Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-02-21
NO interest whatever in il.


any local interest Of The South,
maintain that it majorities in th'
North, or if every man in tht
North, were in Iayor of hostile leg.
isIasiop, it " ould be anii-Amcricsn
and contrary to all the principles oI
our Government for them TO as
sume to govern such local mstitu-
ton, and, especially to govern II
in such a way as TO bring about IFS
destruction. Why is II that the
northern people have felt it Incnin-
bent on them to join in crusade
against this institution! We are
often told that the slave power has
had the control oi the Government:
but | maintain that the Governs
ment has not been controlled with
view to promote slavery, or ~
opposition to slavery; an'i that Is
The view in which tie South has
ever maintained the Government
should be controlled. But Savery
is living. existing interest in Tie
country. and should share ihe COM
mon veal or common woe "f the
countrE-lke other great interests.
sun to the committee and
to tho Atitry, what reason can
be given, from review Of history;
for SD bitter contest against tliis
institution of the South? Has
slavery made such rapid strides
since the foundation OF this Cover
ment as to alarm those pbilanlhlo-
pis,s, il phiIantbroPists they be-
At the time of the treaty oi peace
in 1888, the States now called
southern owned territory to the
extent of 63S,0I6 square miles,
aud the northern States l69 CO.;
or the South owned 46S, ,354 square
miles more than the North. Flr-
ginia coded territory to the extent
of 239,55 square miles, and ex-
cluded slavery therefrom: thus Civ
ing the North 400 900, aud reducing
the South to 39S.45S square miles.
The South was then strong, and The
North was weak. How has that
generosity and magnanimity been
requiIed9 How is i, now proposed
to be requited by the northern
States? The very States OF the
Northwest, Of the territory thus
generously ceded by the State OF
are this day enlisted in the
ranks OF our adyersari' S; AID large
majority of her Representatives on
his floor are voting and acting to-
day With the party that is attempting
10 deprive the old mother Common
wealth. the mother Of those States, I
of any right in the Territories that I
nave been subsequently aeqnireS,
lltheugh they we're acquired by the .
oint bloed and Treasure Of Virginia /
With all the States.
But, sir. let us follow out that idea:
Dy the Louisiana purchase, we &C.
luired l,l36.496 square N i 'es- !
OF this the North has secured 9F1,- /;
500 square miles, and the South
333, ,G24 = the North acquiring Gi2,- .
97S square miles more than the
South.
By the Florida purchase, the
South acquired 59,26S; and by the
of Texas, 274,35G; total .
BY these last two acquisitions, $780,
GA sq1a miles. /
By the Mexican treaty, the total
acquisition is 665 .466 square miles.
OF his ,hs North bas California,
containing lSS.9S1 Square miles.
leaviag 476,505 square miles 10
New Mexico aud Utah TO be settled /
And the present effort of your par
ty is to exclude the Souih from
the whole Of this; while the South
only asks equality in it. And, sir.
/ may remark. in relation to th ter
ritory, that it is the most barren,
bleak, mountainous, ,unproductlvo ter
ritory that this Government has
ever acquired. The soil and elimate
of that territory are such that your
own distinguished Daniel Webster
declared that slavery could never go
there; that the law Of nature pro-
hibited it; and that, TO enact the
Wilmot proviso in regard to it, would
be only to re-enact the laws OF God.
! will refer again TO the statistics
THAI l have collected from the report
Of the Commissioner Of the Lspd
Office:
Square miles.
Ia 1888 the South owned ....... .sss.ois