The southern press., 1851-08-06
gt~m ~ N1snsssrs Rsstsasv.
,sttsr ftsn usn. J. 4. woodward.

LetteF ftsn Hen. J. 4. Wssdvard.
I GssrtEMEw: In eeps,sction with other gen.
tlsnen, wss imsited 10 attend celebralion on
the 9TH inst. II Trapps Etors.--The expressed
Objeet OF ohe invitation was to obtain m expyes.
sion Of our views o. the political qnsstions ol
the day. Physical indispositon rendered It In.
advisable that should attend and make IN I'd.
dress, and supposlng it would be equally satis.
factory, If not more 90, to make known INV
views through the press, engaged to adopt thai
method.
cannot suppose that there was any desire to
obtain from me an expression Of my views on
any question, the discussion of which preceded
the late act Of the Legislature, calling a conven.
ton Of the people Of the State. On all such
questions, and whatever was incident to them
have 10 frequently, so fully so specifically, in
80 many forms, and at 80 many places ex-
pressed myself, that no one desiring to know
could fail TO be informed how | stood. am
obliged, therefore, to infer that the call made upon
me had reference to issues that have arisen since
the action of the legislature. What these issues
are, presume fully understand.
II appears to me to be the policy of POI ton
of those opposed to the call Of a convention. to
prevent its assembling, and for this purpose,
they are in favor of the legislature, at its next
meeting, declining to pass a law indicating a
time for the convention to meet.
| l am, for various reasons, altogether opposed
to such a course. 1t would be in derogation OF
the rights of the convention. The convention,
though not in form organized, is yet in substance
an existing body. To perfect 1t, nothing remains
to be done but what il TO be done by the delegates
elect themselves. The time of its meeting con.
stitutes no part ofits form or substance, but is a
matter wholly external to it and accidental
| Aot IN, Nokko <k<l La "a
session will bear ministerial relation to itself
in its late session; because the rights of body
Of delegates superior in nature and dignity to
the legislature, are involved. The legislature,
therefore, is bound as perfectly as, in the nature
of things, it is possible to place legislature
under legal obligation, to fix a time for the con-
vention to meet.
| The rights and authority of the people are
involved in this question. 1t must be assumed
| to be the will of the people that their delegates
should meet This will has been expressed
since the elections by Which it was their will to
bring the present Legislature into existence.
Shall the previous will of the people, qualified
by the forms of the constitution and the struc-
ture of the government, be made paramount to
their subsequent will, unqualified by any forms.
| say unqualified, for convention is the people
| 1t is not stating the proposition strongly
enough, to say that the legislature cannot, in
good faith, refuse to fix time for the conven-
ton to meet. 1t has no right to do so. True,
there is no legal process by which it can be COM
PEELED to do its duty in this particular but neither
1 is there any such process by which it can be
compelled to discharge any other duty. The
constitution of a State, though the supreme lao,
can yet impose no other necessity on the legis-
ature than that of perfect moral obligation
/ md fnr <bo of ~ T
fain hope that no higher necessity might ever be
needed.
Entertaining this sentiment l shall not deem
it worth while to argue what incline to believe
| is quite true--that the legislature beng in d.
fault the delegates elect would have the right to
meet and organize; and, having done 30, would
constitute legitimate convention of the people
Of South Carolina 1t is conceded that this
would not be true of the bodies subject D
higher jurisdictions, and possessing only deriva-
tive authority; but it does not, therefore, follow
that it would be false, in reference to conven
ton whose authority is supreme over all Others
and, except in very large sense, underived for
convention is the people.
| | take it for granted, then, that when the mat
ter shall be duly considered, there will be -four
no respectable body Of people, and no body of
respectable people, willing to oppose the meet
ing of the convention.
But, supposing it to have met, the question of
absorbing interest is, what shall the convention
do In case no other State be ready to cooper
ate, shall it ordain secession or decline to do So
and only take such measures as may be deemed
expedient, in order to procure cooperation.
| In relation to this matter my first observation
is, that it seems inappropriate, under existing
circumstances, to call for the formal and public
announcement of the opinions and views of in
dividuals The question has been committed to
convention-that body has already been
chosen, and when it meets, it will possess abso.
Lutte authority to decide. What matters it what
my individual opinions arel Now, the question
what my position is is quite different thing
Every man, both public and private, should hold
a position and let it be known. | do occupy
position, and it is this, that every citizen of the
State should abide the decision of the convention
To demand of me the publication of my in
dividual sentiments as what the convention
should do, and yet deny to me the right to send
with them all the reasons upon which they
might be founded, would be an outrage All
will say so. But should state these reasons
they might, in their effect, be incompatible with
my position, and be calculated to drive hundreds
of very good men, of partially enlightened con-
sciences, from the position which have said
every good citizen should occupy, namely: i'm
plicit obedience to the supreme authority of the
State. God forbid that should say anything
that would strengthen the hands of those, i'll
there be any, who propose treason against the
State. But fur ther, should state all the reasons
for opinions may entertain, might give very
useful information to Northern politicians, and |
greatly emba, lass friends in other States.
might betray the sacred confidence of friends,
and thereby convert them into enemies-put
them under necessity Of denying the truth
of my statement, in order to extricate them
selves from the embarrassment in which
had involved them-I might excite them t.
peculiar zeal in their animosity, with the view
Of asauring the world that | had, in truth.
misrepresented them. Go read the proverbs of
Solomon, and learn the amount of mischief that
a FOOLS babbling ia capable Of doing.
shall never forget remark of the lamented |
McDufie, on my first acquaintance with him.
] asked him why Northern politicians always
managed to carry their point? He replied It
ia because they have system of policy and plan |