, 1860-11-21

4 Case Without 4 Leg to Stand on.
The statd end conservative Philadelphia
Ansfriean thus discusses tha TOW South Caro-
linn Il kicking up, and shows that her desire
for the reopening Of ths African Slave Trade
IL at the bottom Of tha whole matter
| It Is hardly possible to treat tho great Eever
Of mind that prevails in Sorth Caroline grave.
| ly, hesed as 1t is On u mortts sentiment wholly
aud not on single fact, or .rablance Of n real
| thing. Suppose they rr:. 1le case to the
| King Of Holland, or s.;lc other European
| arbiter, what have the; to sayft What griey-
ance in reality to plead, what tax to complain
| OF, what actual wron:, to point ont! Shall
| they represent to his Majesty thnt the citizens
!n abstract opinion on the subject Of slavery
He will answer that the whole world docs the
same thing. H.thcy complain Of nw:s enact
cd in Northern States tending to the elevation
or all who live In thcfe States, the aFblter Will
reply that the whole world is enacting such
laws: II they declare their right to reopen the
slave trade, he will tell them that MI nations
arc Increasing their efforts to suppress It
Nothing whatever exists, in fact, on which tho
King Of Holland or any other king could basc
crcn consideration Of their Gaze. They arc
irritated at the advancement Of the age : they
arc fncenscd at the growth Of the free States !;
they are furious because tho people have by an
unprecedented minority elected President
whom they refuse to like. Not that the, fear
any aggression Of his, but that they scorn d
man who does not precisely agree With them
about slavery.
Against tic other States South Carolina las
nothing to be excited about. We mem, Of
course, no act, no real fact Of uny sort, no law
pressing heavily, no tax laid, no person injured
In body or estatc- II persons were there 'ar-
rested and punished unjustly, II their properly
was taken from them BY oppressive laws, or II
any other Outrage was committed. then resist
auce would be reasonable. Now South Caro-
Inns loses no s1aycs by escape, and therefore
the fugitive slayc Law Is Of no consequence to
her citizens, Maryland or Missouri might,
possibly, have some ground for complaint Of
til" ''sca''c offugittrcs, but South Carolina hns
none ut all.
~ Vi .ue extension Of slaycry. If South
Carolina bordcrod on the new territories, aud
her citizens found q suitable outlet for their
superauous population in moving upon new
lnnt1s, It might bc reasonable to oppose the
enactment OF Laws restricting slavery In tic
Territories, But as 1t Ii, .his truculent State
has the least possible interest In the Terrific
Ffes-almoet none Mt all Her citizens rarely
carry slaves to them. It would not affect the
interests Of South Carolina IN the slightest de-
gree in either case, By permission or by rcfu-
sal to extend slavery in the Territories.
The sole point on which the political inter-
esls OF cOutu Clrolna conHtcL VIII tue nation
al law Is the Elaye trade. It is to revive tue
slave trade that this State rebels, clearly. It is
here alone that there has been resistance to the
law, and for the purpose Of reopening traffic
which a1l civilized nations pronounce piracy:
Upon mere prctexts, and by false assertion
north and south, 1t appears that large Share
Of the people there hare been brought to be-
lieve that some grarc injury is done them or to
be done them, and when SO excited, It ia intcu-
dcd to use them as aids to The rcopening Ola
traffic for which few dctycrs Of fertilization In
Charleston thirst, as rowing bands in Africa or
Asia thirst for raids on helpless villages. It is
not riskfng much to affirm that this age will
not permit the establishment Of petty king
dom on our southern border in order to REQ
pen then the slave trade.
First among its fruits arc the seyerc pccunI-
arg losses now FILLING to them, tie extinction
of their credit, and the heavy train Of unfortu-
nate consequences certain to follow. Other
people may be troubled for little time in
business relations with them, but ninc.tenths
ur all tho evils will be theirs, This will oft
self arrest tho headlong course Of their excite
ment aud when it shall become Necessary to
call in an arbiter, and to name the case to the
world, the righteousness Of TIC whole pre-
tcncc will oyerrule everything else, and ren-
der graye consideration Of South Carolina's
wrongs quite out Of the question.