The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-10-31
From DeBosc's Review.
The South, In the Union or Out of It,

| OIL the Amer1CAu OuIOIls IL VIII SOOn Dc Tn
most painfully prominent of all the subject
which agitate the public mind. Several year
ago. it was merely a speculative question, bu
it has now become one of terrible practica
bility." The seeds sown within the last de
cade of our national life have terminated
grown, blossomed, borne abundant fruit. anc
the harvest is near at hand. The events O
that period are fastening on to their conclu
sions. with the Mexican war; as Mr.
Calhoun well said "was opened the second
volume Of American history" Since then
while the material development of the whole
country has been unexampled, our progress
has been downward step by step, in public
spirit, IN political virtue, and in private morali.
ty With each successive year, party violence
and sectional animosity have become more and
more intense. The South has been steadily
retrograding in relative power, and the North
has been as steadily advancing. Tie after tie
OF iraternal feeling, of religious union, and Of
party association, has been broken, until now
the common government is no longer shield
to protect, but it has already, or will soon. be-
come sword to pierce the vitals of the weaker
section.
We propose, in this paper, without preiu-
dice, or any admixture Of passion, of ilI-wili or
sectional asperity, but with moderation and
good temper, to give some views upon the con
dition of the South in the alarming crisis which
has now been reached in the history of our
country.
1t is so obvious, that it may be considered
an axiom, that there can be no permanent Sc
curity without the power of self-protection.
Whoever holds his liberty, his property, or
any property whatever, at the mercy Of an
other, however wise or benevolent he may be,
is to that extent slave. This is equally ap-
plicable to individuals, to States, to sections,
and to entire nations. It is contrary to ma
ture to expect the strong scrupulously to re-
spect the rights of the weak Power can only
be restrained by power. Constitutional limit
atoms give at best very inadequate protection
against dominant majorities, and less still when
such majorities interpret for themselves the ex-
tent of these limitations. When the passions,
engendered by long and bitter contests and
hostile interests, real or fancied, have become
mingled with the lust Of power, it is some
thing more than folly to expect moderation
after the victory has been achieved.
| The application of these remarks to the ex-
istlng condition of the South in the Union,
will readily be seen after we have given brief
statement exhibiting the relative strength of
the two great sections of the Confederacy. In
| 1888, when the Constitution went into opera
ton, the population Of the Northern and the
Southern States was nearly equal, the differ
ence in favor Of the North being only about
seven thousand. By the census of 1850, the
| population of the on-slaveholding States was,
in round numbers, thirteen and half millions;
while that Of the slaveholding States, exclu-
sive of slaves, was but six and half-or, in
GLIDING slaves, nine and a half millions. At
the present time, by moderate estimate, the
population Of the first is not less than eighteen
millions, AMI Of the latter not more than nine
millions-or, including slaves, thirteen mil
| lions, giving an excess, in the free population
of the North, Of nine millions Or, in other
words, the numerical power of the North in
the Union is now double that of the South
In the beginning the number of States was
seven Northern to six Southern, and up to
1850, the admission of slayeholding and nom
slaveholding States was nearly pari passu
Vermont, for example, was admitted in 1871,
and Kentucky in 1892; Tennessee in 1886,
and Ohio in 1902; Louisiana in 1912, and In
diana in 1916; and so on, free and slavehold-
ing States in alternate order. In 1850, the
equilibrium was first disturbed by the admis-
sion Of California, giving majority of one to
the North, which has since been increased by
the admission Of Minnesota and Oregon, and is
about to be increased still further by the adj
mission of Kansas. OF the whole number of
States now in the Union, the North has eigh-
teen, with thirty-six votes in the Senate; and
the South but fifteen, with thirty votes in .1re
Senate, giving a majority as thTee States and
six votes in s-ero the North. In the House
Of Representatives, under the existing appor-
tionment the North has one hundred and
forty-six representatives, and the South
ninety, the Northern majority being fifty six.
