The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-05-15

surrendered up as tugiiiies fiom Justice, be.
Cause the same high and oyeItulinr law
which puts the constitution down aud n,ak.s
II hulluy, has converted what we call a
crime INTO high and nefitorious act o( dt
ty--lt this convention, meet under such clr
cumstances, what may be-what probably
Will be the Consequences? say il nol be-
cause wish it-i DO not wish lt--lhe Goa.
stc,on has been forced upon my mind by ev.
idence reluctantly received; and therefore
wish my hIends around me 10 nay E,r ,i,;t
reasan the more credit to v hat say-ifth.,
contention shall meet under such citcan,.s
stances, IN my judgment the Union is from
that dey dissolved. do nossay that dsso.
luton VIII f'!in1 nsiaI4ii = do nci.sav t,,,
a connexlon, an external Union may be man.
tanned, aud ltuger on for few years longer.
But the meeting Of that convention will be to
our institution, IN he language Of Napoleon,
"the beginning Of the end 1T viii be the
initiative sle-s 10 such course of measures.
North and South, as viii result in copyulsinr
US, so far hat the Ills to which we ly cannot
10 our jud sment exceed those We bear; and
thus will put upon the people OF the South
the necessity, he painful, hard necessity of a
dissolulon--a inaI separation. Now, sir,
why do | take this vewl In The first place,
the meeting Of the Nashville Convention is,
upon lis face, step towards separate and
distinct organZIlcn Of the southern States.
The very movement separates them for IA
time, IN purposes and nent from TIE area,
mass OF the population Of the country. They
meet there for what pufposel To consider,
/ to deliberate, TO debate-what what coufsu
Of action shall by mutual agreement be taken
BY the States whom thisconveDtion will rep.
resent, wha, manner of resistance, what man.
ner Of redress. Now, sir, in all matters of
his kind, in all revolutions, in all breokngs
up Of The ties which bind US together, ire
fits, step is oGe Of great difficulty. II is so
even IN social and private life il is so in the
married state. The frs, wanton and public
outrage on the part Of one toward the other
Of the parties Is easily followed by suchs,eps
as end in total and thorough arrangement.
Well, then separation of the Union-I have
no reason 10 suppose that any will be pro.
posed looking TO that as an object fully
believe that that convention in Mississippi,
which Terminated its meeting in the call for
Ihas iaagSBcTA ebg sat satgh pa4s pa44s
destroy The Uni,p. II wanted anything 10
satisfy me Of that (besides abundance OF 9th.
er reasons which | have) the very fac, that
Tho Convention was presided over by the ven.
cradle and venera,ed Chief Justice Shaikev,
a most learned jurist and patriotic geniio.
man, would be sufficient (or ne. Eu, when
We have oscertained what people design by
any particular movement, We are far, very
far, fIom having uscertained what they may
accomplish by 1t. Now, suppose this meet.
ing should resolve that, by common con.
cufTence nl The States represented, common
laws should be passed, police regulations be
adopted in The slave States Of the mos, irrl.
tatIug and offensive kind towards the north.
efn portion Of he Union; such course VIII
not appear surprising If We bear iu mind The
TACT that slaves are constantly taken from our
ports by the vessels that visit them for the
purpose OF commerce; that thus taken, they
are Withheld iiom US, aud their sedUcers arc
neither discOuHteDanced At home nor restored
TO Us for punishment; and that Aagrant wrorg
on one side naturally provokes 10 measures at
once Of protection aud retuIlaton from tho
other. But, Mr.. President, the moment
these States, b, mutual compact and agree
uenr, have coa,e 10 resolution to adopt
particular course e measure upon this sub.
s;i,uuon they are no longer upon it, because
the constitution expressly forbids State to
enter INTO any compact or agreement with
another Stale without the consent OF Con-
gfess. hen this first step is taken, the
process is easy, aud need not be traced 10
tinai dissolution of our present Union. And
there fore, IN the event of the meeting ot this
convention, with the slavery question ia the
situation have mentioned, have, | repeat,
gloomy apprehension of what may be, and
most probably will be, the result upon the
destiuIes Of our country. Force, Mr.. Pres.
dent, cannot keep the States of this Union TO.
gether-c cannot preserve the constitutional
Union. distinctly admit wha, was said by
The honorable Senator from Massachusetts,
Mr.. Websler,1 that no State has right 10
secede from this Union. distinctly admit
that The constitution, looking to perpetuity,
makes no provision directly or Indirectly for
the separation Of its parts. But, in point OF
fact, from the very nature of our institutions,
the States canno, be kept in union by force.
The majority or the most powerful portion
may conquer and reduce to suhiection the
other, bu; when this is done the States are
not in union, the constitutional connexion Is
not restored. 1t is then the spectacle OF
conquered people submitting TO superior
powers and no ties Of affection-no cooper
alton in common government-no Ameri.
can union can reasonably be hoped between
the conqaerers and The conquered. Believe
me, sir, If ever the unhappy hour should ar.
rive when American blood is shed in a con-
test between the States, some desiring to Sc
cede, and the others endeavoring 10 compel
them BY force Of aims to remain in the Un
ion-whenever that hour comes your connex.
ION is Immediately broken 10 all beneiieial