Des Arc citizen., 1860-02-08
The !" Irrepressible Conflict. |"

American Confederacy 10 either limit
 modify. or wholly abolish the social sys. tenn of another section, though of com paratively recent origin, has yet in the shor, space of time involved in it's devel- opment-become at least recognized element of politics aud of course of his- tory. Whatever may have been its con- mencement il cannot but be obvious that il can now be styled with deep emphasis national question, and that out of it there have been evolved the elements of vast struggle, which. even as we write, casts its deepening shadow over every section of the confederacy. In this light we propose, in this and subsequent pa- pers. to examine it. aon H
 The most casual observer cannot fail to perceive that the solution of the questinps growing ou. of African slavery in the Uni. ted States cannot long be deferred. The agitation of this question every succeeding year wears an aspect more threatening to the permanence of our institutions, and the tendency of northern opinion, for years, has been to abandon all other issues and to ha-monize upon the single idea of op. position 10 the institutions of the south. This tendency of the free states to sec. tional organization has developed itself more conspicuously since the South lost her proper equilibrium in the confederacy |and had its climax in lS56--in the or- ganization of purely sectional party, based upon the idea of appropriating to itself the government. and 50 administer ing 1t as to overthrow the social system of the other section. The pretence of the Northern States in the formation of this sectional party, was to secure freedom to Kansas, which they asserted had been dedicated to freedom by most solemn compromise. This object has now been attained and i. might be supposed, if they were sincere in their avowals, that the Republican organization would die out. But such is not he case. The organiza- ton is still kept up and now in the be
 ginning of another quadrenial race exhib- its degree of vitality that is suggestive of the worst consequences to the perma- hence of our government. It shows, what the South cannot too soon learn, that this is not an accidental or temporary party, but that it is permanent and springs naturally out of the political elements at the North. "This in the language of an eminent Carolinian "is the most striking exhibition of northern sectionalisms;" not satisfied with their success upon the prin. cipal issue upon which they placed them selves in the formation of their party the freedom of Kansas-they persist in keeping up their organization. Nothing could more thoroughly demonstrate the hopeless sectionalism of the North than this fact. The pretence of Kansas is aban- doned. and MT. Seward the great leader of the party proclaims in his brutal and bloody programme announced at Roches- ter, that " the conflict between the North and the South is rrepressible "that the states must all be free states or slave states" This programnse inaugurates eternal discord between the sections to which there can be no solution but in the submission of the South or disunion.
 The mere fact of the formation of a purely sectional party al the north for the purpose of seizing upon the government is cause for the graves. alarm to the south; and the degree of that danger is increased in proportion as the principles or spirit of the party are hostile to us. It may be
 interesting for us 10 enquire what are the spiri, and principles of this party. Ordi- narily the principles of party are devel- oped in their platform, but this was not the case to ii.s full extent in the platform laid down by this party in the last presiden. tial election. The leaders of the parry readily comprehended that the extreme abolitionists would follow their lead, as il was movement against the South; their purpose, therefore, in their platform was to carry of as large portion of the Northern people as had not hitherto gone with them. Accordingly we find that in this platform after general declaration that all men are inaienably endowed with the right of liberty" and further general declaration of the duty and power of Congress to prohibit slavery in the Territories, they address themselves spe- officially to the case of Kansas and insist on her admission as free State. There will evidently be an effort at the approach ing Chicago Convention to cover up their real designs under some unmeaning gen. eralilies. The South should look closely |