Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-06-28

honorable conclusion, in the very first appria-
ton bill to carry it on, the North endeavorcd to
thrust in the subject of slavery. Throughout
the war, they kept up the agitation; thus clear
ly manifestiDg their determination that the
eneral Government in none of its operations,
internal or external, shall be exempted from
the introduction of this dangerous subject. The
war closed with honor; and an immense terrific
ry was addedto the United States. Their pre-
pious threats were realised and the nonslave-
holding States Immediately claimed the right
TO exclude the people of the southern States
from all the territory acquired, and to appro-
pirate it to themselves. If this prctension
arose from amere lust of power, it would be
hard to boar the superiority and mastery it i'm
plies 1t would degrade the southern States
from being the equals oft the Northern States,
to position of colonial inforiority. But when
your exclusion is not from mere lust of power,
but is only further step in the progress of
things aiming at the abolition of slavery in the
States, by the extension and multiplication of
non-slaveholding States in the Union, the pre-
tensionis seen to be as alarming as it is insul-
tirg. The southern StatesSin their Legisla-
lures, set forth with great uh;inimi.y the rights
i'll our territories belonging to them in common
with the Northern States aud declared their
determination to maintan them; and finding
in the Northern States no disposition to abate
their domauds the convention IN which we are
assembled, has been brought together to take
counsel MS to the course OF the southern States
shoald pursue, for the maintenance of their
rights, liberty and honor.
Such is n brief, but imperfect statement of
past transactions; and they force upon us tho
question, in what condition do they place the
southern Statesl And first, what is their con-
dition in Congressa The time was when your
Representatives in Congress, were neither
offered, nor would they endure reproach in
your behalf But for many years past, they
have heard you in Congress habtually rcviled
by the most opprobrious epithets on account of
the institution of slavery If their spirits are
yet unbroken, they must be chilled by sense
of humiliation at the insults they daily receive
rs your representatives, You are arraigned
as criminals. Slavery is dragged into every
debate, and Congress has become little else
than grand instrument in the hands of abo
litionists to degrade and ruin tho South. In
stead ofpeace and protection, aggression and
insult on the south characterize its proceedings
and councils. And what is your condition,
with re spect to your sister Statesl Where is
chat respect and comfy, which (duo from all
nations towards each othor) is more especially
due fr,m States bound together in n confedcra
cy, and which was once displayed in all their
intercourse; instead of respect and sympathy
-denuI,ciation and hostility, on account of
your institution ofslayery, have have for years
past characterized the communications address
cd to you by the Northern States. And what
is your condtionin the Unionl The non-slave-
holding States stand combined, not only to
wrcst from you your commco property, but to
place upon your front, the brand of inferiority
You are not to extend, Oh account cfyour in
etitutions, but they are to increase and multiply
that the shame and sin ofslavery may by their
lphilanthropic agency, be eXtingushed from
amongst you But the worst feature of your
condition is, that tits progressive AS low and
humiliating as it now may be, tits destined, if
not arrested, to "a lower deep" Every effect
is a cause; and the spirit Of ianatcism brooks
We're to yield everything the North now re-
quires-hbolish slavery in the District of Co
lumbia-submit to be legslated pirates for
conveying slaves from one State, toanother,
let trial by jury and the writ of habeas corpus,
wrest from You IN the Northern States every
fugitive slave; give up all Your territories to
swell Northern arrogance and predominance,
would things stop therel These are all means
aimmg'at one great edd-the abolition of sla-
very in the States. Surrendering one of these
means you will but inAame the power by
which another willb cxacted--and when all
are conquered, will the evil be arrestedl III
fifty years, twenty new non-slaveholdiDg States
may be added to the Union, whilst some
which are now slaveholding, may become non
slaVeholding States. There then, will be no
need as now, openly TO put aside the Constitu-
tion to reach their object. If they will deign
TO do it, the nonslaveholding States will then
have the power by two thirds in Congress- and
three fourths of the States to amend the Con
ttitution, and then ha re its express sanction to
consnmmate the policy. Your condition is
progressive
1ffrom the past sttransactions we have narra-
ted, we Learn our condition in the Union, they
teach us also that our past past policy of non
action and submission to aggression cannot
bring us peace and safety. When the doors of
Congress were thrown opento agitation on the
subject Of slavery,ifthe southern States had
moved with energy to avert state of things
unconstitutional itself, and surely tending to
bring the slaveholding and non-slaveholding
States into collision, although late, ismiglt
not have been too hte to stop subsequent en-
croachments upon our rights. But the south
ern States were passive; and their forbearance
has had the effect Of inspiring the Northern
peoplewith the belief either that we value
union with them more than we value the insti-
tuition of slavery, or thatwe dare not move
from conscious inability to protect themselves.
Yon have ungenerously stood stiIl whilst your
supporters and the defenders of the Constitu-
tion in the Northern States, in their enosts to
protect You from the sgitat;ons OF slavery in