The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-09-16
r o r. I C A /. !.
I.ETTElR FROM w. w. BoYcB,
~ TO TIE y
H. HsECHHRHsDSON


PREsIDENr OF THE CONVENTION OF SourH-
GRa RiGnrs ASSOCIATIONS OF Souru
tssss sSst ttss:5l.s CAROLINA.
I take this medium of addressing
you asfew observations on tho subject
OF secession; ideas which l would
haYo been gladto advance in the
Convention, had it been dclibera.
tive body.
| am not willing, oven by my 81
lencc. to sanction tho action of tho
Conyentiop. Appreciating, howcv-
er, highly the patriotism Of many who
VI secession, desire to differ from
them in q spirit of Kindness.
Without further preface, I object
to tho secession Of South Carolina for
hezfolloWing reasons, which l shall
Sinpst briefly indicate and not clab.
J. crate
= The great purpose before us, is to
give future security to the institution
OF Slavery.
e we acc ccomplish this purpose, we
accom- hSsserythiug; if not, we ac-
smplish nothing for tho present.
SlaYtry is not cndangcrcd-its flu.
tures is.
j assume that the future of slavory
can only be secured by the union Of
the South.
In our union is our hope; in our
sGsnnicnis our despair.
ut follows, then, necessarily. that
all our policy should tend to produce
this union, and to avoid this disunion
oftho South.
The question then comes up, how
. canthis union Of the South be brought
about 10 which I reply it can be
. brought about by the pressure of ex-
ternai danger, and in no other way.
thus all unions have been broug
about. The .achnn League, the un-
Ion ofthc Southern States Of Greece,
an lllustlious and suggestive precc.
dent, was caused by the pressure
asof the Macedonian power. The con-
iederacy Of the Swiss Cantons was
caused by the pressure FROM the
German Emperor Albert. The
sLteagnc Of hefNctherlands from the
prussure Of Philip II. Our present
contedoracy from the pressure from
without.
Examine all history, and you will
: see that all unions nave been formed
by the pressure from without, and
that this is a necessary law Of union,
5ssas evident from obvious principles.
.Ehe same cause (thc prussur,
from Without) which has caused all
unions, will cause. union Of the
sout; especially when we consider
1.-The e3Ino nentous interest the Southern
people have in the institution of
Slavery, their intelligence and spirit.
~ This pressure from the Northern
power must, if anything can, unite
ssSthe South.
One thing is certain, that South
Carolina cannot produce this South
ern union, for its indispensable pre-.
! requisite is conviction of its neces-
Y 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.
viction will be forced upon the South
uern people that they are not safe in
heBprcscnt Union that their safety
q 5requires 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; and in view of the
non existence of this moral revolution
xatSthe South, 1 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
y Southern Union would be wholly in.
efficient to work out the great ardu-
i Gus mission before it; because the
spirit sprinsing from conviction Of
asits necessity being absent, the Union
would be an inert mass without vital
y ity, unmovcd by any passions save
those of internal hatred and discord.
And the certainty that the South
yern people arc not yet qualified by
!; their Opinions, for Southern Union,
Should admonish US not to try to CO.
q cree them prematurely into such I'm
! ion.
Is ltsWonld seem, then, that our poll.
cyis towait the progress Of public
opinion at the South and profit by it.
@ But we are told we must act at
once orwo are ruined, as the North
is gaming upon us every day.
I have myself shared this. alarm,
( but / thinkitis an imaginary danger.
We have notiiing to fear from the
Nof.ll:if the South remains firm,
{ We willehe ablc to contend with the
NoFEh tWentv.fiye wears hnncp. and