Shreveport daily news., 1861-05-09

Of agitation and aggression, against
the clearly expressed constitutional
rights OF the Congress, Senatars and
Representatives, were sent to the.
Common Councils Of the Nation,
whose chief title to distinction con-.
sisted in the display of a spirit Of ulta
|fanaticism, and whose business was.
not to promote the general welfare.
or ensure domestic tranquility-but
to awaken the bitterest hatred against
the citizens of sister States by vio-
lent denunciation of their institutions.
The transaction of public affairs
was impeded by repeated efforts to
usurp powers not delegated by the
constitution, for the purpose of i'm
pairing the security of property in
slaves, to a condition of inferiority.
Finally, great party was organ
lied for the purpose Of obtaining the
administration of the Government.
with the avowed object Of using its
power Of the total exclusion Of the
slave States from all participation in
the benefits Of the public domain, ac-
quired by all the States in common,
whether by conquest or purchase,
surrounding them entirely by States
in which slavery should be prohibit
ed, thus rendering the property in
slaves so insecure as to be compare
lively worthless, and hereby annihi--
lating in effect property worth thous-
ands Of millions Of dollars.
This party, thus organized, sue
ceeded in the month Of November
last in the election of it's candidate
for the Presidency of the United
States.
In the meantime, under the mild
and genial climate of the Southern
States, and the increasing care for the
well being and comfort Of the labor
ing classes, dictated alike by interest
and humanity, the African slaves had
augmented in number from about six
hundred thousand, at the date of the
adoption Of the constitutional COM
pact, to upwards of four millions.
In moral and social conditions.
they had been elevated from brutal
savages into docile, Intelligent and
civilized. agricultural laborers, and
supplied not only with bodily COM
forts, but with careful religious in
struction under the supervision of
superior race. Their labor had been
SO directed as not only to allow
gradual and marked amelioratio Of
their own condition, but to convert
hundreds of thousands Of square
miles of the wilderness into cultiva-
ted lands, covered with prosperous
people Towns and cities had
sprung into existence, and it rapidly
increased in wealth and population
under the social system OF The South
The white population OF the South
ern slaveAolding States had augmen-
ted from about l,25O,CO0 at the date
Of the adoption of the constitution, to
more than S,5OO,OO in 1860, and the
productions of the South IN cotton,
rice, sugar and tobacco, FOR the full
development and continuance OF
which the labor of African slaves was
and is Indispensable, had swollen to
an amount which formed nearly
three -fouIths Of the export. OF the
whole United States, and had be-
come absolutely necessary 10 the
wants of civilized man.
With interests OF such oscrwhel1n-
ing magnitude imperiled, tic people
of the Southern States were driven
by the conduct of the North to the
adoption of some course of action to
avoid the dangers with which they
We're openly lnenaced. With this
view the Legislatures. of the several
States invited the people to select
delegates TO conventions to be held
for the purpose OF determining for
themselves what measures We're best
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