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About The Georgia citizen. (Macon, Ga.) 1850-1860 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 1850)
Bill designed for such a purpose should contain deci dedly objectionable in tie eyes of either section. If such a requirement is to be made, all bills of peace become at once impracticable, and every sectional controversy, however alarming or dangerous, is put utterly beyond the reach of cure or adjustment. We may, therefore, lay it down that sensible, reflecting men, friendly to the South, to the Union and to the peace and happiness the country, will not take any hostile stand against this Bill merely because it is obnoxiotUl to a grave objection which they have no hope of being able to remove by any amendment of its provisions. They will look to the good which the Bill contains, and the evil which it will prevent, as well as to the objections, great or small, with which it is chargeable. And they will feel that, where such tremendous interests are at stake as in the present matter, they are under the highest moral and patriotic obligations to take their stand firmly in favor of that side on which, on the whole, they find the preponderance of good and the best ehances for the country to lie. We must pursue this course in order to avoid contributing by a different action on our part to the present admission of California as a separate measure with her constitutional inhi bition of slavery, and contributing also the future successive admissions of New Mexico and Utah with like anti-6lavery constitutions. We must pursue this course or we shall make ourselve# partakers in the great political ct -me of withholding the bene fits and protection of Chil Government from the people of New’ Mexico and Utah until, years hence, they shall be pre pared for admission and be actuary admitted as States into the Union. We must pursue this course or we shall be guilty of a great and inexpiable crime against the South herself, —the crime of keeping New Mexico and Utah without orgaization or go vernmeiit, in order to serve as extensive fields for Frew Swfiam and Abolitionism m the North, for years to come. By means of the Agitation thus kept op. Abolition ism and Free Sadism will rapidly grow and spread. Our Mends at the North will be eut down to a mere eorporal’s guard, if indeed there shall be a man left to tell the tale of then fete, and heap burning reproaches upon us for having contributed to it. We must pursue this course, we must shat up this vast territorial arena and vantage-ground of Anti-jJkvery Agita iion, or the kneE of the Union is already sounded and its fu neral procession will be seen dhtlneUy sleaAiwed forth in the long lines of Geographical Parties that w3I emerge appalling ly to view, in the next Presidential Election. Southern Democrats are, in an especial manner y bound to pursue thiseourse, that the magnificent territorial acquisi tions which they had so prominent a part in making for their country, may not become, by their fault in the present crisis, die originating cause of their country r s ruin and an eternal auomtment of their delinquency and shame. For myself, as one who, six years ago devoted himself s victim on the altar of party in support of tlie measure and ths man with which, and whom began the cram es events which tow threaten us with universal explosion and ruin, I cannot foci a particle of doubt-as to the duty which every considera tion sacred and profane concurs to Leap up mountain high up •n me. It should be our fervent prayer that this territorial quarrel should he settled. Thingo have reached a point which ren ders the effecting of some settlement eritieally, fearfully im portant. It is a quarrel which is rapidly degenerating into a malignant and incurable gangrene on the fair body of our Confederate Republic. Already does she feel from it, a deep’ derivative morbidness taking possession of tier system, more formidable, by far, than the cause of irritation eut of which it has sprang.. lb addressing ourselves to the work of pacification and set dement, let us do it in a manner and spirit comporting with such an object. Let us be careful of involving ourselves Sc our country in the perils of sine qua rums and sine qua mn ism They are things essentially minatory and irritating and not tonciliatory in that, character. -And we have seen that a con ciliatory conduct is what duty and honor unite to demand of’ * in the present controversy, Every sine qua non gives rise to a factitious point of honor—a point of honor which, however small, requires oftlie party laying it down to stand by it and insist upon it to the utmost extremity, without re gard to the hazards or consequences. How perfectly sure, then ought we to be of the position, we have taken, in all res pects, and huw tmunriy nenain mat mere can do none other which we can accept as a basis of adjustment and peace eon •istently with our safety and honor, before we entangle our •elves with sine qua no ns and points 01 honor absolutely com pelling us to reject ail others, Mr. Clay’s Bill, although ob jectionable in one leading feature, does present a general ba sis of compromise and settlement to which, wo can accede eonswiently with our safety and honor. Let it not be said or feared , that by acceding to it and there by manifesting a conciliatory and compromising spirit, we anal s •mbolden and strengthen the Demon of Abolitionism, and ex poae the South and her slave-holding institutions to increased jeopardy.. The contrary will be the effect. That Demon will be dispirited, weakened and crest-fallen, under such a eourse of policy on our part. For well he knows, that we •hall thereby raise up ever-augmenting troops of friend* at die North, to espouse our cause there, and beat him down in his own strong holds Weil he knows, that the grant vantage ground of agitation which the Territories have afforded him and will continue to afford him, as long a# the Territorial controversy is kept open, will be taken away from kim, so soon as controversy shall be closed on terms such as dices contained m Mr. Clay’s fc ßili. Well he knows, and fearfully foresees how straightly, from that moment, he will be cribbed, confined,” and that from thenceforth 5e will be cut off, forever, from the vast range oflatitudes and elimates on which he has grown so huge, and will be restrict ed to comparatively poor mbblings and impotent if not contemp tible ravings agaui3t the slave-holding system of the South, as satrenehed securely in her impregnable citadels of State Rights and State Sovereignty For no man who has made himself aquaiiited, as every Southern man ought to do, with the great doctrines of State Sovereignty, State rights and State remedies, as they exist un der our Federal system, that can doubt in them lie real safety and protection for s against the assaults of Abolitionism. In them each,Southern State possesses, in Majestic, Severally its own all-sufficient wtadet, sword and shield, against the in roads of this foul enemy, even though they should be made through.the avenues of the General Government. If the day •hah ever come when such inroads shall be made or attempt •and, and the enemy shai not recoil and disappear altogether, before the sharp sword of Nullification, who can doubt the •curse whieh the Southern States will sternly take T Resu ming at ©nee aH the robes of sovereignty and grasping again all the awful attributes of mil united political power, they will throw themselves, solemnly, on their sovereign right of se session, and withdraw from a desecrated Union, in full pano ply as organized States and Governments, with all their pe liar institutions still standing undamaged and unjostled. So, gentlemen, it is the Union of the States and not the uMOitotion of Slavery in the South that is in real and ultimate danger from whatever forward* the growth and stimulates the audacity of Abolitionism. The first appaling shadow of Disun !t thru will be east before it, as it visibly approaches, will be a Geographical division of parties in the Presidential Election. Should the present Territorial quarrel, instead of being adjus ted as it ought to be, be prolonged as thousands and tens of thousands in the North and South are striving to prolong it, the very next election will exhibit a division of this kind. The opening scene m the grand tragedy of Disunion will then havo commenced. The catastrophe may not perhaps even wait for the occurrence of a second car third election of this sort. For when great National parties diffused throughout every part of the Union and which form its strongest cement shall cease to exist and shall give place to a state of things in which she people of the slave holding and non-slaveholding states •hah be arrayed against each other, in the elections, in solid antagonistical sectional masses, then farewell, farewell forev er, to this Glorious Federal Union, of ours, which now over arches America from Oec-an to to Ocean like a very Heaven •cut down to ns wretched undeservers by a too benig nant God. lam, Gentlemen, Tour friend and ob’t servant, A. H. CHAPPELL. •pug ®S®U®I M, SIHIII o
