Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-10
TIRE PRESENT
AnE IN THE FUTURE

SLAVERY AND THE IEhhliOhLE
II would have been far better for the
south 70 insist st tie beginning upon Inc
fru Measure Of her rights in regard 70
slavery but her Statesmen either uiO
not see the Importance Of doing 3d. oi
had not satisfied themselves as to the
extent Of those rights. After msDy
wears. they foolishly undertook to pre-.
vent tbe consideration by Congress Of
petitio0s for the abolition Of slavery ID
the District Of Columbia, while they
sUunorted Mr.. VAN buren, for the Presl-
dencv, after his admission that he was
not able to say that Congress had not
the power to do what the petitions de-
manded. By tbis attempt, they only ieu
the fires Of agitation, and caused the
number Of petitions to increase ten-toiu'
giving 10 the fanatics the immense ad-
vantage Of the denial to them Of a con-
stitutional right, that Of petition. No
n expected to effect any good by this
lint certain Southern leaders desired to
seat themselves securely in popular
favour at home, by seeming to outrun
the people themselves, in zeal for their
rights. The result was the establish
ment Of g rule Of the House, by which
reference to a committee was refused to
such petitions, and they we've, in point
Of fact. contemptuonsly thrown TO 4
side. This was done upon he ground
that Congress had not the constitutional
power to abolish slavery in the District.
on a like ground, they might have re-
fused to receive petitions 10 establish a
National Bank, or to do any other act
which they might choose to say II was
not within their power TO do. When
this rule, after some years, had no longer
any current value as political capital, 1t
was suddenly and without ostensibie
reason abrogated by themselves.
The increase Of the abolition party,
out Of which the Republican party grew,
and which secession made the Union
party, was owing to something. 1t was
not owing 10 its principles because, as
NlNA Isl .L was q MIMI -
contemplate, as it began. When GAR
RIsoN, not long before apprentice in
q printing Office, concluded to take up
abolition, and so somehow mako a noise,
his doctrines were detested, even in New
England. But what is prosecuted, grows:
and persecution was foOlishly resOrted to,
even in New England and Philadelphia,
where ~negrophilists were mobbed and
regaIed with indignities. Then the right
Of petition got enlisted on their side the
Democratic party elected q President
who admitted the power Of Congress TO
abolish slavery in the District audregu-
larry bid for the abolition vote in some
States. and recognized abolition Cover
nors as good Democrats. In other
states. the Wings had abolition leaders,
and frateruizsd with the faction to win
it, votes. Thus the cause grew strong
bv degrees, until IN an evil day, an Hi
Dois demagogue in the Senate offered the
South the repeal Of the Missouri ComprO-
mise. She snapped at the bait, and was
hooked, the Republican party at once
sprsng up in the full vigour Of manhood,
and the beginning Of the end came.
The South had not thought Of repeating
that Compromise, and did not want new
Territories in the Northwest. More than
one Southern Senator regretted the in
trodncton Of the bill, and did not wish
n vote for it,-1Oe k7aOaC the Jdct,-but did
40 in accordance with what they sup
posed would be the will Of their con-
~stituents.
II has been the fate Of the South,
always in the right on the main ques-
IONS, to be eternslly placed in the
wrong by her leaders. Until they could
do that, they were level satisfied and
never was a good cause so fOolishly, nay,
so insanely lost.
II made no difference whether Con-
gress had Or had not the power to abol-
isb lavery in the District Of Columbia.
Tfit had the pOUer, its exercise would
bsve been 80 open and u~ndisguised an
.ct Of hostility, a. to have rendered the
oontinusnceof the Union impossible. Fit
- the power, the South should have
,fssoIved the Union because the power
,ovisted. That should have been an
,,unced at once; aud the sooner action
mss taken on such petitions, the better.
Gssconade and threats were idle. II
a-a,,ld bsye been far better 10 secede
non hat question, than upon that Of
Eonsas and the repeal Of the Missouri
Compromise. To postpone the settle.
u,ont Of such questions, was all the
80 for the South, because her
st-eDpth, relatively to that Of the North
wa always growing less.
AZ IN the Territories, Southern states
never agreed on any particular
--onnds on which to base the denial Of
right Of Congress to abolish or pro-
-. olavsry there. For many years,
-nanv Of them did not deny it. The
- of the southern leaders, in regard
th.t sfter 1920, was exceedingly iuc-
60 unsteady and uncertain. Mr.
polk approved the bill creating the
Territory Of Oregon, with that prohibit
,ion- and his party in the South justified
80 beca,tse that Territory lay north Of
aso az. thus recognizing the validity in
u-inc;nls and the wisdom also, OF the
Missouri Compromise. They were even
willing to extend that line to the Pacific.
THE truth is, that few ofthem were clear
e. tbe,r opinion as to the wasn't Of power
~ Congress 20 prohibit slavery in 5 Ter
rItory; and most Of those who had such
.nation, could give no very good reason
g. a. and. as they were Onee told by q