Year: 1860

The Mobile Mercury, through an editorial
correspondent, has found something, in the
very heart of that southern city, worse if any
thing than black repubcanism itself-"a po-
litical element, that, if not crushed out in the
very germ, pOrtendS the most alarming danger
to our social institutions and our Wanted
soutbern civilization" This alarming ele-
ment silently pervades the south, and it is to
escape It's influence, that secession from the
Union is proposed. 1t is because the success
of the republican party may indirectly con
tribute TO Il development of anti-slavery senti'
ment in the south, that it is so hotly denounc-
ed by the slavery extremists, and not because
they suppose it will interfere with the constl'
tutional rights of any southern state. The
Mobile paper says


s'It is fact that there are secret organiza-
tons in the city constituting portions OF the
Douglas party made up not only OF foreign
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., and others from the conti-
nent of Europe, hostile TO slavery-but of
lrishmen who nave had infused into them by
certain bad men the idea that 1t Is their inter-
est to oppose slave labor, and that southern
slavery is their enemy This has leaked out
through the imprudence OF some OF the mem
bers in the boastul confidence OF wine We
hear of German Douglas clubs and French
Douglas clubs, and we have every reason TO
believe they are composed exclusively of
such persons of the respective nationalites
represented by them us have been found in
our city hostile to slavery and in favor of free
labor and free soil 1t is said to be fact
also that there are Douglas clubs of white
American artisans and laborers in the city
whose motto is, tree white labor against the
competition OF slave labor.


1t is not possible to guard the south success
fully against the inevitable tendencies of mod
ern civilization. No amendments of the CON
sttution would do it, nor any degrading sub
mission OF the free states. Slavery can not
be made eternal, and thereat we rejoice, for
the South" consists not so much OF the few
Shareholders as of the many non-slaveholders.
The lawsol things work against slavery and
all other barbaroas things; but this Mobile
writer, like all other fierce defenders OF the
institution makes the wicked north RESPONSE
Bile for their operation He goes on in this
edifying style:-


"Does not all this seem as if it were the be
ginning of the COnsummatiOn designed and
announced by the anti slavery leaders of the
north, VIZ, that slavery is to be extinguished
in the south by the southern people them
selves-by the creation and through the means
OF an antl-savery party at the south Truly
the programme OF William II. Seward-the
'irrepressible conflict is Fastening with unex-
pected swifrness to its catastrophe, when we
find right here, blOssoming in the heart of the
south, political party whose animating senti
ment is nothing less than absolute and un-
qualified black republicanism. Why, so ua-
pable is this thing that even the stupid intei-
gence of the negro has not failed to recognize
it, and with instructive zeal we hear the
darkies hulrahing for Douglas at the mouths
loyal citizens have not noticed and taken
alarm at this poentous development, ndi-
Gates most unaccountable want of vigilance
and apathy on their part 1t may be asked
why these people in our midst do not support
Lincoln at once, if it is true that they are anti
slavery in sentiment The answer is, in the
first place, that they hardly dare do so yet
and therefore they support Douglas as the
best alternative, knowing as they do that Tho
policy which he represents is but shade re
moved from black republicanism.'


1t is folly to fight SO madly against the in
evitable, and something worse than folly t
impute to the north" what is due entirely t
the irrepressible progress of light and fire.
principles. "What grand country this woul
be, if there were no slavery in it P' said a fol
eign gentleman to us, the other day. 1t is
grand country now, but it will be grander still
fifty years hence.