, 1860-12-12
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:Cbi|!ta9o'Griithutrr,


~x(*<"H~ WV WV
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER ~. 1850
4 BAsxs OF SETTLEMENT sUc.
GESTED.
The agitation of the secession question
gives risc to many plans for saving the
Union. There is question, however,
. lying behind dallofthcsewhichi it wouldsecm
should first be settled, and that is, arc the
Cotton States desirous Of Union upon any
te1msy Have not the lcaders"of public
opinion in those States educated themselves
AMI the masses ofiheir followers into tic
belief that their interest will be hest sub
served by the establishment Of a Southern
confedcrAcy-a Confedcracy in which sla-
very shall be the great controlling interest,
and the cllief object Of the govcrn9 9cnt's
protection and fostering care: If 50, il ii
probable that any compromise which mig!,
be offered would be accepted by the Sta:se;
alluded to? n.wouid seem that the policy
Of the federal government, as regards the
present difficulties, ought 10 be shaped
with some reference 10 this fact Tllat Is
to sag, it ought to determine Whether il
will suffer the States to carry Out their
secession projects without federal oi'rosi-
ton, OF, whether it will resort to caercior-
Aside from this pre-de.cr1nination of The
Cotton States TO leave the Union, ii is very
evidcn: TINT no terms Of compromise ytt
offered would be conceded by The frec
States The latter will never yic:d any
thing 10 Slavery beyond thq guarantees Of
tho federal Constitution. In this conti::-
ton of the public mind in the two sections,
1t is not loo much to say that nny has;s Of
settlement that docs not look to the erali-
cation Of the cause Of difficulty itself, must
necessarily fail Even if the border States,
in view Of the greater perils to which tlt:y
would be subjected throug II disunion, CON-
pei the Cotton States to:.relrain from car
Tying out their schemeso ofseccssion, ii would
only be temporary palliation Of the dill
Guilty, to be fo}lawed at no very distant
day by still more disastrous revolution
than that into which they now threaten 10
plunge the country. =,
Within few days past, VIC have heard
the question discussed in circles w4lcre this
view WAS generally held, and the conc1u-
sion arrived at by almost every One WIS,
that unless some basis Of settlement c:r,
be devised that will he acceptable to
both sections, and which looks to: the
final eradication Of Slavery itself. the eril
Is beyond remedy. By those entertaining
this view, the purchase Of the entire Save
population By the United States Govern
meut with view to their freedom, is be-
heved to be the: only means whereby
peaceful and final solution Of our present
difficulties can be- obtained 1t is urged
that the South would find in this method
an escape not only from Slavery and its
attendant evils, but that its entire African
ization md final conquest by the colo1cd
race can in no other way be prevented. As
to the cost, it would be large, but not SO
much so as to render the ultimate payment
hopeless. The present debt Of Great
Britain is about four Thousand mil lions Of
dollars, bearing an interest Of three rcr
cent per annum. It is thought that the |
tie entire slave population Of this
country [about 10000 would ncl
cost upon basis Of valuation graduated
by Its actual productive value, less, ccr-
tainly not moro, than one thousand MIL
lions Of dollars-a sum equal to one-lour;h |
Of the National debt Of Great Britain. Sur
posing the cost to be equal 10 the srm
named, and payment to be-. made in a
hree per cent stock, the annual inte;-
est would be thirty millions Of dol
lars. Would the American people he
willing to impose this annual tax upon tie
National Treasury? Would they cons;ticr
It preferable to the horrors Of civil war.
'r, ut best, To the mere postponcmcnt II:
he evil, certain that it would tc rcncwc.;
It some future period under Circumstance
Or more unf;lyorable to settlement t]l:.H
hose which now encompass us? WorF.
hey consider national debt moro t,es:l-
able legacy for their postcrity than ST.
7e1yf These are grave questions, worthr
he consideration OF every patriot %
very ono who appreciates the perils t..
which Slavery must eternallE 'expose t!,>
country, and who shrink from the terrific
alternative Of civil war. We should IL.
glad to hare m expression Of opinion from;
'ur contemporaries upon this subject