The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-09-16
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SREsipENrt OF THE CONVENTION OF SOUTH
ERN NIGnTs ASSOCIATIONS OF SoUru
...sJ CARoLINA.
I take this medium Of addressing
you. a few observations on tho subject
Of secession; ideas which would
hayo been glad to advance in the
Convention, had it been dclibcra.
tive body.
g ! am not willing, oven by my 81
lencc, !, to- sanction tho action of tho
Convention. Approaching, howcv-
er,M3hly the patriotism Of many who
r5esseceseion, desire to differ from
them in spirit of Kindness.
Without further preface, I object
to tho secession of South Carolina for
thofollowing reasons, which | shall
must briefly indicate and not elab-
orate
. The great purpose before US, is to
glyo future security to the institution
ofslavery.ss
# We accomplish this purpose, VIC
sacsoompl sllSeYorythiug; if not, we ac-
eompliall nothing for tho present.
Slavery is not cndangcrcd-its fu.
Sturosis.
] assume that the future Of slavery
can only be secured by the union Of
the South.
). u In our union is our hope; in our
- dlsunicn is our despair.
1t follows, then, necessarily, that
allour policy should tend to produce
this union, and to avoid this disunion
ofthc South.
The question then comes up, how
: can this union of the South be brought
about TO which l reply it can be
brought about by the pressure Of cx-
ternai danger, and i'll no other way.
Thus all unions have been brought
about. The Achnn League, the un-
Ion, of,thc Southern States OF Greece,
. an, illastlious and suggestive prccc.
dent, was caused by the pressure
asof the Macelonian power. The con.
toderacy Of the Swiss Cantons was
caused by the pressure from the
German Emperor Albert. The
League of the Netherlands from the
prussure Of Philip II. Our present
confedcvacy from the pressure from
without.
Examine all history, and you will
/; see that all unions nave been formed
/, by the pressure from without, and
tilat this is necessary law Of union,
SIS evident from obvious principles.
.nhe same cause (thc prussur,
from without which has caused all
unions, will cause q union of the
South; especially when we consider
thesmonentous interest the Southern
people have in the institution of
Slavery, their intelligence and spirit.
S This pressure from the Northern
power must, if anything can, unite
the South.
One thing is certain, that South
Carolina cannot produce this South
ernaunion, for its indispensable pre-.
requisite is conviction of its neces-
sity,in the minds of the Southern
people; and this conviction can arise
in no possible way except from the
march Of faNaticism. If the North
continue to infringe upon us, the con.
yic,ion will be forced upon the South
sern people that they are not safe in
the present Union that their safety
B requires them to unite. They have
not that conviction yet, and hence
we have not a Southern Union, for
this moral revolution must prcccdc
the political one; aud in view of the
non existence of this moral revolution
at the South, l have no hesitation in
saying, that if you could by politi.
cal conYulsion now break up the pres
ent Union, and have the form of
Southern Union, you would have "a
barren sccptre i'll your grip" Your
8 Southern Union would be wholly in
efficient to work out the great ardu-
/, Gus mission before it; because the
spirit sprinying from conviction Of
Wits necessity being absent, the Union
would be an inert mass without vital
ity, unmovcd by any passions save
those Of internal hatred and discord.
And the certainty that the South
ern people arc not yet qualified by
!. their opinions, for a Southern Union,
should admonish US not to try to CO.
aercc them prcmaturcly into such I'm.
ion.
4 1tswould seem, then, that our poll.
cy is to wait the progress of public
7 opinion at the South and profit by it.
81 But wo are told we must act at
once orwo are ruined, as the North
is gaining upon us every day.
s / have myself, shared this alarm,
y but 1 think tits an imaginary danger.
We have nothing to fear from the
North if the South remains firm,
] weFwille lebc able to contend with the
North twenty-five years hence, and