The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-10-21
VIM. Sloan, Esq, and others.
Orangebwg, Sept. %, 1850.
To Mcssrs. T. BURT, VIM SLOAN, JOHN MAX

Ordngeburg, Sept. 20, 1870.
To Mcssrs. F. BURT, VIM. SLOAN, JOHN MAX
WELL, w. ii. d. GAlLLARD, D. S. TAYLOR
GEO. SEABoRN, ELAN SHARPE, Jr.
Gentlemen A previous engagement to ut
tend political meeting in an adjoining district
on the first Monday in October, will prevent me
from accepting your invitation to be present at
the mass meeting to be held at Pendleton, on
the first day of the month. 1t would afford me
great satisfaction to be with you-to take solemn
counsel with you on the present unhappy con-
dtion Of affairs, and though ! do not believe
that ! could add anything to your deliberations
| regret that | will not be able TO avail myself
OF the occasion, to have my views strengthened
perhaps my opinions modified, by your own.
God knows what destiny awaits us That
any Southern man, who has the soul to feel for
the wrongs inflicted on the South, or ability to
comprehend the dangers which lie before us, can
hesitate for a moment, is to me incxplicable
The recent action of Congress, has accomplished
everything that the most fanatical abolitonst
could have expected, or even desired. The South
his been branded with dishonor. The Southern
States no longer the equals Of their co. States
of the North They have been treated by the
action of common government, like aconguered
province of disasterous war; The citizens OF
the South now hold their rights and their prop,
crty, not under the Constitution, but subject to
the will of dominant, hostile and remorseless
majority in Congress-
That this is our condition, must be apparent
to every one who has watched the late proceed
ings of Congress The territory acquireI from
Mexico, was purchased by the joint efforts of
the two sections; in which the South expended
the gr> alter portion of blood, and will have to
pay three-fourths of the treasure which the nc
QUESTION cost, yet the Northern States have APP
proprlatcd every square mile, every acre, every
foot of soil, to their own section. Congress has
assumed the ght of legislatng upon the ques-
ton of slavery in the District of Columbia, and
the institution is now doomed not only in that
District, but in the Territories, and wherever
Congress can exercise jurisdiction. BY the adj
mission Of CHifoTnia-without territorial ex-
istcEce, without a census Of her population and
without defined territorial boundaries, prece-
dent has been established by which Congress
can admit rs many Frees States, at any ses-
sion, as may be necessary to procure constitu-
tional majority for if previous territorial en-
lstence is not necessary to the admission of n
State any set Of intruders on the American soil
may apply for admission as State; If census
Is not necessary, it matters not whether the
number of applicants be ten, ten thousand or one
hundred thousand; if defined territorial bounda-
ries are not necessary, Congress may fix them
by her own act any where that it may please n
Frec-soil majority. Then the institution of
slavery in the States will be placed beyond the
control Of the South, aud its existence will de-
pend upon the forbearance Of its deadliest foes.
For the dishonor already inflicted upon the
South and for the greater evils that must newt
ably result from the recent legislation of Con-
gress, the South has a remedy. That remedy
is secession, immediate secession, and If the
North 50 will it, perpetual secession--disunion
believe that case has occurred, and the time
has arrived for a resort to the ultima ratio of
the States Of this Confederacy who have been