The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1848-08-30

workings OF the government, or the movements
of political parties. So Ear as he is the expo
nent of a party, said MIR. Butler, he is the expo.
nent of the party with which I cooperate, and
I cannot cooperate with any other.
He held that the State was hound to cast her
vote for one or the other candidates. For thIr'
tv years the State had never cast her vote a.
eainst democratic principles, and had never 70.
ted for whig; but when she had made her de-
cision he would bow with the most implicit de.
ference. He would say for himselfth he would
not change his party relations and sympathles'
but would cheerfuly acquesce in the dec'slo"
| of the State. But there should he no excite
ment, no cyacerbation. There never was an
occasion in which excitement upon such sub.
iect was more to be deprecated. He alluded
to the manner in which candidates were selec'
ted by proceedings in caucus, where tr'ckery
and management, not merit secured the nonl.
nation. If the selection of candidate had
been left to the people, the choice would not
have fallen on Gen. +. and Gen. Cass. lhere
was therefore no necessity or proprlety IN get
ting up any excitement, and it heated Pol'tl:
cal canvass was to ensue, for himself ne "oulo
take no part in such a scramble.
Mr.. Calhoun said tha, his colleagues had so
fully detailed the proceedings in Congress upon
the questions involving the rights OF the South,
that he would confne himself to what he con.
ceived 10 be the more immediate object OF tho
meetne-the question ofthe Presidency. His
attention had been early and earnestly directed
to this matter, and the conclusion he had arrived
at was3that the proper policy of the State was
TO statitsaIoof from the contest. and in this sem
timent he had the concurrence OF all his col.
eae aeues of the South Carolina Delegation in
Congress, with perhaps bnt one exception.
| There were several reasons for this determlna.
tion-among them may be mentioned that mel
ther of the candidates comes to our requirements
of principle or policy; and by entering into an
| active and heated political contest, each party
abusing the candidates Of their opponents and
praising their own as exemplars ofperfrclonL the
State would be degraded to the level which they
occupied. He had never doubted but that when
the time came the Stale would cast her vote;
hut let US cast it without heat. without excite.
men,, and in the direction which the safety and
dignity of the State requires that it should be
cast. As 10 the respective candidates. many
gave thu preference to Gen. Taylor because he
was Planter and Southern man; others
again preferred Gen. Cass because he was
member Of the party with which they usually
act. These preferences were natural and al.
lowaflr, if the division to which they led were
conducted without asperi,y or bitterness; bnt
they would be most mischievous If their effect
was to divide us a, this crisis, when harmony
and union among ourselves was more than ever
desirable. Since | addressed you last in this
place great change has taken place in the po.
sition of parties at the North. The Abolition
party, which was then a mere handful, has now
grown TO be a mighty party that has cast aside
both the candidates Of the old parties and nom'.
mated as the representative of their free soil
principles Mr.. Van Buren,. who was formerly
the President of the United States. Such
man would never have consented to he placed
in that position unless he was convinced there
was a firm foundation for the movement, and
saw that the North had determined to rally on
this great question Of sectional supremacy.
He referred to the action oflhe Sanale on the
Oregon bill, and lam"ntab!e as was the defeat
of the Souih on that question, il was still more
lamenable that it was accomplished by the
votes of two Southern Senators. lie would
name them. They shonll be known and de-
served to he held in repatriation by every South
ern man. They were Col. Benton, Of Missouri,
and Gen. Houston, of Texas. Had they stood
true TO the South, the bill would have been de-
feated. With these exceptions, the Southern
men had stood side by side and shoulder to
shoulder. And in this most gratifying contrast
was presented with the condition of things ex.
sting at the commencement Of the session.
At that time moi corporal's guard could be
got together to act harmpniouslY. He had new.
- onti1 R,tf a
close of an arduous session, and after one THE
abest debates which he had ever witnessed and
in which the South was completely victorious
the entire South, with the exceptions above
named. stood shoulder to shoulder, manfully
battling tor their rights.
The act of the North in inserting the Wilmo,
Proviso into the Oregon bill was mere wan.
ton asse rtion of power. 1t was universally ad
mtted that the climate and soil Of Oregon I'M.
fitted it for a slave population, hut the Nor'h de.
termined upon the assertion Of the right to ex.
clnde slavery from the Territories of the Union
without conditions or restrictions. 1t was the
first time it was 50 applied, and the determine.
ton is manifested so to apply it hereafter in all
cases, even in Cuba, should that Island ever he
annexed TO our Union. In the old Confedera-
tion the Ordinance for the government of The
Northwestern Territory was proposed for three
years, and was only adopted then when the res
titution of fugitive slaves to their owners was
coupled with it as condition. The Missouri
compromise was proposed by the North who
urged it on Congress, and sacrificed every
Northern man who voted against it. But
change has been effected in thpNorlh since
that period. As they have grown in power
they have increased in their exartons and a,
'at havs boldly avow'd their determination to
arrest the further progsess Of the Slave States,
by excluding them Internationally hereafter