born into the
citizen of the new clime and nation. Were the population of the South
more equally divided between the Northern and Southern born, this would
not be the case; but in all the slave-holding States the Cavalier
element so overwhelmingly predominates as to crush before it all
opposing ideas, prejudices, and opinions.

This radical antagonism, smouldering for years, found its first great
expression in the Tariff question of 1832, which was not so much a
question of State rights and agricultural interests as the vehicle, or
rather the weapon of the pent-up hatred of years. General Jackson saw
the true bearing and origin of the dispute; and when he prophesied that
the slavery question would be the next issue sprung by the designing
revolutionists of the South, he did but show his appreciation of the
great fact of the moral and physical antagonism between the descendants
of the Cavalier and the Puritan. He might, and probably would, had
circumstances required it, have gone farther, and prophesied, that
should the slavery question in its turn be settled, some other cause of
dispute would soon be found and grasped by the apostles of separation
and revolution, as a means for the accomplishment of their great design.
He alone, of all our statesmen, with his far-seeing eye saw and
appreciated the tremendous issue involved. He was sternly opposed to the
compromise which was subsequently made, well knowing that if the
question were not then settled, at once and forever, the flame was but
smothered for a time, to break out again in future years, with far
greater vehemence. His policy was to crush the malcontents by the strong
arm of power, to make such a display of the strength and resources of
the Federal Government, such an example of the fate which must ever
await treason in our midst, and, above all, such a convincing
manifestation of the utter hopelessness of all attempts to destroy a
great and good government, deriving its powers and functions from the
people themselves, as to put forever at rest the machinations of
traitors and anarchists. Experience has shown that he was right, and
shown us, too, that if, in this our day, a second compromise be adopted,
and a peace patched up upon a basis ignoring the true cause of dispute,
or of oblivion to the past, or, worst of all, of yielding, on our part,
one jot or tittle to the demands of our antagonists, as sure as there is
a God in heaven--as sure as that retribution fo