The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1860-09-14
Incendiary Tendencies.

ree"Tu 10 contemplated lnsurrectiOn in
Talladega county, Ala. Papers from 9th.
er localities bring reports of n similar
character. In some cases, us in that Mt
Ialladega, these reports are doubtless
true, and in others they may be sheer
iabrications concocted for vile and un-
holy purpose. But be that as it may,
there is one thing morally certain, the
men who ARE now travelling through the
country, in the capacity of stump ora
tors, trying 20 "instruct the Southern
mind, and fire the Southern heart" are
dong more to impair and iniure the in
sutution OF slavery than all the Stewards,
Greeleys, Garrisons, Summers. and Chases
in the land Don't mistake or nissan
prchend us. We know what we are talk.
ing about, and the ground we are touch
ing upon. Werepeat, that these men, he
their intentions good or bad, are doing
the work Of aboIitionsm more ciiactunly
and more surely than the abolitionists
themselves. We don't assert that they so
intend, but that such is the rcsult--the
legitimate iruit-of their efforts. While
"instlucting the Southern mind, and
firing the Southern heart" they at the
same time instruct the mind of the negro
and fire his heart The arguments they
adduce. the facts they parade, have that
effect. Hanging upon the outskirts of
every political gathering are more or less
Of the slave population, drinking in every
thing shat is said upon the subject Of
slavery. 1t is wrong that they should be
there, but they are there NEVERTHELESS
AT Loudon last week, while Col. Whit
thorne was speaking end declaiming in an
exaggerated strain about loldcs ul .bo
litionists North, armed and equipped,
| ready to overthrow the institution of
slavery, outside the window Immediately
at his back were half dozen of the big
gests sort OF Bucks, listening with as
much earnestness as the vericst partizan
i'll the house, and inhaling everything
that fell from his lips on the subject. -
The negro is necessarily Illuminating ami
NAL, lie is shrewd, and his memory and
retentye faculties are equal to that orthe
white man, because he relies more upon
them. We will venture, if the fact could
be ascertained, that by the Sunday night
following there was not a negro adult
within II radius OF ten miles of the
speaking who was not in possession
OF the main POINTS made hy he orator
on the occasion md subject alluded to -
For twelve years, or more. the democratic
party South have been ngitating this
question on the stump. at the street cor
ncrs and through their papcrs-inccs-
sanity shouting that there wa, a trcmrn-
dous array Of white men in the Free
States laboring for the freedom of the
slave, and not un'requ"ntly adding the
mon>trOus falsolood that there WAS Il cor
siderable party in our own midst giving
them aid aud comfort. Cun .uch seed
bring forth anything h. evil uuit! Go
ak any man who owns bod, If slaves
whether they are rs urrt.,ut .!u .iycl-
able ~ they w"rr ten years ago. and f
he does not have more trouble IN cnn
trolling and getting Il lair amount of Ia
Dor "It Of them than formerly. Agi,n.
ton North is bad enough. God know:
hut agitation. continued. incessant agita-
ton of that subject here in the midst Of
your slave population, is suicidal, to en-.
ploy no stronger term. We make these
remarks in no partizan sense, and for no
mere pnrtizan purpose, but simply be-
cause they are conceived in truth and
soberness, and we feel that they are
worthy of consideration. If men in high
position are continually proclaiming in
the hearing Of the negro that a large
body Of the white race are in arms ready
to free him, will it not raise false hopes
in his breast and prepare lis mind for
acts of insubordinalion? Every one who
can see at all must see it.
And is it not dcporable that gentlemen
who set themselves up as Statesmen and
conscrvators Of the public veal. cannot
discuss questions Tearing ulon the ma
teral interests of the country, instead of
agitating continually and in ma,nc, so
well calculated TO do so much harm p
II an abolitionist were to come among
us and tell our negroes that there was an
immense army in the North, or anywhere
else, ready to place him upon an equality
with his master, would we not hang him
upon the first convenient tree? And yet
stump orators and itinerant statesmen 90
about the country preaching the same
thing every day, and the party hacks who
follow in their Shiny trail, shout and
clap their hands and rattle their cheap
brogans as though it were mertorious
work they were performing.
Agitation of this subject ought to and
must cease, and the only way 10 pu, a
stop 10 il is to hurl down the politicians
who engage in it for party purposes,
and place men in power and office
who are Statesmen and patriots in some
thing more than mere name. We hold
that the men who insist upon agitation
here in our midst are really working
more mischief than those who agitate
beyond the limits of slave territory
The time has come to look the matter
square in the face, and to bring little
common sense to bear upon the sub
ject.
Gsg" The breckenridge leaders in this
State readily concede there is no chance
to elect their candidate, but they tell the
rank and file they must stick to him in
order to try and save the State to the