Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-21
rn. r.ouaau Times ON the United state
: - S-.-sus and Present Crisis

that ought to put u Diush sonie VI OuH V"n
statesman. one of the main points at issue between
the North and the South. says;
~. siuole entry, of apparently slight Importance
IN the- statistics before u.s. explains the whole Of
that struggle between North and South which now
threatens such formidable consequences. The ''pop-
nation of the territories" is set down altogether at
asa S56-not much above that of the single city of
BROOKLYN, and less than that OF Philadelphia; but
the area of the country thus niy occupied is little,
if at all less than the aggregate area OF all the or
ganized States Of the Union. By whom, then, are
these magnificent opportunities OF expansion to be
enioved? What people 10 possess these boundess
chances of growth 1" We say the citizens of the
North I'VE will not allow that any new State Of
this glorious Union shall be infected with the faint
q OF slavery New soil shall be free SOIL We viii
not interfere with the institutions which time has
sanctioned in the States where they still exist, but
we will never permit the evil to spread" What.
however. does such declaration meant 1t is sim
cereiy uttered we verify believe, and Englishmen
will never gainsay its justice CT propriety; but in
Its political import ii cuts on the South from all
all prospect, not only of popular growth,
but of political prepoDderanos 1t would isolate the
southern states and leave them, unless they chose
gradually TO abolish slavery to die out as it were,
in comparison with the expansive communities
around them. They could only avail themselves of
the new territories by foregoing their peculiar in
stitution, and discarding their property" To tell
them that they may share the common privilege of
American citizens Of migrating to new homes, but
that they must leave their slaves behind, Is some
thing like telling western settler that he may go
into the backWOods, but that he must not take his
az with him. They protest accordingly, and are
ready to secede and even to fight not for their pos
session. for those not likely to be molested, but
for the freedom of progress aud colonization which
their sdYersaries wsuld deny them.
The answer, however, to this specious plea is OBJ
vious. Slavery ia, in very truth, thing hateful
and abominable. 1t is disgrace to any country,
and the northern people are perfectly justified In
their requsition that If it cannot be abolished within
the limits of the American Union 1t shall at least
not be extended. IT. therefore, the southern States
persist in maintaining such an institution they are
answerable for the consequences. They might have
taken better grounds at first. All the States OF the
Union were slave States once almost all were
slave States as recently as sixty years SINCE In
the census of 1900 three States only were returned
as containing slaves within their precincts, and
what has been done by New York and New Jersy
might have been done, at any rate, attemPte by
. North and South Carolina. But the people OF the
South have chosen another course. They have not
only preserved slavery, but have encouraged It, de-
nying its evils and asserting for it positive merit
and value They have at length preferred It even
70 national Union and endeaEoring to establish
a eonfederacy which must rest this institution
basis. Whether they will succeed or fail we can
not venture to predict; can only hope that bet
ter counses may prevail and that the idea of dis
union may be relinquished.
After SO frank and lucid exposition of the case it
would seem incredible that the same writer could
arrive at the conclusion that the North is in the
right and the South in the wrong, and for no better
reason than that the writer thinks slavery wrong
But what if it were? The negro Is here, in num-
be-s, four million. What shall we do with him! The
Tines says we might have got rid Of slavery the
Northern States Therein lies one capital error.
The Northern States notwithstanding their Wanted
humanity did not IN point of fact, emancpate their
slaves, but only passed them South with their
chains still on them.
The Southern States can not do this. They
might en- 4ncipate, but they could not expel him
without which, whatever views may be en-
tertaned of slavery in the abstract emancipation
would be crime for which history furnishes no
parallel. We cannot get rid of the negro. His
presence is fixed and inevitable fact, for which
there is no remedy, and we have alternative but
to hold him as slave or recognize him as an equal
We shall not at present discuss that. branch of the
question. - ...
Perhaps we have overlooked-yes we have, one
other mode of escape. 1t is that proposed by the
Black Republican party. 1t is the emigration Of
the white to the Territories, leaving the negro
in possession of the States now established We
at loss to comprehend the depravity of heart
which could suggest, much less indicate such
q policy. That it should become the
cardinal feature in the policy of dominant poll
teal party, would be wonder to the future histo-
RAN which nothing can explain but the bitter hate
which has been nursed,by race Of Northern men
from the day which, not to 60 further back, a
Southern man, the Immortal WASHINGTON, was Sc
lected as the commanderin-chief of the revolu-
tiOnary army.
LII true that the reservation Of the territory to
the use of free labor is offered pretended boon
to the white man. But what sort of boon is it? For
the exclusive privilege thus conceded claimed for
the white it is demanded that the present slave
States shall be given up to the exclusive of the
negro.
We may consummate the bargain any day,
though its fulfllment will require many
years Perhaps on this account the present
generation may feel that however deporable to the
rising generation the evils to the preseRt would not
be SO great as dissolution of the Union. Tke pre-
sent slave States are still capable, and will be for
generation to come perhaps, to contain the
probable Increase Of both slaves and whites. But
can we consent for present ease, present advan-
txge even If it were SUCH to transfer this rich in
dearing and cherished associations to the negro
in exchange for the privilege of migrating to the
wilderness Yet it is this and nothing less, which
Che Black Republicans propose as a condition of
our remaining in the Union. We are now by
peace eoaferences by news papers, in Congress-
in our State Legislatures in public assemblies,
and in every ether way emploring these sHgERteful
tyr&nts, to modify though it be littie these
urgent and exhorbfta@t demands.
We remind them Of the fact that slave States gave
them without price, Terrstory for which they
have realized untold millions Of money, and out of
which thSSving and populous States CT the North
west have risen We remind them Of the common
peril and treasure which all of have freely shraed
for an equality Of rights in our magnificent Terri
t0riSl domain We remind them of the common tolls
and dangers which their and our fathers injured in
the great battle of freedom yet is all as if we should
plead with stocks and stones. We humiliate our
selves in the dust We tell them we demsnd yaoshing
We throw ourselves uPou their generosity. We will
not even hold Convention to consider of our grier
ances. We send Commissioners only, and in the
name OF peace ask simply that something may be said
or done TO quiet momentary alarm
To all this what answer do we get? We shall see.
Letus glance for moment at a statistical view of
tne subject. Suppose that our fathers had been
actuated by the maleFolent feelings which at pre-.
sent possess the minds of the dominant party.
thst is, Of denying to the old States the priv
Iege Of sending or carrying = the negro into
the territories. What if they had said as now
the Black Republicans say, that slavery should
not extend the length Ct a mans shadow at noon
day into the territories
The old slave States OF tile South would now have
q negro population greater by sSe hundred thOus-
ana than the whites. Nay, the difference would
have been far greater than is shown by the present
census, for With such population of negroes, the
white man would have been driven out from the
necessity of expansion. The untold and incalcula
BILE blessings which have by immigration
-. IL ,,r,nr, Dc atpr and the slave