The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-01-31

ASPECT OF THE SLAVE QUESTION
The proceedings of the Southern Convention
at Washington demonstrate that the opinion Q
the people generally Of the South isin advance
Of that Of their representatives. The rcsolu
tions now before the Legislatures Of Nor'l
Carolina and Virginia do not affirm more thar
is alleged viii form the substance of the Re
port and Resolves which will be proposed f1
acceptance by that Convention. To echo the
sopinion Of the South by slender majority u
the Committee, is to deprive the proceedings o
'all2moral influence. II were better that the
South should not have united their councils
than that the result should be exhibited in such
,arniserable if not mischievous abortion. What
political under current may exist to dnteal the
united consultation and proceedings OF the
Southern Convention, is hest known 10 those
observers who are on the theatre of actinn
but this is very evident, tina, if the purpose is to
arrest encroachment, the effect Of divided coun
nils will be to give it more comprehensive ef-
feet. The Abolition movement will be quick
ened. The Free Sollers will be emboldened
to Gollow up their victory, in excluding slavery
from the territories, by the more signal triumph
itself in the District of Columbia The only
means Of checking the agitators is by moral
demonstration which would be effectual in
proportion to its unanimity.
What is to be lost even on the score of mo-
deration by the a1irmance of recognized con.
stitutional principles? IL the South is not
coanseled to resist by anything more forcible
than protest. what party will he hurt-what
right violated-what safe usage or practice
impugnedl Is not protest as much right of
the States collectively, as petition is that of the
people individually? No one pretends that the
Committee in their report recommends plan
of action forthe South. No one suggests that
disunion Turks in declaration Of constitutional
principles. On the contrary, to recall Con.
gress to the nvioabiliiy of those principles, if
the Union is to he preserved, is one of the
modes of its preservation. II substitutes per.
suasion for violence-the voice Of truth and
iriarning for the accents of intcmperance and
the threats of Reorganization. II is then strict
~ constitutional-in accordance with the
equality which should subsst between States
coafederated for mutual security-that an ap.
peal should be made TO the constitution in its
primitive character and original spirit.
- But it's said the movement is PREMATURE
Let the South hide her time. Let her wait
for some orert act. What species of overt act
is to form the casus 6eili, according to this ad
vice7 What violence done to the constitution
between exclusion ofslavery from the territories
ard depriving the Southern States Of their slave
representation in Congress, by an amendment
of the Constitution, is TO form the real overt
actl Now the party Of Southern resistance do
NOT counsel such rash advice as 10 wait the oc.
casions provocation of actual collision, when
the minds Of men will be too heated and embt-
tered to listen to- reason or persuasion but to
anticipate the possibility Of conflict-to break
the force of the excitement which awakcs the
passions-by calm appeal to the
principles of our Federal alliance, by protest,
BY warning, by the logic that appeals to the
sense of mutual interest. What is called an
overt act in violation Of Southern rights. it
would be difficult, perhaps, to define. Would
ne advisers OF this character deem the efforts
pf those States which have prevented the re.
;overy within their territory, Of fugitive slaves
Unless by the officers OF the U. S. Courts,
,vert acls? IF the Congress Of the United
States were TO abolish slavery in the District CT
Columbia, this might be deemed an overt
lct, but would Il be more violation Of the
federal compact than for those States to re-
main passive within whose limits slaves have
scaped from Virginia, Maryland and Ken,uc.
y, when il is recollected that the Southern {
states would never have entered the Union un. I
sss positive stipulations had been formed to Sc.
ure their property. under the contingency
zhicht has so often occurred since the adoption {
f the constitution. {
1t appears, therefore. to us, that all right of
ssistance, even of the most passive kind, is c
nrendered, by refusing to make a Declaration S
{ Right under any violence done to the Fed.
raj Constitution. 1t seems that we are sacri. a
cling the highest interest of posterity, in not e
aying them the necessity of struggle, on the c
oor plea that it is the duty of the present gen.
ration, to postpone the period Of resistance
ntil the attack comes in such shape as to az.
rayate injury and increase insult. We can
erceive no possible harm to the cause of n
[nion, of equal rights ander Confederacy. C
lat solemn Protest and Declaration should
sue from the assembled Representatives of the s
ou,h, couched in language equally removed p
ON threats or ntemperance-dign6ed in tone, o
ut firm in defining those limits beyond which d
ncroachment shall not be permitted to pass. n
~ Charleston Ere. Neus. c
A FRIEND IN NEED. '