The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-06-21
Political Departmellt.
SOUTHERN ADDRESS.

To the people Of Mery'n"d, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, Tennessee, Kentuch", louisiana,
Teras, Missouri, Arkansas, Delaware, and
Mississippi.
FELLOW. CITIZENS In obedience to the COM
mands of those we represent, we have assem-
bled together to confer with each other CONCERN.
ing your relation with the General Govern
ment and the non-slaveholding States of the
Union, on the subject of the institution ofslave.
rp. We deem it proper to lay before YOU as
briefly as the subject will permit the result OF
our deliberations and counsels;
In order that your condition may be under.
stood, and the conclusions at which we have
arrived be justly appreciated, it is necessary to
refer to a few past transactions.
1t is now sixteen years since the institution OF
slavery in the South began to be agitated in Con-
gress and assailed by our sister Stites. Up to
that time, the people the Northern States seem
tohave respected the lights resevedto the South.
ern States by the Constitution, and to have act
ed under the conviction, that the subject OF
slavery being beyond the legislation Of Congress,
all agitation with respect to it on the part Of
Congress was equally forbidden by the Con-
sttution. But at this time, portion OF the
North began 10 assail in Congress the instltHA-
ton of slavery anu to accomplish their object
of dragging it into the vortex of Congressional
agitation, they claimed the right OF petltloniag
Congress upon all subjects whatsoever AS
petition is only the first step in legislation, it
was clear that right to petition Legislative
bodymgst be limited byits powers ofleglslation.
No one can have right to ask another to do
that which he has no moral or legal right 10 do.
Nor can any tribunal have the power to receive
and consider any matter beyond its jurisdiction.
The claim therefore to present petitions to Con.
gress on the subject of slavery. was considered
by the Southern Representatives generally as
an attempt indirectly to assume Jurisdiction
over the subject itself in all parts Of the Union
The object without disguise, was the over
throw Of slavery in the States but our assaIl-
ants framed the petitions presented chiefly
against slavery in the District OF Columbia and
our Territories, and against what they call the
internal slave iradc--that is, the Transmission OF
slaves from one southern State to another. Con.
scious ofhe fatal tendency of the agitation OF sla
very in Congress to destroy the peace and stabili
ty OF the Union, an effort was made, slpportedby
large portion of the Northern representatives,
to suppress it by u rule in the House OF Repre-
sentatives, which provided that all petitions on
the subject of slavery should be neither consid'
cred, printed nor referred This rule was as.
sailed by the people of the Northern States, as
violating that clause of the Constitution which
prohibits Congress from passing laws to pre-.
yent the people from peaceably assembling and
pctitioning for a redress of grievances In De-
cember, 1914, this rule fell before the almost
unanimous voice Of the North and thus the
unlimited power Of introducing and considering
the subject Of slaveryin Congress was asserted
in the mean time, the course of the Northern
people showed clearly that the agitation Of slave
ry in Congress was only one OF the means they
relied on to overthrow this institution through
ont the Union. Newspapers were set up