The southern press., 1851-05-28
Sol HERN PRESS.
WASHINGTOE CITY.
MONDAY. MAY 90. 1851.
The CeorgIa Platform.

The Georgia Platform.
Almost the entire body OF Southern peopi
who resolved to submit to the late compounds
adopted or endorsed the position assumed by tn,
Georgia convention. They determined, with I
discrimination somewhat amusing and selfcon
demning, that, although, they could gracefully
submit TO the compromise measures, they woult
not submit TO further aggressions. An uncon
dtional submission to the compromise seemed
TO be so much like unconditional submission t.
federal power, that the convention almost invol
unfairly and unavoidably fell into the necessit,
of defining the limits of its submission. 1ha
conclusion is 80 important in itself, and in thu
principles ard consequences it indicates, that j
deserves very serious consideration.
One Of the resolutions of the convention is
that the State of Georgia will resist, even to 3
disruption of the ties that bind her TO the Union
repeal OF the Fugitive slave law, or tie refusa
to admit new States, whose constitutions do MOI
prohibit slavery, or the passage Of laws, con
cernirg slavery in The District Of Columbia, ad
verse to the Ieace, honor or safety of the South
or the prohibition of the Interstate slave trnd,
&C. Here are four or five conditions which
Georgia prescribes rs indispensable to her con
tinuance in the Union.
The Georgia Union convention then distinct
ly asserts the right of secession. For, if either
Of these further aggressons Is committed, she
repudates the Unions thing which she can do
only by secession. Now, il cannot be pretended
for moment that the able and respectable
members of that body, in case the contingency
occurs on which they renounce the Union and
they act according to their declaration, believe
they will thereby become population of trail
tors, of rebels, of criminals: that they will be
legally hunted and hanged as outlaws No, they
believe on the contrary that they have the right
to secede, and would in that case be doing right
to spcede, and that any body who opposed them
In doing right would be dong wrong.
Georgia, having then with the appreciation of
the most Union-loving PEOPLE of the South as
serted her right, the right of single State to
secede, and to determine for herself the contin
gency on which she will secede, has asserted the
right Of South Carolina, or of any other State.
to secede, and to determine the circumstances on
which for herself she will exercise this right
II, therefore, the case of South Carolina seces-
sion comes before the next Congress, Georgi'
stands already pledged to oppose federal coer-
cion-not because she may think South Caro-
lima has adequate. cause of secession: but be
cause Georgia, by asserting for herself the right
OF deciding this question for herself, has the eby
asserted the right of all the other States to do
the same thing. Georgia stands committed still
further than this. She must not only oppose
anv proposition to employ federal force in the
coercion of South Carolina, she cannot permit
her own money, much less her own men to be
80 engaged. Nay, she cannot tolerate he EN-.
ploymeut of the men or money Of any State TO
make forcibe attempt to crush right which
she ssssrts for herself For an attempt by fed.
eraI force TO eoerce South Carolina, since it
proceeds only on the assumption that a State no.
no right to secede, would be an attack on the
Georgia platform itself, which asserts the right
Let us recollect that the Georgia convention
was no irregular or unauthorized body of mem
butts State convention, called BY Law, TO decide
these very questions, and elected after long and
earnest discussion. The principles set forth IL
the resolutions Of that body have the same dig.
nifty, l6soe and sanctity, as bill Of rights in
State constitution. The occasion was a great
and solemn one, and the declarations then mad
were put forth with the most solemn assurances
that they would be maintained to The very letter
Hence, in the next Congress, not only Georgia
but all the South which adopted, endorsed and
eItolled her proceedings, must, IL there is an,
such thing as a fragment Of faith and honor re-
manning, repudiaie and resist the application OF
force employed in crushing the right Of secession
Even the last Virginia resolutions, in which bot
parties concurred 80 unanimously and mysteri
ou-ly, assert by inevitable inference the sam,
doctrine. They declare that they differ abou
the justice. erpediency. and constitutionslity o.
the compromise measure, but do not think the,
justify The adoption Of any measure. iendingt
a dissolution Of the Union. We must infer then
that measures might be adopt that would 10.
tfy disun on. a. d in that event, the members OF
the gslaiure woulo be In favor oft. Ofcour.,
they did not imagine that In sucha contingenc,
they would have been immediately converted
into body Of traitors, perjurers and felons OF
the darkest dye
The only possible e1pedient Of escape from
the argument that even the Virginia resolutions
assert, by inference the right Of secession, (and
Il Is ofen stronger mode Of asserting princi.
pie, than by direct terns) is that they near
what 10 called "the right OF revolution" But
we have already unanswerubly exposed the fal.
lacy and solecism Of this phrase. The truth L.
the right. cfrevoution" means, when reduced t.
it, plainest terms, the right Of being hanged, &
you are caught In the at Of resisting sggres.
sion.
rs nnr.,;,,,tfonai convnntior h.. boo,