The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-12-05
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
To the Honorable the Speaker and
Members of The House Of Representa-

To the Honorable the Speaker and
Members Of The House Of Representatives;
GEyrLEMEx You are assembled under cir.
cumstances, in many respects, peculiarly 'avor'
able TO considerate and sound legislation. Inc
wear which is closing has been distinguished in
a veryremarkable degree for the general health
ofour citizens. From the pes.lence which has
consigned to the tomb so many thousands OF the
people of other parts of our common country o.
Carolina has been entirely exempt. Even 10
those sections of the State in which malarlal dis.
ease. in summer not unfrequently occur, Provi'
dence has extended the arm Of mercy. For th's
signal blessing, 50 widely diflsed. may we hope
that deep and abiding impression OF grat''uGe
to the Giver all Good has already been mace
on the public mind.
While the earth has yielded an abundant in.
crease. our mechanic arts have been multiplied
and extended; the boundary Of science and
learning has been enlarged; the credit OF the
State is unsbaken, and the spirit Of the people,
long depressed from various causes, is again
buoyau,, and would quickly be excited to its
utmost energy, ifrvery cause OF discontent from
external sources were permanently removed.
FEDERAL hELA lONo'
Ibe,aw;,h transmit certain resolutions Of the
States of Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and
Missouri. on the restriction Of slavery in the ter.
ri,ories of the United States.
The opinion of South Carolina on the grave
matter at issue has been so repeatedly expressed
that. a, its las, session, tho Legislature unan'.
mous,y declared that the time for discussion by
the sIayeholdins States had passed, and that
the General Assembly. representing the teel'
incs Of the State, was prepared 10 Cooperate
with her sister States in resisting the aPplIca'
ton of the principles Of the Wilmot Proviso
to the territory acquired from Mexic", at any
and every hazard. At convention also oil de.
,eua,es Of the committees of safety, held at this
Mace in May. it was among other things re-.
solv.d that, in the even, of the passage OF the
Wilmot Proviso, or any equivalent measure. tho
Governor be requested to convene the Leg'sla'
,ure. ;f not in session, ito consider the mode
and measure Of redress.
concurrinp in the belief Of The utter futility
of further argument. | shal! not attempt 10 de-
mons,ra,e the false position occupied ny our
anta eonists, aud the danger to the Union and
themselves, ny their ingloriously Persislins in
maintaining il. The enactment OF any one OF
,h. CONTEMPLATED measures Of hostility would
nrohablv If no, certainly, result in severing the
pol,;cai ties that now unite us, but which, in
sncb an event, would no longer serve the ele.
y,,ea p,,rpose. for which they were designed.
Already il is known that the Legislatures oil
Virginia, Mississippi and South Carolina the
former by authority of law, and the la''er 10
obedience TO the wish Of their constituents, will
convene a. soon a. il shall be officially announ'
cad that sinister counsels have prevailed IN The
legislation of Congress- 10 what sPeclhc MODE
of action the agricultural States will resort 10
arrest the career Of Federal misrule, time alone
will develope. To provide that It shall be such
as the outraged rights Of frsemen and sovereign
communities demand. the honor Of those com.
monweal,hs is irrevocably pledged. Nor may
conjecture be indulsed concerning the course oil
cotermino,s States, having with them COM
muni,v of interest, of affection, aud OF tears.
The .ame feeling, only to greater extent, that
would arouse the slumbering energies of the
whole Union. 10 crush foreign Intermeddl'ng
with the internal regulations Of the nation. would
call forth unsnimi,y in the South, 10 repel
wantou attack or, their domestic peace and Sc.
cur;,v. Or associates need mot be reminded
then that the success of an attempt, from what.
ever quarter, to disfranchise any portion OF the
citizens Of this great partnership of coequal So
vereion,ies, and arbitrarily to control the au.
,hor;lies created by them. may properly be
classed among the political impo'sib'l''es ol The
day.
Iftbe State. we're, in all respects, independ.
emf mowers. the ayeressons Of the North, con.
tinued and multiplied in despite of fraternal ap.
peals to their Justice. magnan;mity, and enlIgh.
tened natrioti.r,, would long since have made
them practically acquainted with war and It's
attendan, horrors. Why is it, that the strongest
legal safeguards against encroachments on the
rights of foreign nations, have been SO carefully
provided by the Federal Government. with the
assent of every party in power-whilst 10 over
throw the constitutional barriers, erected by a
common ancestry, ITO establish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, and secure the blessings
Of liberty to ourselves and our po,terty," the
moral influence ofthat very government, unoer
the stress of sectional and geographical comb.
nations, is INCREASINGLY and insutingly exered
The true answer exhibits melancholy view ol
human nature, and enforces the necessity tor
providing other restraints than those of Parch.
uent bonds 10 con6ne the central power and its
Iswless abetiors wi,hiu their prescribed limits.
In this harrassing controversy, reliance on the
Judgment and patriotism Of the rejecting Por.
lion Of our Northern brethren, it is unnecessary
a disguise, is rapidly disappearing. The ques-
81. :, long mooted is Of fearful import to both
s...:s.... Consolidation n more to BE- dreaded
49, ..os, alton. Many Of the acts ofthe State
a..smbI;.. and the attempted and contemplated
j..:I.,;on Al, Congress against the slaveholding
eoumunity. are destined. if successful, to en-
n,sa . or;ac;ole b non our political institutions,
t..u~bt v;th imo,iae. ut danger to every member
of The Repybiic-to tn North more than to the
C...,i ta 10th bo;wev.r, in pros,rating the