The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-11-21

question of right As the cause ofthe Soul
dge- ern States is a common cause and as the q
sent gressons upon their rights are common
um should think it wise their action be common
IF the fifteen Southern States of the Uni
!, should meet in convention, and determine
ne secede from it. there would be no war,
'ey bloodshed. So many of the Northern Peep
w are dependent upon our cotton, and our trad
JUS for employment, and for the necessares as We
the as the lux,ies of life, that they could neith
afford to fight US, nor to stand by and see otl
sih ers do it. Nor could the Government
res Great Britain afford to witness invasion
uo- the Southern States. We are planters, larg
s portion Of the people of England are manu-
sa- lecturers. We come in competition with non
US OF their interests. Our interests and their
ate are mutual and reciprocal. The people of tn
- Northern States are the rivals OF the peopl
,aI OF England in manufacturing and shipping
"a both are dependent upon US for cotton. Fou
&c millions of the people of Great Britain lool
-. Tor the means of their support to the cottor
., ., crop of the Southern States of this Union
~ AN invasion of our soil, which would cut of
VI a single crop of cotton, would shake the pill
a d lars OF the English throne and the cry oil
"a bread or blood" would at once control the
action OF the government, the army, and the
~ navy of Great Britain in our favor
10 L am aware that the opinion is entertained
d D. many that the Southern States, in the
l, event of a dissolution Of the Union, would be
d in a worse condition than they now are, in
n reference to the recapture of their fugitive
T. slaves; as it is said large numbers would es
y cape, and we would have no process by which
; we could recover them from any portion of the
Northern Confederacy. This is great error.
In case OF separation of the two sections,
> and the formation of new governments the
people of the Northern Confederacy would no
longer feel that they were connected with
slavery in the South, any more than they now
are in Cuba and Brazil
Most of the Northern States have already
enacted stringent laws against the impor
tation Of free negroes among them. They
would not desire such a population in their
midst, and would be willing to spend money
to rid themselves of it. They would need |
our cotton, as they now do, and would find |
our trade still indispensable to their prosperi- |
ty. We should then have the power to regu-
late our own revenue laws, tariffs etc, and to |
discriminate against them, and in favor of Eu-
ropean States, if We chose to do so, by impos-
ing export duties cotton purchased by them
and import duties on manufactured articles
sold by them to our people. This they could
not endure and prosper.
| The result would be that they would, if
| required, enter into treaty with us to bring
/ back our fugitive slaves, and deliver them to
us at the line, if we would agree to favora-
/ BILE commercial treaty with Them by which
/ they could buy our cotton and sell US their
goods upon equal terms with other nations ,
A similar treaty, for the like RI on, could be
made with the English Government by which
Canada would no longer be the harbor of fl-
gitive slaves.
The sentiment, no doubt, prevails in the
hat l,a, Ii r. Al
would be in great danger from their slaves, in
case we should attempt to separate from the
Northern States and to form an independent C
Government Instruction and revolt are al r
ready attempted to be held IN terror over US. d
| do not pretend to deny that Northern spies Il
among US might be able, occasionally, to incte t
small numbers Of slaves in different localities
to revolt, and murder families of innocent wo-
men and children, which would oblige us :,
promptly to execute the slaves who should 4
have departed from tho path of duty, under =
the deceptive influence of Abolition incendia-
ries.
These instances would, however be rare
Our slaves are usually under the eye of their
masters or oEerseers. Few of them can read 81
or write. They not permitted to travel
on our railroads, or other public conveyance,
without the consent of those having the con-
|
except such as their owners allow them to
have and no means of communication with
each other at distance. They are entirely
unarmed and unskilled in the use OF arms la.
A general revolt would, therefore, be impossi- CO
BILE. But the more important fact, which is sis
well known in southern society, is that nine of
tenths Of them are truly and devotedly attach wi
ed to their masters and mistresses, and would
shed in their defence, the last drop of their NJ
blood. They feel and recognize their Inferior til
ity as race, and their dependence upon their
owners for their protection and support, whose so
smile of appreciation constitutes their highest
enjoyment. They have not been accustomed in'
IT, claim or exercise political rights, and few to
Of them have any ambition beyond their pres an
ent comfort and enjoyment In case of
plot or conspiracy, the secret could be COM wi
municated to bat few, till some would learn
t who would Immediately communicate it to fla
heir masters, and put them upon their gaard3 | rnC
This would lead to an immediate seizure and We
execution Of few of their leaders. We have fol
therefore, but little cause of apprehension from
rebellion of our slaves.
Let US for moment contrast our difficult
les with laborers, in case of division, with ioa
he difficulties which the Northern people TIT
would have with their laborers.
Many of the Northern masters, or employ
rs, if they prefer the serm, are now in pos Hs
ession of large fortunes which they have of
by the use of the strong arms of
white laborers among them, who have labored,
nd toled, and dropped the briny sweat, for
weeks and months, and years, in their service MI
nd have received from them in return a att
neager compensation, which, in health, has co
arely enabled them to support themselves in
simple style, denying to their families most spf
f the comforts OF life and in sickness has often IN
eft them in restitution and actual want of the tai
ecessaries of life
While those who receive the benefits OF the
abor of others, are living in stately mansions, -
-. L. "-a ~, a 1870 ~ thi
rought these comforts must spend their sol
ays in unpleasant dwellings, doomed to per-
etual obscurty, and denied, even in sickness, tht
be comforts of life, produced by their own sin
ard labor.
But who are these honest, sturdy aborerS,
vho are kept in position OF .inferiority, to tar
hose who assume control over them They pla
re white men. They belong to no inferior
ace They are the sons Of frecmen, and they ma
ave right TO be free many Of them are raj
descended from revolutionary sires who shed
heir blood to secure liberty to their posterity.
these men have political rights inherited from I'll
heir ancestors, WHICH are inalenable They
rave the right to bear arms and thousands of
hem know how to use them They can read
md write and correspond with each other
bout the wrongs inflicted upon them. a..
Should separation take place, ard the ~, ~
Northern States take up arms against the r.
people of the South and attempt to incite our r..
slaves to instruction, thousands of these ~
Northern white laborers, who have SUFFERED -
20 much injustice at the hands of those who ~ ~;
have wrung from them the hard earnings of III
the sweat of their brows, might feel at liberty -
10 require satisfaction for past injustice, and e'
assert the principle recognized in the South, :.
that the true arr tocracy is not the aristocracy II,
of wealth, but Of color and Of conduct. While ":
their sense of justice might prompt them to ~
assist the South against the aggressons of -
those in the North who have denied equality 10
to them as well as to the people of the South. ~
Among us the poor white laborer is respec- I'll
ted as an equal His family is treated with
kindness, consideration and respect. He does %
not belong to the mechanical class. The 81 81
negro is in no sense of the term his equal. He Vi
feels and knows this He belongs to the only
true aristocracy--the race of white men. lie OF
blacks no masters boots, and bows the knee m
to no one save God alone. He receives higher br
wages for his labor than does the laborer ofany th
portion of the world, and he raises up his
children with the knowledge that they belong to
to no inferior caste but that the highest M
members of the society in which he lives, will, n
if their conduct is good, respect and treat
them as equals. b,
These men know that in the event of the q,
abolition of slavery, they would be greater &C
sufferers than the ricb who would be able to n
protect themselves. They WILL therefore,
never permit the slaves of the South to be h,
set free among them, come in competition with
their labor, associate with them and their l.
children as equals, be allowed to testify in our y
courts against them, sit on iuries with them, 81
march to the ballot box by their side and
participate in the choice of their rulers claim