The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1851-05-21
s. caro,,na secession Address

Rights Assoeiations Of South Carolina,
Assembled in Charleston, 10 the 5. r. As
sociat:on os other Southern States;
IIaviag mel to lake counsel together, anc
bavIng agreed upon that course which we
thipk il right aud necessary 10 pursue, we
wish 10 lay before you the considerations by
Bhich we have been governed, with That
ftaakness which our resPscl for you, and
our desire TO merit your good opinion, re-
quire. F EE
We regard tho position Of the Southern
Slstes in this cohfedefacy as degraded and
snnous. The manifest tendency Of those
systematic nggressioAs which they have suf-
fred for many years past, is to subveTt the
INSTITUTIONS Of slavery. lfIhose acts Of hos
tile denomination, which have been renders
ed more insdlitng by mockery Of language
under the term 0t a compromise, were final
IN their natl:fe, and we're not TO be followed
by aay further aggressions, we should still
regard them as ouirages, &c which sovereign
States, possessing the spirit of freedom eagb'
never % submit. But those meassres only
fern part of system. gradually commenced,
steadily carried forward, gathering sIrenih
from Development, and proceeding with IA
sal'momeatum 10 its end That end is pbo-
'ffiion of fneaTo slavery in The Southern States,
'and the lowering Of the free white popula>
linn of the South 10 the same level with thar
aaTarian Eabble, which, already sirong and
dangerous, seemed destined, before very
lang, 10 be the controlling power in the
Northern States.
We see no remedy and no safety for the
South in The present unyup. But We know
thai in this we differ from very many clii-
gens OF the othsT Southern States spirited
aud intelligent, having the same interests,
aRd suffering under the same wrongs, with
ourselves, and who cherish the hope that
Inc rights Of the South, may be vindicated
and secured without dlssolying the existing
eoufcderacy. In this difference, it does
not become us TO assume to dictate, and we
hope to stand free from Thai charge. Up 10
this time, the citizens Of s. Carolina, aware
that peculiarly Of political position, agiaing
from past events, rendered certain reserve
on their part prudent and proper, have studi-
ausly avoided every thing which might look
like assuming the lead in the defenc Of South,
ern Rights They desired tn act, because
they believed that safety and honor required
SslfoR; but they hoped that they might find
leaders in other States whom they might
fellow in defence Of the common cause
When the ancient commonwealth OF Virginia,
The proper leader Of the, South, declared her
QslssmdRatfDti'to resist, at all hazards and TO
he last extremity, hostile measures then
thReeiened, s. Carolina, with Rlacrly, stood
ready 10 support. Virginia in carrying out
her high resolution. When Georgia, whose
whose former resistance to federal useTpat;on
under her heroic statesman, Troupe, gave
promise OF unHinchin2 firmness in any con-
tess in which she might engage proclaimed
her deiermInaEian' TO make stand for the
rights OF the South, South Carolina rejoiced
Rlfhe prospect of rallyne under the banner
of Georgia. AND when hef young and gal
liant sister, Mississippi, proposed the measure
ofa Southern Convention for the purpose oI
andeavering to unite the Southern States in
maintaining their constitutional rights, and
a, the same lime preserving if possible, the
ayisting Union, South Carolina heartily en-
tered into this measure; and she has carried
bat the recommendation Of the Convention
30 assembled at the instance of Mississippi,by
providing fur the election of delegates TO q
Southern Congress-, to whose meeting she
still looks with anxious interest.
In all these proceedings, we think that the
citizens of s. Carolina have evirced all prop
or anxiety 10 avoid the appearance of arra-
gance or dicIaiion, to act in concert with the
citizens of other Southern States, and to dc
aqlhing separately or precipitately. Aud
bow, strongly as we have expressed onr.be
iieftaat there is no hope for the South 10 the
existing Union. we are prepared to give a
trial, ialrly and in good faith TO any effectual
plan which may be proposed by any sister
Stale OF the South, for obtaining redress for
The past and security for the future, without
dissolution Of the existing Union, If there
hSa possibility Of such a consumaion.
Bot ve find ourselves forced to consider
The ulterior question, what we are to do, If
We Gnd that there is no reasonable hope of
Ihe cooperation OF any other Southern State,
ln any effectual plan of reIief, md the aliern-
alive is presented 10 US, OF submitting, or
acting by ourselves. And, reluctant as we
Are 70 sepesate ourselves frcm our natural
friends aad allies, aHe have made up our
Naiisds. We cannot submit. We no that
8. Carolina entered this cdhfederacy us
suYereign ahd independent State, and that
hssing been wronged, she has the perfect
right 10 Withdraw from il. Her SOUS must
exercise the right and meet the consequent
ces. lf no other State will Join us in reliey-
ING ourselves from the wrongs already inhct-
ed, we see no hope in waiting for new oul-
RACES TO arouse higher spirit of resistance.
The new oulrages, we are we'll convinced,
win SaEaa in due time; but We feel no a SSH.
rance that the spirit Of the vassal will rise
In proportion 10 the indigntes heaped upon
his head. On the contrary, we see that the
south has already borne what il would not
for moment have submitted TO ten years
ago, and what the North would rot then h1ve
yeniured to perpetrae. We are not willing
to try the experiment how long it will be
bef6fe our sYsrltis completely broken, by
gradually and continually yielding to slow
snd gradual but increasing encroachments.
Andif the exercise of the right 81 secession
ists be followed BY The attempt on ihe parl
icsEtbe 00vesapent Of this confederacy 10
sgbNigafe s. Ga Il is better that we should
NEE, that alleEnps while we still have so:n3
apweY oi resisiencs left Five are TO sub.
iRIff VI the condition Of a conquered people !,
we think il less dishonofnble not 10 do So
until we have first been conquered. And If
afiyfhina c0aid add 10 the necessity which
wesbsAieye exists f8s q withdrawal from the
exissinaU Un,cn, II would be .he denial of the
yirhs el secession For The denial Of tia,
ho1sf tkdt..o4 "a tof itasif ex1feasa danuer =.