Smyrna times., 1860-01-19
The Great Question.


likely to De until we have better example set
US by our Congressman.
The country is cursed with this agitation.-
BY it the most intense and bitter feelings are
engendered, the feelings of alienation are in-
ca!cated, the mercantse enterests are deranged,
sectional and bloody anmosity is produced.
persrnal freedom is endangered, sectional in
stead of national legislation is attempted, the
bonds of serviiude of the slave is being drawn
tighter and tighter, while the free negro, in
many of the States, are compelled to leave their
homes and fled to parts unknown, or go again
into slavery; in word, the interests of twenty
millions of white people-their manufactures,
commerce and agriculture-are all neglected
aud hazzarded for four millions of negro slaves.
Instead of making laws to benefit our COM
mercial, manufacturing and agricultural COM
munlties, our Legislators are continually squab-
bling over the negro, only to make his harder
fate. Let US sea what it has done and is doing.
In the language of a cOtemparary-
l. 1t has divided the Methodist Episcopal
Church, the largest body OF christians IN Amer
lca. D
3 1t has divided the New School Presbyte-
rian Church.
B. 1t induced the American Board of Mis-
sions 10 abandon OF It's Missions among the
Indians of our country.
i. IL filled Kansas with blood and carnage.
). 1t led to the horrible scenes al Harper's
Ferry.
6. It has carried on for years an organized
system OF fire. ebooling upon our Sou'hern States
II has fnl.a liza frOm is foria-
Bile home, to leave hun III the midst OF poverty
and crime.
8. 1t has inflicted deep wound upon North
ern Medical Schools
o Itis laboring to divide this magnificent
Union.
10. 1t is at this hou staying the wheels of
the General Government to the untold injury
of the nation.
IL. 1t is warng upon the interests of our
merchants and business men to the amount OF
millions of money.
II. Ii has alienated the hearts of our coun-
trymen, the one from the other, to fearful ex-
tent
The accumulated and atill accumulatiDg evils
appall the heart of every true lover of his cCun-
try. We must return TO the practice of our
fathers and to their policy, under whom the
ship of State was safely guided. The old Pilots
are goue-either dead or ignored-and many
ofUur would. be-helmsmen, it cannot be doubted,
are bereft of reason or corrupt demagogues,
who, to have themselves lifted into power,
would see these fair domains discovered into as
many fragments as there were such craven
hearted aspirants, for petty chiefdom. More
than a dozen Congressman have already declar-
ed, IN our National Halls, in favor of disunion,
and with an imperiousness unknown with the
Fathers, demand that all men, no matter where
located, shall come over to their extreme faith
in regard to the heaven-appUnted institution
of negro slavery Several of them. in declar'
ing themselves in favor of dissolution, asserted
that they would do all they could to increase
the agitation TO bring about the result. The
Union demonstrations throughout the Nortf
have been denounced as hypocritical, and on'
man went so far as to denounce Gen. Cushing
because, in his Boston Union speech, he did no
advocate the interests of slavery. We say tha
both sections must exercise reason. Ii Wash
iRgton, Jefferson, Madison, Randolph, Lee an
others, owning slaves and living in slave States
had their doubts about ils expediency, how ca
it be expected, in this day, that men living re
mote from it, and who learn only of its dlsad
vantages, should be in favor OF it. Slavery
local and notwithstanding it has been taugh
differently f:om the lecture board and othe
places, no human being is slave until he
made so by law, and the relation is only mai
tanned By authority. The question is one tn
concerns only those where it exists, and wi
them is the allernsi tive Of deciding It's Perpetu
" or extinction. Being local institution,
does not concern those disconnected with
and they should, therefore, not interfere; nc
on the other hand, should the South expect
eoerce them into their way of thinking. The
is no mistake but the South is more ultra on Ii
measure than formerly; produced, no doubt,
the impression that there is an oiganized NOV
ment in the North to war on their institution
Ths latter declare they have no such purpos
with the exception Of an unimpoTtant faction, t
majority diuayow any sympathy for and dePl
cate the Harper's Ferry affair."
la many of the Southern States negro lat
is Indispensable, and without it the rice
cotton lands, as in Jamaica. would soon beco
thick Jungle The South must not expect
carry slavery where it is not profitable, and
efforts to do so will only end in defeat, nay
will lessen the sympathy for il where it aires
exista, and raise up a hoard Of enemies d
have and will prove very troublesome.
Massachusetts and the other New EngIs
States abolished slavery only when It beca
unprof,able. Kansas resisted il for the sa
reason. and no power. State or Federal. will
able to force any measure of the kind upon
unwilling people. Hence the utter uselesn
and absurdity OF an agitation SO direfnl in
results. Hfs
We want peace--peace 10 our Halls of L
isalion--ueuee u our Churches peace in