The southern press., 1851-08-04
PreSfdenk.

moved the organization of the meeting, and the
appointment of the following officers:
President.
JOHN RUTLEDGE, ESQ.
Vice Presidents
Hon. Daniel E. Huger, Charles Aston, senr.,
Thomas Bennett, VIM H. Hayward
William Aiken, Dr.. James Monltrie,
James Rose, Henry A. Middleton,
]. B. Grmbal, Arthur G. Rose,
Mitchell King, James Fl. Ladson,
Il l.. Hutchinson Geo. N. Reynolds, r.,
John Schnierle, Charles Macbeth,
Gen. s. Cruikshank, DR.. Thos Y. Simons,
Dr. Sam'l H Dickson, Thaddeus Street,
Henry r. Frost, J. F. Steinmyer,
James Adger, DR.. ST. John Phillips,
H. w. Peronneau, James Chapman,
VIM Bull Pringle, Col. A. p. Hayne,
Charles IT, Lowndes, George Thompson,
c. G. Memminger, John Klinck,
j. l.. Bowie, Col B. f. Hunt,
DR.. Benz. Hnger, Jas. s. Shingler,
w. c. Dukes, Thos. 0. Elliott,
DR.. Elias Horlbeck, Edward McCrady,
w. M. Lawton, Edward p Milliken,
John Vinyard, Col A. II. Beiin,
James Poyas, John H. Honour,
Hugh X. Banks, James Lamb,
William Bird, Thomas Ryan,
w. ii. Houston, Dr. C. C. Prtchard,
NJ c. Mordecai James NJ. Caldwell,
James Welsman, James f. Walker,
W. H. Gliland, Henry Gourdin,
DR.. E. Geddings, James Robertson.
Secretaries.
c. Richardson Miles, Edward J. Pringle,
Thomas Frost, John Seigng junr,
Samuel ID. Stoney, Chas. II. West, junr.
The following letters were then read by A..
G. Magrath, esq, having been received in reply
to the invitations which had been addressed to
these gentlemen to be present at the meeting.
The reading of these letters aroused the meet
ting 10 the highest point. At the announcement
of the name of the venerable Langdon Cheves,
repeated cheers strongly told how deep was the
respect cherished by our citizens for this emf
nent statesman, so truly worthy of the appella-
ton Of our Nestor in this momentous crisis.
The letter from Colonel Or, and those from the
other gentlemen, which are published, were also
received with marks of the highest appreciation
LETTER OF LANGDoS cHEvEs.
SAVANNAH, July 26, 1851.
GENrLEMES:-I have had the honor to re-
ceive your note of the 22d instant / am both
hattered and obliged By the invitation which il
contains, as we'll us by the manner of it; and |
regret very much that it is altogether out Of my
DOWeT W htVtttu tHt ulttliE iCouCuf CntIcl1 III
the object of the meeting. have several times
within the last twenty years entered publicly my
protest against separate State action. OF the
right of State to seccde from the Union. !
have never had n shadow of doubt. That J
right is the right Of sovereign State. A right
of which sovereign State cannot be dvested !;
and the only real question is: Are the st tes of
the Union sovereign States or which, [ sup
pose, no Southern man will venture to express
a doubt But think separate secession, though
an undoubted, legal and public right, is scarcely
a moral and social one on the part Of one South
ern State in reference to her sister States of the
South. Their relations of unity are so many,
40 homogeneous, and so strong, as to amount to
destiny. God and nature have combined them
by such social adhesion, such homogeneousness
OF interests, by such great and benign sympa-
thies of blood, of character, and historical ac-
ton IA to make their separation deplorable, dan
gerous and unwise. And what reason is there
to despair of Their unions The precise question
under deberation is not year old. | think
indeed, this is more than time enough to make
us certain Of our injuries, they are 40 great and
obvious, and to satisfy us that we cannot exist
under the present government Of the United
States, without being degraded and oppressed
people but should think it, nevertheless,
short time within which for a people to be re-
qured to decide on question so momentous az
y great revolutionary change of government;
for such, undoubtedly, secession must be con-
sidered. For myself, | think we ought to &C.
cede,-but not alone and have an ardent hope,
and sanguine belief, that the Southern States
will resist, bya unit effort, though not on the
instant We have few, perhaps no examples Of
such speed in the movement Of nations, and, if
we have any, believe the results will not be
found to have been always happy. pray God
TO inspire your deliberations with his wisdom,
his truth and his power.
] am gentlemen, with great respect, your obe-
dent servant LAreDoH CHEvEs.
Messrs. A. G. Magrath, and others, commit
tee, &c, Charleston, 8. G.
LETTER OF Hon. ]. l.. Orr
ANDERSON, July oath, 1851.
Gentlemen--Tt is source fprofound regret
to me, that previous engagement precludes
the possibility Of my attending yonr meeting,
on the 29th instant
Meetings all over the State by the co-opcra-
tioniats are impsratively demanded, il the State
il 10 be saved from the perila of secession. The
h<~rT Ill