Newbern weekly progress., 1860-12-04
The MOmentOuS Question
Point i'm the Worlds History.

TUESDAY MORNING, DEC. 4, 1860.
The MOmentOus QuestiOn-TurnIng
Point i'm the Worlds History.
For over half a century the people of the
American Republic have been proudly point
ing to their system of Government as the best
vet known in the worlds history; in fact we
have claimed it as the only system under
which the problem ofself- government could be
successfully established. So perfect have we
considered this system and SO prosperous and
happy have we been under it that we have
thrown open our ports and extended our arms in
viting the oppressed Of all nations to come and
share it with u.s. From thirteen we have swelled
to thirty-three States since the adoption Of the
federal constitution we have gone on conquer
ing and to conquer, buying, anneXing and ad-
ding Territory until our domain extends from
Her Maesty's possessions in the frigid North
to the line of the Mexican Republic in the
South, and from the Atlantic on the East across
the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific in the
West. Our people to-day are the most pros
porous as nation that the sun shines on, and
as such are the envy of the nations of the
world We have more individual wealth less
individual poverty, and by far more general
comfort and prosperity than any other people
on the earth's surface. And too, on account
of our system Of Christianity and facilities for
Educatior we are capable of doing moro to
elevate theignorant the oppressed and deprcs-
sed than all the other nations of the earth put to-
gether Not only are the hills and valleys of
our own extended land dotted with churches
and school houses where moral and religious
truth is impaired to the masses of our own
people but our missionaries with Bible in hand
have found their way to almost every land,
and with our men and substance we are labor
ing to elevate the oppressed Of other lands who
know not whatrce institutions are
In all history ancient and modern TO parallel
is to be found. Cur growth, prosperity, insti-
tutions, privileges tivil and religious, stand
alone without an equal; end yet they tell us
that this gigantic structure must BE demosh
ed and that on Is ruins t03-poSSihly dozen
Republics must spring up And why, pray !?
Are we at war with any foreign power? No
We are lat peace with the whole world and
the rest of mankind" but we war with each
other. There is the trouble. Thirty million
white people cannot agree as to what position
three million creatures belonging to all inferior
race shall occupy, and on account of this in
significant number Of an inferior race, totally
incapable of selfgovernmont or self-preserva-
ton, who were thrust upon us without our
consent, and by the cupidity and avarice Of that
government which deplores the exist
ence of slavery here, the best Government upon
the face of the earth is to be broken up. Avert
it Heaven!
We of the South think that it is best for the
African and for us that the relation Of master
and slave be continued, while a portion of the
North affect to believe otherwise. Now we of
the South don't care what opinions they hold
or how they express them, just so they keep
>shands off, and observe the Constitution of
-Fce United States That instrument provides
that a person held to service in one State escap-
ingisto another shall be surrendered up when
demanded &c. Hence all personal liberty bills
and all efforts by the people OF the North to
Dreyent the capture of fugitive slaves are vio-
lative Of the Constitution of the United States,
and the people of the South have a right to de
nand that these laws should be repealed and
that all aggressicns by the multiplying States
should cease; and this demand, if made by a
united South, backed up as they would be by
the million and half Of patriots at the North
who voted against Lincoln, must and would be
welded. The Constitution is failure; oul
glorious Union Is All that could be desired, an6
if those who are called TO rule over us would
observe and keep the oath which is administer
ed to them all these internal dissensions woulC
be banished ffora the land Had the success
sors of Franklin Pierce enforced the fugitive
slave law as he did, in every instance, all per
sonal liberty bills" would either have been re
pealed or rendered imperative before this time
and the present troubles would have been aver
ted The trouble is not in the law then but il
q q failure to execute It
Shall the Government be broken up then 70
existing causes without one final effort to say
it? We hope not Let all the powers of tn
Constitution BE exhausted let Convention o
all the States be demanded by the South, ant
when the Convention assemblies if the Mort
refuses to yield what the South has a right t
demand. let the delegates from the Souther
States be clothed with power to declare tn
Union dissolved and proceed at once to fram
Constitution for Southern Confederacy
This far we are willing to go but no farther
We are opposed to all separate State seceSsio
as not only rrlinous to the State or States whic
secede. but also to those other Southern State
which they attempt to drag into movemen
which they cannot approve.
But South Carolina is determined to- 60, ant
this determination is based whatever they ma.
say to the contrary, on the expectation that il
a conflict Eith the General Government, which
she means to precipitate, other Southern States
though they may not approve her course, viii
make common cause with her. If then Nortl
Carolina and other Southern States which faye
. combined movement to repel Northern ag