The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-12


GENTLEMEN Your invitation to "partake of
a public dinner on the 9th instant" in the vii
lage of Spartanburg, to be rendered to The dis
unguished representative OF your congressional
district was, TO my great regret, received too
late TO allow me to avail myself OF the proffered
kindness
1t would perhaps be an inexcusable abuse OF
the flattering attention you Lave bestowed on
me, were | to use the opportunity OF this reply,
TO trouble you with elaborate reflections on The
great topics of the day-which IN the ordinary
course Of our mails, would necessarily be pos
thumous to the proceedings of the occasion.
cannot refrain, however, from expressing the
ratification should have derived, both per-
sonal and political, from contributing my lndi
ydual efforts TO honor one who has himself so
honored both his State and his constituents IL
is one Of the happiest assurances of my political
faith, that ii stands affirmed and supported by
the judgment Of one, of whose sterling qualities
both of head and of heart, have had no short
or transtory experience
| In no portion of our State have looked with
deeper interest for the echo of that strong South
ern feeling with which trust all her citizens
are imbued) than TO Spartanburg; with whose
political principles my own have always been
most strongly and intr ely allied. In the es-
innate Of our wrongs. the conviction OF the
dangers which threaten our instilusons-and in
| the necessity of resistance Of some kind, pre-
sumo there be no conrariety OF opinion
among any OF us.
OF the time and mode Of redress, believe me
gentlemen, there can (and ought toy be, as lit
| tle Is there secessionist who would prevent
or anticipate operation by rash and precipitate
State action? If he would he is certainly not
of us; for as | understand their motives, it is
one of the most cherished purposes of its advo-
cafes to invite, to allure, and even to extract (if
POSSIBILITY co operation; by the agitation Of the
right of secesson now, if they can; by resort
ing TO it hereafter, if they must Nor are there
any that am appraised Of who would endure
abolition rather than resort to separation. No
one, therefore, is for secession in advance of any
practically prospective cooperation, and none,
presume, for utter-hopeless--an abject sub
mission.
The only question then on which there can
be any diversity of opinion, is that of the expe-
diency of agi ating secession at this time, as an
ultimate and pro spective remedy. Whether that
agitation be premature or otherwise, may per-
haps be Justly questionable, by those who differ
from u.s. But how can it affect the unanimity
of our counsels when all the resources of CO.
Iteration are exhausted, as they aoW and must
be, before secession will probably be resorted
20? When our all lance is re lsed--our connec-
ton repudiated-our counses rebuked-our APP
calls rejected-onr proffers secuted and scorned
by the South, in our very proposition for South
ern confederacy treated as treason and rebellion;
will all these things divide us? Would we the
hesitate between cooperation and State &C.
ton Would we feel the efficacy Of an argu-
ment, deduced from 'self imposed Wimot
Proviso" or the crcumscription of slavery?
Would we follow the example of our South
ern States in abandoning our rights and insItu-
tons, which the wisest and coolest of our states
men have told us w bout resistance of some
sort) must soon be numbered with years beyond
the flood.
Those, theref IRE, who advocate cooperation,
are certainly right enough. But those who
would stop there, should hope beckon, or the
exigency of the case compel us onward--those,
in short, who would limit the resistance or the
resources of the State to this single, and in some
respec hopeless remedy, would certainly be d.
vesting her of her veregnty, diminishing her
attributes and her prerogatives, and delivering
her bound, manacled, and feitered to endure
evory aggression that the rapacity of her foes
could iDflict, or the compassion of her allies
would refuse to relieve. 1t would be iucing
all herfights and remedies to the mere privilege
of, or appeal to, "Southern Areopagus," and
the too often forestalled opinion of federal in
iluenced tribunal.
There is, then, there can be, no essential diff
ference between us. Where, in fact, has the
great principle of resistance diverged N the
broad platform of the Charleston convention
There are none so bold as to forestal co-opera-
ton, 80 long as it is hopeful or practicable.
There are none so AFFECT as to forego the neces.
sity of secession, as a last and ultimate remedy
The secessionist is even now the advocate of
cooperation. The co-operationist may soon
and willingly become the advocate Of secession.
But, gentlemen, let me, with the privilege Of
an old political ally of your district, and with a
frankness in which not drop of selfish ambi-
ton can be supposed to be infused, assure you.
that whether right or wrong, Gas we may be,)
there can no calamity befal the State so over
whelming as tat Of crushing the vanguard OF
the resistance party South; of which, perhaps,
the secessionists may justly be supposed to oc-
cupy the position,
The proclvlty is TO acquiesenoe; the spirit of
the South unquestionaby has long since been
broken, its courage dismayed the road to its
confidence aud its honors is now the paved and
federal highway of which we have had such
signal and recreant examples in some Of our
sister States. The generous ardor of South
Carolina, alone, preserves the purity and the
light of those vestal fires which are even now
Pickering their last rays on our Southern affairs
Extinguish them, and what Promethean spark
can again relume the spirit Of opposition
What, il fed by the fervor of our patriotism,
they have, perhaps, glared too strongly upon the
dazzled vision of some of our brethren. Is not
the excess preferable to the deficiency and one,
which time Itself will modify and correct 7
What, If the hot zeal of some have seemed to
out-run a sound discretion, is IL not very
venial fault, easily checked and forgivenl Is it
not virtue easier restrained than inspired Is
IL not safer under the pontFo Of our pounsels,
our influence and our kindness, than when re-
PEELED by our suspicious, d wen from our con-
hdenoe and left unaided, UNI trained and unad-
vised to perpetrate the very errors we would
condemn What, If there be those among us,
vho have hitherto rang the tocsin and sounded
the alarm wolf" until the public ear, as well as
the public sensibilities, have become callous and
insensible! Would you, (now that the de-
vourer has actually Gomez under the pretext of
previous false alarms, and IN the stoic apathy of
a submission spirit, leave the State and her in