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property. The government which from fear or weakness fails to accomplish this great end for which it is instituted, is deserving of neither the respect nor the support of free and enlightened men."

The remedy which his Excellency suggested as an approximation to redress, was the taxation of the productions of the offending States, made by means of their licensing system. The patriotic zeal of this functionary seems to be more admirable than his political economy, inasmuch as the taxes thus imposed must be, in the end, paid by the Virginian consumer. The Nashville Convention, which was one of the horrid forms which Southern Disunionism assumed to frighten us from our propriety, was held this year. It was proposed by Mississippi, but the proposal does not seem to have met with very general favor, even in the Slaveholding States. In June it issued its Address and Resolutions, recounting the injuries of the South, especially in regard to the attempt to keep Slavery out of the Territories, and resolving that the Slaveholding States cannot and will not submit to the enactment by Congress of any law imposing onerous conditions or restraints upon the rights of masters to remove with their property into the Territories of the United States, or to any law making discriminations in favor of the proprietors of other property against them."

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There were admissions in the Address of the efficacy and sufficiency of our method in attacking Slavery, which may well encourage us to persevere in it unto the end. As for example:

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"In the mean time, the course of the northern people showed clearly that the agitation of Slavery in Congress was only one of the means they relied on to overthrow this Institution throughout the Union. Newspapers were set up amongst them, and lecturers were hired to go abroad to excite them against Slavery in the southern States. Not content with the agitation of Slavery in political circles, the northern people forced it also into the religious associations extending over the Union, and produced a separation of the Methodist and Baptist churches. The result of all these various methods of assailing Slavery in the southern States, was, that it became the grand topic of interest and discussion in Congress and out of Congress, and one of the most important elements of politics in the Union. You are arraigned as criminals. Slavery is dragged into every debate, and Congress has become little else than a grand instrument in the hands of Abolitionists, to degrade and ruin the South. Instead of peace and protection, aggression and insult on the South characterize its proceedings and councils. And what is your condition with respect to your sister States? Where is that respect and comity which (due from all nations towards each other) is more especially due from States bound

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together in a confederacy, and which was once displayed in all their intercourse. Instead of respect and sympathy, denunciation and hostility on account of your institution of Slavery, have for years past characterized the communications addressed to you by the northern States.

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"The institution of Slavery having once entered the popular mind of the non-Slaveholding States, for action and control, the rest is inevitable. If unrestrained by us, they will go on until African Slavery will be swept from the broad and fertile South. The nature of things, therefore, independent of experience, teaches us that there can be no safety in submission."

The Convention adjourned from June until after the adjournment of Congress, in order that it might act intelligently upon the action of the National Legislature in the premises. Its result was embodied in the following resolutions:

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Resolved, That we have ever cherished, and do now cherish, a cordial attachment to the Union, which the Constitution of the United States created; and that to preserve and transmit such a Union, this Convention originated and is now assembled.

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Resolved, That the Union of these States is a Union of equal and independent sovereignties; and that the exercise of powers delegated to the General Government can be resumed by the several States, whenever it may seem to them to be proper and necessary.

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Resolved, That we deem it unnecessary to notice the various acts of aggression inflicted on the South. A simple reference to the wrongs perpetrated since the first meeting of this Convention will suffice; and they are:

"1. The failure to extend the line of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes, north latitude, to the Pacific Ocean.

"2. The admission of California as a State.

"3. The organization of Territorial Governments for Utah and New Mexico, without adequate protection to the property of the South. "4. The dismemberment of Texas.

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"5. The abolition of the Slave Trade in the District of Columbia. Upon these facts we solemnly adjure the people of the South to unite in one concentrated effort to save the Union and the Constitution. We recommend to them to go into Convention, and each State to determine her position on the questions and exigencies of the crisis.

"With the northern majority, and the Federal Government fatally determined upon the destruction of the institution on which our existence depends, we have nothing to hope save only from our own unity, resources, and strength. When these shall have been exhibited, possibly the North may recede. The unity of the South may save the Union of the States.

"Resolved, That in view of the aggressions and outrages inflicted upon the South and those threatened and impending, we recommend that each of the southern States, in the mode she may adopt, do appoint delegates to a General Convention of the assailed States, to be held on day of, clothed with full authority to deliberate and act with all the sovereign power of the people, with the view of arresting further aggression, and restoring the constitutional rights of the South-if possible—and if not, then to provide for the safety and independence of the South in the last resort.

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Resolved, That we urge, as a defensive course, forced upon us by our assailants, and as not only unavoidable but essentially just, that the southern people do immediately adopt the following preventive

measures:

"1. That every county, district, parish, or other civil division of each of the assailed States, do hold a primary meeting and form a society or association, to adopt and effectuate any and all lawful measures and means, whereby the resources of the South shall be employed toward domestic manufactures and internal improvements, and whereby all social, commercial, and political intercourse between the South and the North shall be wholly suspended, until the North shall become prepared to concede and guaranty to the South the full measure of her constitutional rights.