The disparity will be greater still under the
apportionment now about to be made In the
electoral college, the North has majority of
sixty-two, the Northern vote being one hun
dred and eightytwo, and the Southern one
hundred and twenty.
or the nine judgis composing the Supreme
Court four have been appointed from the
North, and five from the South; but the North
is already claiming her right by reason of
greater population and larger amount of Judi
cial business, to have the majority in this court
also. Three or four vacancies in this impor-
tant tribunal must take place in a few years.
from death alone, and we cannot, perhaps,
Justly expect that the South will be permit
ted any longer to retain the majority she now
has.
The North, then, has controlling popular
majority in the electoral college, by which the
executive is chosen, in both branches of the
Federal Legislature, and, in a few years at
most, she will have attained the Judiciary. In
this condition Of things, with the existing state
of party feeling, with sectional passions
aroused, with sacred animoSity" enkindled
on the subject Of slavery, with the inclination
and the bower to retaliate tenfold for fanced |
injuries or insults in the past, what hope of
safety in the Union can remain to the South? |
It is true that there is q Democratic party in |
the Nerth, strong in point Of numbers, and |
still in the character of many Of its
noble leaders, and in times past, it has rendered
services of which the South will never, and
ought never, to be forgetful. But this brave
party has lost the power it once possessed, and
It is no longer capable even of protecting ITSELF
and besides, there is but too much reason to
believe that on one great and vital question, at
least controlling portion of it. in spite Of the
opposition of its best men, is becoming ami
mated by the same hostile spirit which char
acterizes the Republican party. If ever the
Democratic party shall regain its aseendeney
in the North, it can only be by repudiating its
ormer principles and pandering to the all but
universal anti-slayery sentiment which per-
rades that portion of the country. Within
,en wears. the progress of this sentiment has
,een onward and onward, until from small
ivulet it has become resistless torrent, which,
n the present relation OF parties, it is folly to
.ttempt to STEM 1t has achieved victory after
,ictory, until it now holds undisputed SUI
,remacy in almost every Northern State. In
$50. there were but five abOlitiOnistS in the
Senate of the United States; there are now !
Republican Senators. Maine,
yew Hampshire, Connecticut, New York,
New Jersey, Iowa, Michigan, /;
nd Illinois, which were then represented by 9
Democrats in whole or in part are now rep !;
esented by Republicans, and each Democratic =
,enator. as his term has expired, has been =
ompelled to give way to q Republican. In !
he House of Representatives, every district of !,
lew England, and every district of several of
be western, and large majorities Of other of q
he non-sIaveholding States, formerly Demo-
ratio, are now represented by Republicans. \
carcely q Northern State (but two or three !
most) has at this time either Democratic n
GOVERNOR or Legislature. Not only that, bnt b
robably the municipal councils of four ffths i
the cities and towns in the North are in the Il
lnds Of the Republicans. ii
These are facts of fearful import when it is C,
membered that the Republican Is wholly a n
orthern party, with principles in direct an oil
eonism to Southern domestic institutions h,
ID forms of social life, to Southern ideas Of Of
and to Southern construction of it
q Federal compact and that il has acquired ac
wer solely because it faithfully represents
q opinions. the feelings, and the desires Of 81
9 Northern people. Party creeds, hereto W
re, have represented the enlightened and ar
iii considered views of prominent and lead dr.
3 statesmen upon questions of foreign and do III
sstic policy, and upon the construction OF tne DO
wers of the General Government, rather r.
an the PARTICULAR opinions of the masses OF IA,
. people. Ths Republican party, however, ca
an agent and truthful reflex of the real con- Vi,
,tions on social as well as political questions X
the halfeducated. agrarian. and fapatical IN
,ments of Northern society, as well as per- tic
ps, of large majority OF the cultivated re,
sses. The deadly hostility Of this party to tic
South Is manifested In every coneeiEable q