The Shasta courier., 1861-02-23
Southern Feeling.

That there is ample cause for the feeling of
fear and distrust now so prevalent in the South
ern mind, every reasonable man must admit
The platform of the Republican party is really
but little short of declaration of war against
the South. The leaders of the Republican party
again and again avowed their purpose to use
the poweTof heFederal Government, ,undertheir
construction of the Constitution, with a view to
the ultimate extinction of slavery in the States
Their President elect has himself-in careful
| tIyTprepared written speech, delivered TO the
Convention which nominated him for us.
Senator in Springfield, H., in June, 1858, and
adopted in that Convention as part of its pro-
ceedings ard platform-solemnly declared
believe this Government cannot endure per-
manently half slave and half free. | do not
expect the Union to be dissolyed-I do not ex-
pect the house to fall-but l do expect it will
cease to be divided. 1t will become all one
thing or all the other. Either the opponents Of
slavery will arrest the further spread Of II, and
place Il irhere the public mind shall rest in the
belief that 1t is in the course Of ultimate ertqctiOn
or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall
alike become lawful in all the States, old as well
as new, North as well as South.
Thus their President himself has soemnly
declared that the great purpose of the Repub-
lican party, when it got into power, was not
only to q arrest the further spread of slavery,
but to "place it where the public mind can
rest in the belief that it is in the course Of uli
mate extinction" Place it ''where it is in the
course of ultimate extinction?' Now where
must they go TO find it in order to operate upon
it thus? For it is well settled rule that you
must catch your fish before you cook it. Will
| they 60 into the free States in their search for
it2 Certainly not. As well go to Iceland for
cotton and to Norway for oranges or crocodile
eggs. They will go where it exists-where
they know it may be found. They will go to the
Southern States and there place it in the condi-
tion which will satisfy its enemies that it is
is the avowal of the very head of the Republican
party Hence ii is idle to say the people of the
South have nothing to fear from the passing o.
the Federal Government into the hands of {
party whose chieftains have avowed such sen
timents For Californians, these Republican
were made for the sole purpose of getting int
power. We do not believe the leaders of tina
party intead to carry out their avowed princi
pies. We do not believe they are honest. Blu
it is not reasonable to suppose that the Southeri
people generally look at it in that way. The.
believe the Republicans intend to put thei
principles irto practical operation. Hence the,
have right to be agitated at this time, and it il
not at all unreasonable that they should demand
some new guarantees against encroachment.
upon their rights and property, from party
whose leader for the sake of getting Office ha:
avowed purpose to impair those rights and
ultimately destroy that property. On this point
Henry Clay, many years ago, made defense o.
the Southern people, which will apply now as
appropriately as then, for Repubicanism is but
a legitimate offspring of Abolitionism. Said
the gallant Harry of the West:
The inhabitants of the slave States are some
times accused by their Northern brethren with
displaying too much rashness and sensihility TO
the operations and proceedings of Aboltionists
But before they can be rightly judged, there
should be a reversal of conditions. Let nae sup
form societies, subsidize presses, make large
pecuniary contributions. send forth numerous
missionaries throughout their own borders, and
enter into Vaccinations to burn the beautiful
capitols, destroy the productive manufactures,
and sink in the ocean the gallant ships of the
Northern States Would these incendiary pro-
ceedings be regarded as neighborly and friend
| w. and consistent with the fraternal sentiments
which should ever be cherished by one portion
| of the Union towards another? Would they
excite no emotion? occasion no manifestation of
dissatisfaction, nor lead to any acts of retaato-
~ violence? But the supposed case falls far
short of the actual one, in a most essential cir
cumstance In no contingency could these cap
itols, manufactures and ships rise in rebellion
and massacre the inhabitants of the Northern
States.
But while we admit the proposition that there
is ample cause for solcitude and apprehension
of coming evil on the part of the South, in the
passing of the Federal Government into the
hands of a party built upon hostility to one o.
their most cherished institutions, we must YET
contend that the seeding States have acted
unwisely, and have exhibited the blacklist in
gratitude to the eEer-faithful Democracy of the
North, in going out of the Union before theil
rights had been really assaulted. The idea o
destroying this Union in order to escape dan
gers which may possibly occur in the future, i.
to US unwise, foolish, unbecoming an enlight-
cned people.
rgA. The following glorious wave has been