Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-03-15
The war cloud on our southern Border.

] " .
The Philadelphia Eueatag Journal very truthfully
and forcibly remarks, how strangely the inscruta-
bic Providences Of God confound and defeat the de-
/ signs Of men, How suikingly the course Of human
affairs, falling out in accordance with the Divine
will anticipates and utilities the miserable plans
/ and calculations of cabinets and parliaments! 1t
has been truly said that man proposes but GOO dis
poses. Here we are disputing and wrangling about
/ the extension OF non-extensiOu Of slavery in the
Federal Territories, while upon extreme south
western border events are now taking place which
probably, in their ultimate issue will Illustrate all
the purposes Of politicians and the resolutions of
| Legislatures The Texas frontier Is invaded by
bands Of Mexican marauders, whom their Govern
ment IN its distracted and disorganized condition,
cannot control and the people of Texas are arming
and rallyng to defend their soil against predatory
incursions. A border war appears imminent and
unavoidable. While we are talking about treaty
with a State that is hardly in a condition to be
treated with, its outlaws are waging an irregular
war upon our people and precipitating catastro-
pho which arms, and not pacific negotiations, can
settle In q word It seems as if preordaned CON
ict of for territorial empire is about to take
place on the Rio Grande, and that events have so
shaped themselves in anticipation Of to render
/. a struggle for permanent conquest and DONNA
ton, rather than one which diplomacy may com
promise on any other terms Such a war, should
it come could not be attributed to the encroachng
spirit Of slavery. 1t would be defensive, and not
an aggressive war on the part Of the United States
or the State Of Texas, should she be left to take
care of herself, in this emergency. But can any
one doubt the natural and inevitable consequence
of territorial acquisition below our present South
ern border? Would not slave labor extend its area
BY sucl a conquest. What power could put an ef-
fectua restriction upon its expansion in the direc
ton in which it is invited by the conditions Of soil
and climate, and the overriding interests of COM
merce ard civilization? If we destined to
spread southwark if the AEglo-Americans are de-
signed by God to possess, and occupy, and govern
the whole continent, to the Isthmus of Panama;
why should they not possess and occupy it to
the best possible advantage for themselves and
for the world and in harmony with the natural and
social conditions which are best suited to that end
Visionary philanthropsts may say that slavery
should oe allowed no more territory. But they give
up the whole question when they declare that II !
shall not be abolished within ITS present boundaries
Nay, they DO by that very policy of non-interfer-
ence with it IN existing limits and prohibition of it
beyond them, aggrayate an evil which caunot be /
forcihly got rid Of The slave trade is abolished |
There can be, from that source. no addition to the
number Of slaves in this country. But the natural |
increase Is enormous, and to shut such population
up in any prescribed bounds forever would he dis
astrous 10 the colored and the white race The vel
tare-the true interests physical, social and politi
cal, Of both raccs-must be found in dispersion not
in excessive oycrcrowding and concentration. And
if the Institution is 50 exist what does it matter
whether it exists over a thousand or ten thousand
square miles OF territory if the territory is of such
character, il all its conditions as to keep free la
Dor from going upon it. to make it unproftableif
it should go. The truth is We are destined to spread
southward-to carry our laws and religion and lam
guage and political institutions to the EXTREMIST
poiut of the North American Continent-aud no hui
man DEGREES can prevent this obvious intention of
Providence. The contamination Of the design is
only a question Of time. And since the end must
come. in spite Of US, might as well make up our
minds 10 let events take their natural course; we
might as well be content in spreading both to the
South and to the North, to take with us those inst-
buttons which ase adapted to and required by the .
physical conditions of the region over which God .
pleases to extend our empire Against His purposes
as we said it is useless to oppose the feeble and
short-sighted regulations of human government
Southwark, as we'll as Westward the star Of our do
minion is destined to take its way and whether it
carry slavery with not we are quite sure that
any attempt to determine that question arbitrarily
agEinst the laws Of nature aud necessity, viii prove
futile or destructive Of oar nationality