The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-24

up with competition, new hope and life will fill his
anticipations Wealth, honor, and power, and one
OF the most glorious dostinies which ever crowned
great and happy people, await the South, if she
but control her own fate; but controlled by another
people, what pen shall paint the infamous and
bloody catastrophe which must mark her fall
have thus, fellow citizens, fulfilled my word.
have spoken with open breast to you this night, OF
your present condition and future political pros
poets For the sentiments / have uttered and the
counsel have given, il may be there some who
will be ready 10 exclaim-traitor! A traitor to
what and TO whom! To South Carolina 1t is to
save her in her rights, institutions. and sovereignty,
that would counsel disunion. Traitor 10 the Con
stitution! The Constitution has existence, un-
der the constructions OF consolidation, and the base
purposes Of abolition, to which il is made to sub
serve. Traitor TO the Union? There is no union
without the Constitution! That is its bond and
condition. Destroy the one, and all faith to the
other is absolved Faith towards both, as the Gov
eminent is administered, are incompatible things.
10 maintain the Union, ID to acquiesce in the de-
structon of the Constitution; and to maintain the
Constitution, we must dissolve the Union, 10 afford
the only chance OF its restoration. But let il be,
that am traitor. The word has no terrors for
me. am born Of traitors-traitors in England, in
the revolution, in the middle of the seventeenth
century traitors again in the revolution Of 1920,
when under the lead Of an ancestor South Carolina
was rescued from the capricious rule Of the lords
proprietors and traitors again in the Revolution Of
l776. have been born Of traitors, but thank God,
they have ever been traitors in the great OF
liberty, lighting against tyranny and oppression.
Such treason will ever be mine whilst true TO my
| lineage. But if hear Alright, am not the only
traitor these perilous times have produced. am
surrounded by host of traitors ready 10 strike for
equality and independence against those lagitious
incandiarcs these real traitors who would convert
the Union into bond Of infamous degradation, or
| a Gordon OF fire to consume the South.
Returning from Nashville, through the interior
of our State, learned that the people in of
upper districts, fearing that the Nashville
ton would be failure were already agitatng the
policy of South Carolina taking her rights into her
own hands and acting alone in their vindcation.
There was the true spirit Of old South Carolina,
and think hear 1t proclaimed in your cheers that
she at least will never submit to dishonorablc sub
lection and ruin She will join her sister States OF
the South or support any of them, in all expediens
Tor redress they may propose and is content to
down to Government without limitations its
powers, under the control Of the consolidationiss
and antl-slavery propagandists OF the North, she
Will not submit. II Mississippi abandons us
brave and true in counsel in the field the first to
sound the bugle which has called the South togeth-
err for the vndication of her rights-and Alabama
where so many Of our cons have planted their
| homes, and, as we have iondly hoped, have aided
IN setting up in richer cline younger and fresher
liberty, purer and lofier hatred OF tyranny-and
Georgia, the Empire State of the South, proud of
her greatness and strength, but prouder still of
that free spirit and dauntless courage which never
yet has quaed in the maintenance of her rights
and Virginia, the old flag ship of the South to
whom we will all yield, if she yields not herself, to
lead us on to victory and redemption-great in
spirit and wisdom, and unconquerable she is
great-and Kentucky and Tennessee, not only
| abandon us, but az some of their statesmen have
ventured TO proclaim, shall join the abolitionists
and consolidationiss to subject to the dominion
OF the free States-shall South Carolina submit ?
No, no, my friends! Smaller States have before
us struggled successfully for their independence
and freedom against far greater odds and, if it
must be, we can make one brave, long, last, dcs-
perate struggle for rights and honor, ere the
black pail of tyranny is stretched over the bier of
our dead liberties. To meet death little sooner
or little later can be of consequence to very few
Of us; whilst duty performed may remain in its
effect to many generations, and fair fame live
forever Looking to that undying reputation
which has ever followed every people who have
dared all TO preserve their liberties, and have
quered or persisted nobly in their defence; insead
Of shrinking, we might pant for the trial which
shall isolate South Carolina in this great conrover
sy. But we wish no isolation. We desire peace
we desire liberty; that peace and liberty which
the Constitution was intended to secure, but which
has been basely wrested from US by sectional ia
naticism, avarice, and ambition.