The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-07-25

other matters we can give them no credit for
shewdness and powers Of calculating here.-
OF the second of these classes, or the furious,
your Committee would ouly say that they
act unwisely in suffering passion to dethrone
reason. Ii ever GOODNESS, and deliberation,
and firmness of purpose, backed by an intel
ligent view of things are necessary TO men,
they are to the people of the South. Yet all
dangers are not death. Every threatning
cloud does not contain the whirlwind or tor
nado. Every storm which rises at sea does
not swallow up those within it's reach. And
of every ball discharged in battle, it has been
estimated that only one in ten thousand takes
effect. Such are some of tho difficulties
which have met the Committee in approach
ing this subject. But these difficulties, how
ever formidable, have not kept them from dis
charging their duty to the extent of their
ability. AS the ardent scholar redoubles
his efforts when his lessons grow harder, and
the true Patriot makes the greater exertions
to save his Country the more its liberty is
threatened, SO your Committee trust they
have acted in the discharge of their duty
That the results of our deliberations may ap-
pear in come tangible form, we will present
them under the following heads:
l. Oar Rights.
2. The injuries which have been, and are
still doing us, in the enjoyment OF these rights.
3. Our duty in the premises.
l. Our Rights.
When we speak Of rights in this connec-
ton, we mean, us a matter Of course, only
those which have relation to negro slavery,
and i'll the first place, we remark concerning
these rights, that they are not Of that class
about which men may form various opinions
as to their existence, nature and extent
They are recognised in the Constitution of
the United States, interviewer with it and
make part thereof Take them away and
it is 10 longer the Constitution Of 1859, that
glorious bark which has weathercd every
storm from the time it was launched until the
present moment. Take these away' and what
remains, SO far as the South is concerned, is
not worth preserving. 1t can do us no good,
but only evil and that continually. Had not
those rights been recognised, this Union
would never have been formed; and as soon
as they are destroyed the value OF this Union
10 us is gone. The compact originally form
ed in the same spirit OF compromise must be
preserved in the same spirit 1t will avail but
little for two persons who are estrangcd from
each other, to become rcconciled by mutual
compromise, unless they preserve the same
spirit which first brought them together.
Again, we remark that, so far as the constl-
tuition is concerned, they arc guaranteed to
us just as strongly as the right OF trial by jury
or the rightto the Tree and unrestraned choice
OF worshipping God in whatever manner our
conscicnccs, enlightened by his word, shall
dictate TO us to be proper. In other words,
our rights with regard to the institution OF
domestic slavery stand upon the same footing
in the Constitution with those last mention
ed: and as the laltor can never wrcstcd from
lis unit! liberty has been. .tramplcd III the dust
SO neither can the former. Then two things
with regard TO those rights which arc under
consideration, your Committee Judge to be
highly important, and ought TO be constantly
remembered and well considered by every
citizen of the South And It's for the accom-
Alshment OF these ends that they are intro
duced here. 1t is only in This way we can
prepare ourselves for the worst, should it ev-
or come. Yet your Committee fear that our
citizens, to some extent at least, are inconsld-
crate and unnindiul of these things. What
we say 10 all is, we have constitutional rights
to the free enjoyment OF this domestic nsti-
tuition, standing upon the same footing with
many of the dearest rights which we enjoy as
citizens of these United States. These should
be carefully studied, duly estimated, and con-
stanty kept before our minds, so that when
they should be invaded we shall be prepared
for an intelligent and prompt defence of them
at any, and all hazards.
2. The injuries which have been, and are
doing us, in the enjoyment Of this right.
And here let it be remarked that we are
not aware OF any essential difference between
the laws which govern private rights, and
those which govern public rights. For cx-
ample. If a. otlicious!y, Extensively, and re-
peatedly intermcddle with the affairs Of
B. obtruding upon him his opinions and vitu-
perations for not agreeing with him, none will
hold A to be quiet and peaccable Citizen
Or if, again The cotton grower of the South
should set himself up to advise and control
the manufacturer of the North, by insisting
that he should pursue some other business,
or should have balances of another kind from
those employed; and then not meeting with
success in his self imposed task, should load
him with abuse and pursuade his labourcrs to
quit his service, would no, this be held to be
most unwaraDtabe and reprehensible con-
duct, an offence against all good morals as
we'll as constitutional rights.
Now to Aboitionists, and all others who
act in concert with them in disturbing the
South we can say
"hlutato nornine labuln, dc te, narrtur"
while quietly mnding our own business, we
have been assailed by the Press, in Congress,
and from the Pulpit. The peace of our cti-
zens has been interrupted by insurrcctionary
and incendary Pamphlets and Documents
Our slaves have been excited to revolt and
rebellion against their owners by such influ-
ences brought to bear upon their minds. We
are thus brought into jeopardy by those who
are under every obligation to defend us. Our
natural friends have become our enemies
even as we have rallied around the Constitu-
ton, we have born the shock of their as
saults. We are threatened with being driv-
Ell from this strong hold,--the very honors
of the alter the Constitution, it is dotermin-
cd, shall afford us no protection. But let us
look little more in detail at these wrongs
They commenced at very early period in
the history of our Government The Mis-
souri, compromise was by no means their star
ting point Nor did the concessions then