apers
have free issue at the _North & not_ so at the _South_." Now do you not
know enough of Southern affairs to see that the South by their _very
Constitution_ cannot admit _incendiary_ documents to be cast into their
midst--it were suicidal. If the South should publish papers uttering
sentiments detrimental to Northern manufactories (_in general_) & in
favor of foreign manufac's, how long would the North permit such papers
to pass into their territory? Again, just as you say you "wish that
North^n. papers could circulate South," so also _do I wish_ that I
need not _bar my doors of nights_. And both our desires could be
accomplished if _all men were honest_. But, first, as I can't expect
robbers to pass by my unbarred treasury, so I can't expect to receive
Northern papers uncrammed with _incendiary items_. Again, however, the
South^n papers have _virtually_ no circulation at the North. I have
heard men, reputable for their knowledge & conservatism even, denounce
such Publi^ns.[4] as "unworthy to be touched." In the Reading Room of
Princeton Theo. Seminary there were taken, last winter, 12 weekly
papers, and about 8 periodicals from the South & scarcely 3 of these
were touched by _any but Southern Students_ during the Session, unless
some exciting discussion were going on in their columns. Thus much as
to newspapers. I confess they have been the cause of many erroneous
impressions on both sides, but the North is no purer from crimination
on this score than the South;--one stubborn evidence of this is the
numerical dif. in pop^ln.[5]

You next remark that Abolitionism does not predominate at the North. I
admit that for many years it _did not_, but lately it has acquired an
ascendency & is now wielding its baneful influence on the minds of the
masses. It is true there are many good people there whose minds are too
pure to be tainted by such an almost infidel spirit as pervades the
breasts of Abolitionists; yet the party in power has been elevated by
such vast majorities of the people, _in that section_, that, to one
investigating the matter, it seems the public sentiment at the North
has greatly changed in the last few years. In such a country as ours--a
democratic one--the masses are governed by a few great leaders; these
leaders, whether in power or not, are still the almost despots who rule
us. Their actions give fruit and coloring to the character of the
sections over which they sway their autocratic sceptres. Who the