"2. That such local societies do appoint and empower committees of vigilance and safety; each to exert observation over its locality in respect to incendiaries and incendiary publications, pamphlets, and papers to bring such incendiaries, or disseminators of such productions, to public justice; and to act generally as policemen in respect to the assailed institution of the South.

"3. That it is incumbent upon the southern people to build up southern institutions and foster southern literature, by giving all possible preference to them. Especially we would discourage the expenditure of large sums by our citizens in the towns to the North and East, preferring not to favor those who return our gratuities by wrong and insult.

"4. Resolved, That we earnestly recommend to all parties in every State in the South to refuse to go into, or countenance, any National Convention, whose object may be to nominate candidates for the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the United States, under any party denomination whatsoever, until our constitutional rights are secured."

Since the adjournment of the Nashville Convention, the Governor of Virginia sent another message to the Legislature, commenting on the law of Vermont for the protection of her inhabitants, and insisting upon the necessity of a "distinct, immediate, and final settlement of the question of Slavery between the Slaveholding and non-Slaveholding States." For this end he proposed that Virginia should pass resolu

tions, "inviting all the States of the Union to unite in sending delegates to represent the whole people in a general Convention, which ought to assemble at an early period-not later than May-at Baltimore, or some other convenient central point, for the purpose of bringing to an end all sectional controversies, relative to Slavery. To secure that end, the principles which should govern the action of the Convention ought to be announced in the resolutions by which it is called. All should be invited to unite in this movement who are in favor of the perpetuation of the Union, and who, to attain this result, are in favor of the Fugitive Slave Bill, honestly and cordially enforced: who are opposed to its repeal or the essential modification of the Slavery question, either in Congress or in the States."

The punishment suggested in his former message to be inflicted on the northern States, he proposed to make dependent upon their behavior, and the result of the Convention. The Legislature of South Carolina "in view of the duty of a Christian people at all times to look for guidance and direction, but more especially in seasons of trials and difficulty, and in reference to the destruction of the equal rights of the southern States" by Congress, set apart a day of Fasting and Prayer, to propitiate the Divine Anger, as manifested in the permission of these interferences with the right of one portion of the human family to rob another portion of all rights. Strengthened by this religious exercise, they appropriated $300,000 for purposes of defence, and took other steps in a warlike direction. But in the end the State seems to have taken counsel of discretion, and postponed the consideration of the question of Disunion for more than a year, until February, 1852; then to take final action (unless she again defers our destruction,) with the knowledge of the doings of a southern Convention, to be held in the meantime. Thus the prospect of a Dissolution of the Union by the South is not much nearer than before these things came to pass. There was a time when it seemed as if South Carolina, at least, had wrought herself up to a point of frenzy which would lead to some kind of demonstration towards secession. But the excitement seems to have faded away. The advantages accruing to the Slaveholders from a Union which makes us the watchdogs and the bloodhounds of their human herds, and at the same time gives them a despotic command of the National policy and plunder, are too obvious and too many to be forfeited to consistency in gasconade. We have little hope of the knot that ties us to our natural enemies will be cut by them as long as it holds us bound under their feet. While we should welcome a deliver

ance from these bonds as a blessing pregnant with good to the nation, let it come from what quarter it might, still we think there is as little immediate probability of our masters emancipating us as of their giving freedom to their negro Slaves.

THE NORTH AND THE UNION.

Whatever reality the pretences at a purpose of secession at the South may have had, they had the effect of arousing the loyal spirit of the North to the rescue. Not by a manly resolution to put down the southern malcontents, should they venture upon any overt act, but by servile declarations of its own willingness to do the dirty work appointed to it as the price of averting one. These demonstrations were made in divers manners from the beginning of the Agitation of the Compromise Question. The press, the pulpit, public meetings, all united in swelling the chorus of praise to the Union, and in giving voice to the devotion to it that inspired them all. The first public meeting in the long procession which has marched through the year, was held in Castle Garden, at the beginning of Spring, before Mr. WEBSTER's speech, on a call signed by men of all political parties. The Mayor presided, Messrs. OGDEN, JOSEPH L. WHITE, General SCOTT, and others, addressed it. Resolutions foreshadowing almost the very shape which the Compromise finally took, were passed with enthusiasm, and as far as the City of New York was concerned, the Union was put in the way of being saved. This meeting, however, was but the precursor of another yet more emphatic, held in the same place, in November. Every effort had been made to procure a great array of signatures to the Call, and many were extorted under threats of exposing the delinquents to their southern customers. It was composed, also, of men of all parties; but the fact of its occurring near an election, took from it something of the disinterested look so patriotic a movement should have, and gave it the appearance of a trick to procure the defeat of the Seward wing of the Whig party in the State, a result that it very nearly accomplished. It was addressed by a mixed commission of Whigs and Democrats, and passed resolutions approving of all the Compromise measures, the Fugitive Law amongst them, declaring that they "will sustain that law and the execution of the same by all lawful means. "" The closing resolution was the significant one of the

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