the time. to SO little valuable pur-
pose, of previous Conventions. According 10
the astutc and enterprising gentlemen who
are amusing themselves and trying to startie
| the country at Nicksburg, the revival OF the
! African slave trade is the grand panacra Tor
Southern wrongs and ills-the one thing
wanting to elevate the South t. the lolte>t
pinnacle of human power and influence
I The Nicksburg Wing, of Wednesday, says
of the Convention
at is rs clearly gathering of disunlon,
lists, nulitiers, slave trade law-breakers, As
! if it had met for that purpose. The speech
! of Mr.. Spratt, of South Carolina. abounded
/ in bold declarations of defiance to the laws ol
the land which were applauded by Southern
men--men who would have Indignantly de-
nuunced such sentiments had they been
uttered by Il Northern Abolitlonlst. IN reia-
ton 10 the law for the rendition Of tugItiyes
from labor.
The whole tenor of the debate yesterday
was revolutionary, without the manliness t.
proclaim it. To-day, Gnv. Foote intends
speaking. and that he will make 1.-The fur fly .
none who know him will doubt. During
! the running debate yesterday IN attemptwas
made to choke him off, but the perpetrators
evidently didn't know their man. lie lash,
ed them more severely than ever
With one or two exceptions. we discover
the name of no man of much distinction or
influence ut the South among the delegates
To the Convention. most of whom hail from
Mississippi. Out of that State. the delegates
number a. follows: South Carolina, | |: Lou
isiana, 3: Tennessee, 1; Georgia. >: Alabama,
>: (MeSsrs. McLemore and Living,ton); Florl,
da, |; Texas. |; Arkansas, l-tweHtp-ssren-
a powerful Convention, truly.
While reports of disOrganizing and fruit
less proceedings reach us from Nicksburg.
we have from other quarters signs OF L heal
thy and potent public opinion upon the
subject of the slave trade, of the most signiii-
cant and encouraging character.
The latest mail from Texas brings intelll-
gence of the denomination. for Congress, by a
regular Democratic District Convention, of
Hon. James H. Reagan, one of the most
thorough conservatists and upright and M
Welding men i'll the last Congress. The
! significance of this result is found in the
! fact that certain persons in his District Were
especially displeased with his patriotic, ma
tional course in Congress, and determined To
Gust him from his seat Mr. Reagan bold
! ly accepted the issues rendered him, and pub
lished an address to his constituents, in
which he maintained the following PROPOSE
tons:
list. That an effort is to be made to in
terpolate ON our platform Of principles, de-
clarations in favor of fillibustering and the
re-opening of the African slave trade
ID That the persons who advocate these
measures are dsunionistS, and are to be
classed with the abolitonists.
;. That all the agitation of the South in re-
gard to the subject of slavery is ground
less and produced by restless spirits who
desire the dissolution of the Union etc, etc.
These, it will he admitted, are bold posi-
tionS, and in maintaining them he used
the strongest language, rs the following will
show:
IL will resist Sectionalism, and revolution,
and fraud and force, and wrong, alike faith
fully, whether they come from the North or
from the South"
The truth of his propositions were stoutly
denied by his opponents; and the Marshall
Republican says of them:
NOW, we do not believe that fifty Demo-
Gratis in the whole congressional District can
he found who would favor the Interpolation
upon our platform of which he speaks"
Well here was the issue fairly and frankly
met, vet behold the result. Mr.. Reagan, it
is stated received the nomination-which is
equivalent in that district to an election
from the convention, obtaining all Int Mr'e
out of the one hundred and autety.towr roteS
ast.-NobHe ReyiSier.