Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-06-19

FILLMORE, with his Excelency's construction OF
the Constitution, and apprehension of his duties,
to coerce us into submission to gross violation
of our Constitutional rights, / felt that it was
concession of the power in question, intention
ally made, either from the convictions OF Judg-
ment, or for the purposes Of an ambitious offce
seeker. and blushed for the honor Of South
Carolina. The gentleman that made this an
nouncement too, il. the same, who, n few years
ago, could ask the Legislature Of this State fora
bill "to define treason" If one afirms, that
after State secedes it is the duty of the Presi-
dent 10 enforce the laws of Congress within her
borders, by the cannon and the musket, it is, by
implication the plaincst denial Of the right OF
secession. This affirmation our Representative
has most unquestionably made, when he says,
that KIT is the province of Congress to make
laws but the duty of the President to execute
them. This duty he solcmnly swears he will
perform. The President and his Secretary OF
State, having given repeated assurances that this
duty ,OiR be discharged, know of no reason to
doubt that it will be attempted. The army and
naoy are placed at the command OF the President
for that purpose.n If these remarks are not na-
tional, and if this language arranged as it's, and
connected with the ideas, it conveys, is not in
sulting to the people of South Carolina, then
have totally Inexperienced their spirit. If MIR.
BURT was not an honorable man, and Of ac-
knowledged integrity, should charge him with
having in view, an ultcrior object, and with reck-
lessly betraying the high trust rePoscd in him.
Even his punctilious honor, and well-awarded
chvalry may fail to shield him, in this instance,
from the aspersions, at least, Of the ilberal and
calumnious.
An impartial reader, who was unacquainted
with our distinguished Representative, would
certainly construe his letter into studied effort
to rclinquish the strongest points in our contro-
versy with the Federal government. The drift
OF his argument is to show the impracticahility
the utter insanity' Of separate State seces-
sion, while he would admit that we have been
wronged without measure, with no hope Of re-
dress in tile Union, but with certain prospect
of increased aggression. He forgets entirely
the great doctrine of State sovereignty. lie ex-
presses no Indignation at its denial by the chief
functionaries Of the government, and apparently
acguesces in their unholy attempt to undermine
the temple Of our liberties. 1 hold that the very
denial of our right to seecde by the highest au-
thorities at Washington, would form sufficient
justification for the prompt exercise Of that
right If we tamely submit to the surrender Of
that ground-that stronghold of freedom in the
United States, we are irredeemably cnslayed =
the government is consolidated despotism Of
numbers, and all our struggles for independence
have been in vain. Tho State Of South Carolina
is prepared to contest, even with arms, I" that
last intrcnchment of liberty" and she would
enter into the conflict, with sure reliance on
! the support of the other States of the South,
She conceives, that they are neither blind nor
weak, nor depraved and she is willing to count,
with certainty, upon their aid, in the event ,oi
her being attacked by the army and navy of the
+ gUrrrnnI
/ A Statesman never made grosser mistake,
than the honorable member from our Congress
sional District las committed, in publishing .tc
the world, that " the leading object to be attain
cd by secession will be admitted to be the pre-
scrvation of the institution of African slavery,
unimpaired and unmolested.n That is not the
greatest question in dispute. We beg leave to
take higher ground. We sccede for the prescr-
vation of our honor, equality and independence
We secede to vindicate our inaenable rights un-
der and above the Constitution framed by our
fathers We secede for the preservation Of that
Constitution itsclf-to resist lawless aggression in
the shape of unequal taxation, and to support the
principle that led to the American Revolution
We sccedc, lastly, to confirm the right of seces-
sion itself, without which our liberty is only q
name and mockcry. The Northern section al.
ready has an immense preponderance in the gov
crnment, and if it once becomes fixed and ascer-
tanned, that the majority shall rule, the authority
of despot would be mild and wholesome COM
pared with that of the United States. The in
reference with slavery therefore, is not resisted
for the value of that institution, but for the value
of our liberty.
Mr.. BURT has written another very remarka.
bic letter, addressed to the Committee Of the
Hamburg meeting, in which he prcsumes to de-
nominate the conduct of some Of the friends Of
the State, as suicidal" "recklcss, and "dcs-
parate, and descending, at once, from his lof-
ty imperial tone, he proceeds 10 speak to tho
meeting, in the style of one, who was courting
appreciation, by the most vulgar condescension.
lie remarks thus =" heartily concur with you,
that the people who are to bear the burdens and
fight the battles that must result from such mad
ness, should rebuke the headlong ndscretion of
those, who would precipitatc such evils upon
them" Does the honorable gentlemen mean to
intimate, that in the Legislature of South Caro-
lima, and in the Convention that assembled at
Charleston, there were no men Of courage-none
of "thc people" who would bear burdens"
and "fght battlcs;;" and does he insinuate that
the secession party Of this and other Districts,
are not men of property, and mettle, and firm
ness? But it is sufficient only TO alludc to such
gracelcss appeals to the low prcjudiccs of men,