The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-03-07
If this he fai,h, ,henitruly

dered them of any of The benefits they might
derive from Union? Have we not witnessed,
by the application Of the majority power IN
Congress. the general legislation OF the govern
mnnt, the revenue laws, and the disbursement
of the public monies, systematically made upon
the principle OF kind of constitutional discrI.
,nination in favor of their own assumed superior
Inerit2 Have we not seen an undue prophrl"n |
of our labor, in the various shapes OF tr'bme,
through the government, descending like gen'ai
showers upon their barren rocks and frozen
hills. and behed their splendid cities so arise
to glitter in their magnifcence Have we
not thus beheld our brethren ol the North 10
wax fat, and grow insolent in the unmeaSured
and unrestrained bountes afforded by this ever
glorious Uniioi, in their behalf? And have we
failed, on our part TO adhere honestly to all the
compromises under the Constitution intended
for their benefit -
Further, when these States entered into
their political union, they entered as lree' so'er'
cign and independent States--and therefore as
equals. Equality was of the very essence-
The basis Of the compact. Whenever, there
fore, any movement is made TO assal that
equality, i, is a direct attempt to abroga'e their
States. What less than this have the non!
sIavrhnldng States been elfec'ing in their
wicked war upon The domestic institutions "t
the South! The effort to establish the dis'inc-
ton involved in the Wilmot Proviso land IFS
known mpasures) which has recently been &C.
knowlcdged hy a!nos, strictly sectional vote in
the popular branch Of Congress, is odiois and
insulting; Obstructive utterly of The potica
equality of the States, and ifssubmined t"
degrading to the character Of the free people
who may inhahitDihem. by what sort of rsa'
soning do the non .saveholding States attempt
to Justify their studious exclusion of the South
from fair and equal participation in the enl"y.
menl Of the common property ot Us all; acquired
! by common expenditure OF blood aud trra-
sure; Of which we are joint owners, and in
which we are entitled by every rule OF honest
| interpretation. TO rights exactly eqna! !. Or
whence is derived the high and mighty power
| claimed for the government TO prescribe the
quality Of oar Estates in the Territories, and
to resrric, our citizens to the possession and use
of such property only rs rniIng PhIlan.
thropy shall see fiji TO dictate? Will they bn
| found in the Constitution or any honest inter.
preaion Of the reasons thereof? Or suggested
by sound christian phanhrophy? Let those
who claim it. pon, i, out. The reasoning can
only be justified by. and the power drawn from
that iusatae appetite, which ever grows by
what i! feeds on, the raging. rapacous lust OF
political pr wcr, which now induces the non.
slaveholding States TO cnt of the s|avnho'dIng
States from ali hope, or prospect OF tnre &C.
cessipn-so may they rule the government and
| Gno
that little of life and gold they have leit US.
1t is true that these aggressive States hold
out various Pretences TO hide from the world
the ugIincss Of their real motives. Sometimes
holy horror at their con.fraternity with the
abomnabe owners of human flesh seiZes the
tender conscicnces of these Just men, who for.
get that they still carry the price of this same
human flesh in their pockets. Something's 'the
dncfrincs nf a sublime phil -.'.''rrPy "r- a:iran
tagronsy aff;'cled--then the catch words are
liberty, mirersGl liberty onl equality among
all mankind. High and holy words are these
but in their mouths are like the rushing of the
wind through the cavities Of IL dead mans
sknil--:nere sonnd having no concern with
either brains or heart. .-.
Hare the free negroes OF the North received
from their former masters The boon ofgrnnine
liberty! Idle mockery to say so Their former
masters found it too expensive to support them
so they were turned loose TO support themselves.
| As we understand it, the pride and dignity. the
value and true characteristic of genuine liberty
consist in the full, free and equal participation
of the rights, privileges and immnnilies, social.
civil and political that pertain to the people of
State at large. TO say that this is the liberty
l,b.> t.st - E.,,,t
degrading to every just idea Of lserty. II
cannot therefore he the nnmxed honest love
which these pseudo philanlhropists pretend Tor
the negro, which drives them athwarl the rights
of their n.ishbors and the Constitution of their
country. .. .,
LIT us not deceive ourselves, we arc encom
passed with dangers, and well nigh entangled
in the neshes of a willy adversary. Against
us is the lust Of power. crafty, grasping and re.
lent!css; which Uses as its instruments the wild
energy of IanaiciSm. This spri,of tanaticism
is the spirit of aggression, rahil, reckless and
trstriciive-a spirit that would burn our houses
in ;he name ofphanhropy, and cat our 'hroats
from the purest beneroence. Shall we seek
its kind favour, court its tender mercics! No;
there can be no hope for us in concession. O
safety in con promises, We must oppose to this
spiri, so aIlpcrvatling and consuming, spirit
as energetic and unyiclding. d.
And what, then, shall be onr coursrl We
must determine, and hold it as binding upon us
as our religion. TO risk all-life, fortune, the
Union, to preserve the sovereignty and political
equality of the States. Those yielded. nothing
worth preserving is left. Soon we decline into
provinces, then sink into vassals. 1t is not up.
on distractions merely, that we are called to
act. The invasious of our most important and
constitutional rights have been papahle and
innnmerable-we are now, and have been for
long time, practically suffering from such in
vasnns. But suppose the violation of mere alb