The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1860-08-22

carry out programme set forth IN book
which had received the written Endorsement
of sixty-eight members of Congress, and Of
multitndes of sympathizers throughout the
Northern States, the speaker trusted that
these precautionary measures, looking to the
prevention Of any similar incursions in the
future, would be indulgently regarded by
the people whose homes and hearth-stones
they were intended to secure.
Can we trust the North upon the question
of slayeryl 1t has been found that they will
not execute that compact Of the Constitution
which provides for the extradition of fugi
tive Slaves, because, they say, that provision
Of the Constitution is void, as being in con-
fiict with a "higher law" Ii this be so, then
there is no other compact in the Constitu-
ton, having reference to slavery, which We
can expect them to observe. They will re
pudiate every engagement on that subject ;
for, according TO their own avowed princi-
plies, there is no oath that can bind their con-
sciences. They have declared their purpose
to destroy slavery, and they mean what they
say. Indeed, they areadly regard the battle
as fought, and their victory as achieved. Sc
nator Wilson complacently remarks that
''the South is now but mere dependency of
the North !" and Mr.. Seward observes, that
''the only question the South now has to de-
eide for herself is this-whether she shall
suffer slavery to be destroyed quietly, or by
the bloody hand of force"
Mr.. Lamar read the report of "a colloquy
which took place, last winter, in Congress,
between himself and Mr. Stokes, of Tennessee
one of those intensely conservative South
em gentlemen, who are fond of declaring that
they intend to exact nothing unjust or uncon-
stitutional at the hands of the North. Mr..
Stokes made this declaration upon the floor
of the House; but, when pressed by Mr..
Lamar to specify the instance, in which even
those men who were characterized rs South
ern EXTREMISTS had demanded ofthe North
aught that, in ITSELF was either unjust or un-
constitutional, Mr.. Stokes, after repeated at
tempts at evasion, was compelled to answer
that he knew of no such instances.
Southern Opposition men sometimes as
cribe the present agitation to the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise. Mr. Lamar here
proceeded to deliver mastery exposition of
the facts connected with that Compromise,
and of the circumstances, under which it was
repealed in 1854; and then he argued to show
that it was not that repeal which caused the
present agitation, but that the agitation had
its source and origin in the settled belief Of
the great mass of the Northern people that
slavery was a great moral wrong, crime
against God and man, which it was their sol
emn duty to eradicate from the land as speed
lily as possible. The anti-slavery sentiment
had taken complete possession of the minds
of thoughtful and strong-willcd people, and
we had already witnessed something of its
terrible energy in those descriptions of church
es and of parties, which it had rent into frag-
ments whenever they presented themselves IN
its path. Itdemands, to-day, possession oftho
reins of the general government, that its powers
may be welded against an institution which is
characterized as ''the sum of all villanies; !"
and It will not desist until that demand is
yielded to.
We are sometimes told that the exist
ence of slavery depends alone upon climatic
influences, aud that it cannot be extinguished
in localities where soil and climate alike in
yite the labor of the slave and make it profit
able. History teaches different lesson.-
Jamaica had soil as favorable to slavery as
any other region on the earth, and her peo-
pie, having slavery established among them,
were unanimously DESTROYS of retaining it
but the anti-slavery sentiment controlled the
mind of England, and, in obedience to the
desires of visionary and mistaken philan-
thropy, slavery was abolished by the home
government, and the British West India Is
lands were doomed to the fate of barbarism.
Let the North once obtain the necessary pow
cr, and she will employ it as England did,
nor need the South attempt to delude her
self with the expectation that her "soil, and
climatic Influences" will stay the progress of
abolition for moment after it becomes strong
enough to enter upon the consummation of
its purposes.
We were told, the other day, that Mr. Bells
course Of policy, in reference to the reception of
abolition petitions by Congress, had been follow
ed by the happest results-by peace and harmo-
ny. OF course, the ant-slavery men made no
clamor upon that subject and why? Because
all they had demanded, on that point was con-
ceded to them, and they were left free to go on
to other works of aggression upon slavery
Could any man say that concession to any Of the
demands ofabolitionism had ever been followed
by an abatement of its spirit or by the manifes-
tatioa of purpose to stay its steps at the point
then occupied? Without entering into partic-
ulars, the speaker would say that Mr.. Bells pol
icy was infected with the error of supposing that
fanaticism could be conciliated by yielding to
portion Of its demands He had yielded the