The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-09-26
The movement for secession.

The Secessionlsts OF South Carolina met last
week at Charleston to renew their protesta-
tons against the action of the Federal Gov
eminent, and to ratify the nomination Of dele
gates to the Southern Congress, to be held
at Montgomery, Alabama, in January next.
The reports of the proceedings which have
reached US, albeit prepared by the officers of
the meeting, are significantly silent as to the
numbers present; and being almost wholly doc
umentary, they deprive us of the means of edify-
ing the reader by any thing like complete d.
gest of all the startling sayings which we dare
say were uttered on the occasion. Let US take
the matter as it comes to US, and place on re-
cord few points, to which reference may here
after have to be made.
DIR. JOHN BELLINGER presided, and Mr. F.
ID. RICHARDSON, chairman of the Committee
of Invitation, announced the receipt of letters
from distinguished sympathizers in that and
other States. Three only of these were read.
The first was from Mr.. G. w. GAYLE, of Ca
hawba, Alabama, who declares that slavery in
the South lis literally stakvd'' upon South
Carolina; and therefore, that if she retrace one
step, call is lost, and lost forever" In his
mind, the alternative is to give up the slaves
to Northern fanatcism, or to dissolve the
| Union; and he chooses the latter as both expe-
| dent and just-expedent, because in his opin-
ion the only method of preserving the institu-
| tion of slavery, and just, because provoked by
| the alleged fact that "hostility to slavery has
| grown up with the Government" "Year after
year, since l7S7" he tells us, sit has become
more determined; it has now reached matu-
rity," and sis as undomesficated and inexora-
bic as wild hyena.' Having arrived at this
| conclusion, Mr.. GAYLE scouts the timidity of
calm, prudential folk who advise South Car
olina to postpone her final step until the
| cooperation of other Southern States be
obtained There is no chance of that CO.
operation, he sees plainly enough; and, for
the assurance of the sceptical, he refers to
the facts, that F'only six or seven States"
were represented in the Nashville Convention,
and that no other State but South Carolina has
appointed delegates to the forthcoming Con
gress. The sole method by which co-opera-
ton is to be obtained IS, in his judgment, by
F'the separate secession of some one slave
| State" and he invokes the citizens of the Pal
metto State ''to throw the gauntlet and face the
foe, )" reminding them Of their oft-repeated vows,
and predicting that such course will call
| forth followers enough to form powerful
confederacy." Having thus appealed to the
chivalry of his correspondents, Mr.. GAYLE
closes with very delicate bid for fillibuster
| help. Secede separately and Immediately
''form powerful confederacy"- then,'
he exclaims, "what pleasure we will expe-
rience in taking little Cuba by the hand, and
| telling her, come, rest beneath the covering OF
this tent-you are no stranger" Happy little
Cuba Thrice happy, thrice verdant, Mr..
| GAYLE
| The second letter-writer hailed from Geor-
! gia, being no other than Mr.. JOHN FoRsYTH, Of
| Columbus, in that State, the son of a former
| Secretary Of State of that name. He is obliged
to deny himself the honor of attending the
meeting he writes TO the committee-because
of the need that exists for his presence in his
own State, where the Secessionists " have
hosts of powerful enemies" and where :" the
| poisonous prejudces and delusions" of politi-
clans of both parties have been sown "broad-
cast in the minds" Of the people. He feels ''that
Georgia is called the Empire State' in der-
sion," and then, in moment of patriotic in
| dgnation, he exclaims;
81 would to God we had fewer miles of railway,
fewer millions invested in manufactures and
stocks, fewer proofs of enterprise and thrift and
money making and more Of that spirit and chiv
airy of Georgia of the olden time, which, on more
than one occasion, has interposed her sovereignty
TO check the usurpation Of the Federal Govern
ment."
Very valiant, and yet very nonsenscal-re-
mnding us forcibly Of the memorable folly of a
certain scion of the British aristocracy, who
sung, in plaintive strains,
'oh, give us back our old nobility"
and to obtain the boon was willing to forego all
the advantages ofmodern commerce and indus
try. Lord JONI MANNERS would raze Man
chester and Liverpool to the ground if the good
old times Of feudallsm could be revived ; and
Mr.. JOHN FoRsYTH would cheerfully forego
all the advantages which enlightened enter