The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-04-07
THE SOUTH BECOMING MORE LIB
ERAL.


no doubt that contrary tendency in the pub
lie mind exists in the more Northern slave
States Ultraism has had its usual effect OF
producing recoil; and we now are happy to
witness in Virginia degree of moral independ.
ence on this Slavery question, the like of which
has not been seen for ten years. 1t has been
found impossible to follow the utraists in their
reasonable and criminal erusades for disunion
and the slave trade, and there is a general
spirit of revolt against their leadership
There was a time, extending over a period
of some ten years, when it was not safe to ques-
ton the wisdom and patriotism of any measure
whose object was the extension and perpetual
ton of Slavery, no matter how revolving to the
honorable instincts of gentleman, or to the
conscience of Christian; and hence it was,
that the Southern Opposition, which is naturally
prone to conservatism, was crushed to the earth
| The Wing party was peculiarly pledged, by its
allegiance to conservatism, and by its rever-
ence for the names of Clay, Webster, and all the
men of the past, to stand by the Missouri com
promise. A thousand times had it sung the
praises of Henry Clay as the great COMPROMISED,
the great paci6cator; yet this party, thus
pledged by its traditions and by its platforms,
fell almost without struggle, at the perfdious
proposition to repeal that solemn compromise
which all parties had protested to regard as
only little less sacred than the Constitution.
The proposition was made in the name of the in
| oil 10 or Of o,l
bling conservatives yielded terror-stricken, al
most without dealing blow in defence of the
very rampant of their party organization.
The leaders of the Black Democracy were
themselves no less swept along in the current
of Pro-Slavery fanaticism and fury than their
opponents. We beheld the respectable ee-
ments of the party completely at the mercy OF
the INSCRIPTIONS and characterless demagogues,
and men like Hammond, Orr, Mason, and Hun
ter were constrained, by fear of being charged
with treason to the South, into the support of
the Lecompton fraud, and the high-handed tyr
amy by which the Administration attempted to
force it upon the people of Kansas. Terror
reigned, as it did during the worst days of the
French Revolution, when he was regarded as
the most undoubted patriot who proposed meas
ures the most reckless and bloody. In terror
stricken community, this must always be the
case. On the pretence that the public safety
requires it, any villainy may be perpetrated, the
multitude will applaud, and the man of honor
and conscience, whose soul abhors the wicked
ness and madness of the hour, must either
skulk away in silence, or become martyr to
truth and moderation.
But the reign of Terror in France was over
thrown, and that in the slave States is topping
to its downfall. 1t is not in the nature of man
or of society, to keep up fever heat forever
1t remains to be seen whether the parallel will
be carried out in the consequences which are
to follow the reaction-whether the demagogues
who have famed the fame of Pro-Slavery ia
natcism and intolerance are to be as com
pletely swept from power, and as signally pun
ished, as were the kindred spirits who tyrannized
over Europe by their control over the passions
of the Partisan mob.
We might enumerate various instances Of
| the ebbing of the tide of Southern passion
among Urfem was rne Darnwen speech OF Mr.
Hammond, in which he declared that the Lee
compton fraud, which, in the hour of alarm he
had been compelled to support, should have
been kicked out of Congress-" We may also
mention the speech or letter of Mr.. Orr, de-
nouncing the slave trade as a criminal violation
of the rights of man and within few DAYS
we have seen an article from the South Caro-
Iinidn, taking ground for popular sovereignty
In Virginia, last summer Mr.. Pryor, then edit
ing thu" South, :" from being leading supporter
of all the more ultra Pro-Slavery measures, be-
came conservative, and now opposes the re
vival of the slave trade, the disunionism, and
other mad projects of his former associates
Recently he has taken ground in favor of pop
ular sovereignty, and ridicules the idea of leg
islating Slavery into the Territories. In the
same State we have seen the Democracy y
put in nomination man for Governor whose
Anti-Slavery avowals are of such recent date
that many of his present supporters denounced
him as an aboltionist until he received the party
nomination.
The opposition in Virginia has been more
cautious in the selection Of candidates. They
have put aside their most conspicuous leaders
and taken up men of less note, whose record
cannot be quoted by the enemy to their disad
vantage. Still we are gratifed to find that
they show disposition to push the negro
hobby to an extreme. They make the most, il
is true, of their advantage over the "Democ
racy," but we have seen from them none of the
ultraisms which few years ago characterized
Southern politicians of all parties. As illus
trative of the tone assumed by the Opposition
leaders in Virginia, we may mention that Mr.
Goggin is reported to have denounced the for
eign slave trade in round terms, declaring
that he would vote ten millions, if necessary, tc
put the laws in force against it.
Hon. A. H. H. Stuart, of the same party anc
State, has recently written letter in which hc
uses the following language, which contrast.
fayorably with the recent speech of Ex-Goy
ernor Hunt of New York. He says:
"It is obvious to the most Superficial OBJ
server, that under the fatal auspices of Democ
racy the country has become divided into two
great sectional parties, which are fast pusbine
US to the verge of dissolution of the Union
Losing sight of all the great industrial Interests
of the country, and protesting to be the exclu
sive guardian of the peculiar institution of tn,
South, the Democracy has adopted as its car
: dinal measures the acquisition of Cuba, a,er ia
dut nefds the repeal of the laws prohibitin,
the African slave trade the seizure of Sonor,
1 and Chihuahua, by force of arms and the in
vasion and occupation by lawless marauders O
the Territory of friendly, but defenceless neigh
bors of Central America.
AT nome we ind the same party, at on