The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-07-05


anti-rent, &C.. with then infdel conventions,
and views of socialism and agrarianism, which
seem to be rapidly tending to such state of
things rs will pull down in the deepest depths
o.! agrarianism and confusion, all that the wis
dom of a century has done for the country. I
but recently saw from the columns of a paper,
having perhaps, as large circulation as any in
the Union, published in New York, by q gen.
tienan last winter a member of this body, in
substance. such sentiment as this: That the pi.
rate who presented his pistol, and forced the
surrender Of a surplus over that which was ne.
ccssary to ones own support, had the right to
do so, and that the land owner had no claim on
his lessee, unless it were necessary for his own
support Such an abominable sentiment as
this has been published before, from the Roman
Tribune, and formed great element in the
course of things that pulled down that Repub-
lie. 1t was alike familiar in the Jacobin clubs
of France, preceding the time when Robes.
pierre, Danton and Marat ruled the destinies of
that people, and held up to the world specta-
Gle that humanity would hide from in disgust.
1t remains to be seen what may be its effects
in this progressive age of monstrosities of the
North. 1t remains to be seen how long before
those of every hue and cline, when made free
men and citizens bynorthern sentimentand prac,
tice, having forced the southern States to with.
draw from an association made insufferable to
them, will vote themselves share, without law
or right, of the substance of the country, when
the veriest vagabond upon the earth, may share
equally with the honest man of the country, and
when those whose sympathies are now so deep
for the black race, may have their own status
controlled by them, as in the crusade now a,
gainst the South their favorites are sent to this
and the other end of the Capitol t, rule the
storm against us; but time admonshes me
must pass on.
have said that actual war against the South
exists in the conduct of the free States in rela.
ton to slavery; and think every candid man
who views things as they are, should sustain me
in this position. Every State in this Union had
slaves when this Confederacy was formed, un-
less Massachusetts,. She, believe, had some,
though not to be found in the census of 1870;
and it may not be too often repeated, that no
association would have been formed had slave.
ry not only been recognized, but more careful
ly guarded than any other species Of property.
Indeed it was to slaves and their proceeds that
that this government must have mainly looked
for support-lands were then abundant and
cheap, and no one supposed that impost duties
under any scale of Importation ever could an-
swer the exigencies of the Government; hence
the provision that slaves and their proceeds
should only be taxed in proportion to the rep.
resentation of the States Very soon however,
a spirit of flnaticism commenced its progress,
which has progressed from various causes until
we find ourselves in our present condition, with
discOrd and strife from one extremity of the
Coniederacy to the other, that |, for one, do not
believe will ever be reconciled until the south
ern States will either be degraded and ruined,
or that spirit of resistance which think the du-
tv of freemen, will vindicate her rights and her
honor shall not attempt the enumeration of
the thousand facts which lead me to this con-
cluson-I only refer to few of them as pass
on. In the progress of this spirit Abolition So
cioties were formed, public opinion began to
receive the faint, men who were in most instan-
ces low and obscure, became orators, and ac-
quircd consequence that nothing but supersti-
ton or t;lnatlcism would have allowed them.-
Women and the youth of the country were
W o"bSto VA Si'''SS 40
fienls from purgatory; slanders of the grossest
type were circulated to effect this purpose; em-
issares from England were received and listen,
cd to as ministers from God; they propagated
thousand lbels upon the South, represented
eases of cruelty and blood, of which the south
crn people never heard nor had they, unless
upon their own ships whilst engaged in drag
ging the African from his native land. Minis
lrrs of the Gospel desecratcdthe pulpit with the
rrossest pervcrson Of Scripture in aid of This
unholy work. The Blue Laws were abolished,
or rather worn out, by their own safety, and
the public mind found food in this unrghtcous
warfare upon the rights and peace of those
whom, for the purposes of spoil and plunder,
thcv would call brothers. Amid such state
of things there never have been wanting in any
country dcmagogucs to take advantage of tho
tempest and ride themselves into place; and in
thirty years after the adoption OF the Consttu-
ton, such was the influence OF Abolitionism that
in the admission of Missouri the Coniederacy
tottercd on its pillars at the hands Of the North,
Here was tho first daring outrage in our Ma
tional Legislature to limit the extent Of slavery,
and the first unfortunate error by the South in
confiding in pledges made by the North on this
subject They gave upa right at the shrine of
peace and the Union, and they have in return
for it violated faith by the North, and the as
scrtion that II precedent has been established by
T. Al M nll iit,,oc ho