Des Arc citizen., 1860-02-01

permanent good, is certainly questionable and Is the point 10 be considered. But, one thing is certain, the harmony and peaceful continuance of our present Union can only be preserved, and is only desra- ble upon faithful observance of the Fed eral compact and the guarantied rights ot each and every State; and when doml- nant section boldly and defantly declares it's determination to get control of the government and administer 1t for sectional purposes, tbere can be no peaceful Union and il becomes patriots of every party to recognize the fact. The South asks nothing; she seeks no aggression. She only asks for equality in the Union and her just rights under the Constitution, and, consistently with the preservation of her l rights-she can submit to nothing less. We have not'a thought that any pruden- tial suggestions, such as are contained in Gov. Letcher's message, will meet with any favor at the hands of the !" irrepressi- ble conflict party. This is shown in the intemperate spirit with which his sugges- tions are received by the northern press. Thus, the New York Tribune after char acterizing Gov. Letcher's policy as !" who'll ly mpracticable :" and utterly incapable of meeting the crisis" says " &arery and freedom have mel face 10 Jace, and all de- 6ateabie ground haping been occupied, nothing IS lsf but 10 fight a out x x X The question was fought out in Kansas, as 1t will be fought out in every other Territory where slavery aims 10 get foot hold, until Congress pos- sesses the question by keeping slavery in its present limits, or agrees upon some such principle as was introduced in the Missouri settlement" It win not be doubted that the Tribune correctly repre-. sents the sentiment of the dominant party at the North, and from its outgiyings it will be seen that there can be no settle
 
 ment of this question other than an un- conditional surrender of all our constitution al right to a participation in the common Territory. But who believes that their demands will stop here. The march of fanaticism is ever onward, and the sur- render of one castle, will but hasten the
 
 period when another will be storrned and carried; until in their own language !" the sun shall not rise upon slave or set upon master" As reluctant as we may be to admit it, it is unquestionably true, that the demands of Seward, Helper, Wilson and Sumner, are but the demands of the great mass of the northern people.
 Nothing can save the country from the impending danger that threatens it, but united South zealously cooperating with the patriotic minority at the North. Such combination, standing upon the Consti- lution and actuated by patriotic deter minaiion to secure to every State all the rights guarantied to it under that instru- ment, may be able to dislodge sufficient number of northern States from the en- braces of Republicanism to prevent the inauguration of the " irrepressible con- fict <" party. To the attainment of this object the South, irrespective of past diff ferences, should address itself. Her poli- cy should be characterized by a wise mod eralion. She should do nothing to divert the attention of the country from the main issue, and force the Black Repub- licans to triumph, if they triumph at all, upon platform so odious that 1t will be likely to provoke our people to resistance In word we should make no issue at all Let them make the issue and we will meet them upon it, and appeal to the patriotism of the whole country to prevent so palpa- ble violation of the Constitution as would be involved in the inauguration of sec tiona party, based upon the isolated idea | Ol OPpUpltiOli tO tnS illttieSl Ol UDe SeCllOQ of the coniederacy.
 In the event, however, of the failure of these patriotic efforts and the consequent success of sectional party, we would re- gard it as indicative of determination upon the part of the North to continue an agitation which must be subversive of our most cherished institution, and we do not hesitate to avow 1t as our most solemn con- viction that the only remedy left for the South is in her peaceable secession from the Union. This point, we propose at some early period, 10 discuss with some degree of elaborateness for the present we present 10 our readers the following extract from the recent speech of our inn mediate Representative in Congress, MT. Rust. IL presents with much force and clearness what we believe will be the de- termination of the people of Arkansas in the happening of the contingency al-