Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1848-08-30
From the Charleston Mercury.
PUBLIC MEETING.

From the Charleston Mercury.
PUBLIC MEETING.
IN pursuance Of public notice, the cili-
zens Of Charleston, without distinction of
party, assembled at the theatre on Sa'ur-
day evening at eight O'Clock.
Nathaniel Eayward Esq. President.
Hon. II. L. Hutchinson, Vice President.
Edward Barnwcll, WIN. H. Trescott,
and Thomas NJ. Harkel Esq. Secre.a
ries.
Hon ]. G. Calhoun, Hon. a. P. Butler,
and Hon. Armistead Burr, who at the So
lici,a'ion of many citizens had consented
10 address the meeting, wete introduced,
and were received with the most enthusi-
as.ic cheering.
G. B. Norhrop Esq. stated that the
Hon. A. p. Butler would address the
meeting.
Mr., Butler commenced his remarks by
contrasting his present position with that
occupied by him al Washington for the
last ten days of The session Of Congress-
There he occupied The position that eve-
~ Representative Of the South did who
fearlessly and honestly attempted to do his
duty, The ohjecl Of odiun and dislike 10
those who were animated by the reckless
spirit Of sectional ambition; here he was
sustained and checred by the approving
plaudils of A generous constituency. tie
alluded to the proceedings Of the session,
many Of which were important in their
character, and some Of its measures Of mos
menlcus consequence, not on as affect.
| ing tho honor and interests Of the South,
but as dangerous 10 the harmony. nay. to
the very existence of the Union. The
Mexican war. in which the skill and cour
age of The American arms had been so sig
naIly displayed, had unfortunately hro'l
in It's train questions fraught with perplex-
ily and danger, among which was The is.
sue made between the North and tho
South upon the subject of slavery. That
institution was never asssiled while the
Union consisted of the Thirteen Original
States: The compromises of the consti-
,u,ion were faithfully observed alike by
the Nor,h and .lhe South; but, with the
acquisition Of new territories, new qnes-
tiuus were introduced destructive OF the
harmony ofthe coL(ederacy; and, as our
territories have increased, there difficult
lies and dangershave increased with them.
The territories Of New Mexico and Cali.
farpia3 had heen acquired blythe common;
blood end siisasliIe esoi ile al.lss.z5.s.-ss
common Government. The West had
been enriched blythe war in furnishing an
immense marketfor their produce. The
North and the Easthave derived great be,
nifit in furnishing the munitions of war,
and the employment of their ships as
transports. What has been left for the
South? We are told there are your
conquests, the glory in their acquisition
you have richly shared, and the lsurels
YOU have won are freely mingled with the
cyress; but you shall not enter upon the
territory, you and your institutions are for
ever prohibited therein II our forelalh-
-ers could have anticipated that such re-
slric,ion would have been imposed upon
their descendants as to the common pro.
peny of the Union, is it supposed they
would ever have consented 10 il! The
Southern States were equals when they
entered into the conlederacy, and they ne
yer would have joined it had they anil
cipaled the attempts made 10 degrade
them whenever the North acquired lhe
power of doing go. When the Union was
formed. the South was the stranger por-
ton Of il, but ills compacts were held invi-
oable; and he had challenged on the floor
Of Congress the production Of n single in
stance where Southern Slate had viola
ted The compact of the Union lie addu-
ced several instances in which New York.
PENNSYLVANIA, aud other Northern States
had proved faithless to their Constitutional
obligations.
A rapid sketch was given of the procee-
dings in Congress in connection with the
two propositions for compromise, with
which our readers are familiar. They had
been both voled down by the North. 1t
was palpably The determination Of that
section not only to exclude the South from
all the territories ofibc Union, bu, 10 make
these territories hereafter the instruments
Of further oppression. When settled and
formed into States, with the present anti
slavery States, they would have sufli
cienl power 10 amend the Constitution
and deprive us of the letter of lis Protec-
ton as they had long since Of its spirit
The South had failed TO arrest this inva'
sion upon its rights, but the spirit of de'er'
mination and unanimily with which il was
resisted was most gratifying. lie would
never fnrse, The last nigh, of the session.
when The Southern men presented uni>
ted and determined front. Party bonds
were repudia,ed, and party Ties were bro,
ken. He would say that the South reed
place no reliance on either party. ii they
put themselves in the keeping of party.
if,hey trusted 10 the honor or good faith %,
the North, they would be deceived and
they would tiud themselves degraced and
enslaved-lhe mere vassals of The rest !
the confederacy. The time has passed
away when any hope of justice could rea
sonably be entertained from that quarter;
and The South thinks the institution Of
slavery worth preserving, they must pre-
| 81, be-