The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-09-30

solutions, venerable alike for his aye. v;r.
tues. aud services. This it y as tI,as show
ell the cnl,sumniate art of the tacticinn
Einis coronat opus. WHO in thai laruo
assembly was unnioved ut spectacle ike
this! Bnt enough. It were necessary .
Mr.. Editor, that you and your readers
should no present, and witness tho scena
here exhibited. to enable You TO form an nd.
c4natc conception of its dramatic power.
wa" tncre fearless eye in that whole
house ! confess mine was not.
cannot, IN the compass Of single let.
ter. 10 anything like justice to Col Pres.
ION admirable defence. Never, sir, did
Tue native dignity, worth, and purity Of his
character shine forth more conspicuousIy
tifan on this occasion. His vin,lication was
colhpicte-it was unanswered and unan.
swcrable. He showed by "appeals to the
record, to tho proceedings OF our Lepisla.
ture, since his entrance on the political,
stage, and mass of facts aud con,emora.
neous exposition by newspapers, &c, &c,
that ;ac:c is NO inconsistency between his
position rs set forth in his speeches in the
Legislature, or his pledge TO tho Assoc,a.
'ion, and Ills Pendlctor, Barnwell, York.
vile, or any other letters. Ie showed that
Secession did not enter into the discussions
IN the Legislature, otherwise than as a con.
tingcncy in the failure to obtain concert of
action will, one or more OF the appricyctl
States; that, whilst all may have regarded
It as possible, yc, few, perhaps, thought it
would occur, except in the ''last resort" Of
Slate TO vintlicatc her sovereignty, and
thus relieve herself from oppression. He
showed t.Iat the Convention was left un.
traInmcllcd-frec 10 act in it's sovereign
wisdom and discretion, according to the cir.
cumstanccs existing, or the events occur.
ring at the time of its assembling, or during
the period Of its continuance. He showed
that when this body acted, it was the sa.
cred duty OF every citizen to obey its bellest,
but that until this mandate did issue from a
BODY thus free to act according to its sover-
ciHn will and p'oaourc, no citiZon wns plctip-
Cd, either by allegiance or otherwise, 10 any
specific measure, whether dictated by or
gan'Zcd or unorganizcd associations of indi.
vlduals. Until that period arrvcs-until
the Convention acts, every citizen was free
10 Judge OF the 'modc and measures Of re-
dress" always keeping steadily in view,
Resistance by Cooperation If il can he OBJ
tanned, or separate State action il it cannot,
"as the ono thing nccdful." True TO hi.
pledges, Col. Preston now stands where
he has ever stood-pledgcd to exhaus, all
honorable means 10 obtain Cooperation:
but, failing in that, pledged To stand by his
State W any measure which the people, in
their character rs sovereigns, acting
through their Convention. may Decree
Now, ask you, slr. Editor, and nsk eve.
ry Patriot within her borders, what greater
pledge than this can be expected or re.
quired
But you will have seen the proceedings
OF this extraordinary meeting, and can draw
your own infcrcnccs-can make your own
comments. There are other things con.
Hc"'"d with j. "hich wru',l r',,!v I'd
vert 70. ;'u' 'Gn" and .,.t.n w..iiU ....! nc.
';l.HC. ;, l. aa! 'hc ,t'rI q nru:ry.p,iD
l'as zone forth, The great C:mr:I hssDc;;
E;aH n.rc dcCrecd Il: rwc a tie mos, ,icvo
'"d "i.d us'!ni citizens 80 Ea.niln. have
'''.'h prescribed an. rcrujlaGI ~ au :rrr.
-" "'"!' ;"'.if and irr w.isl F,r darn,c,
:" ''n'IF->S. s. -. .-'-..- 3. - .n,.
- "."rN. ~. T.. u."%aIrc oi irrcmen--ior
!aIp. t,.'s ,rid jr ;. - ntirpcn,lcnt
':'.l'1 1u ,."r 'r,i. ;...u solemn sanction
of conscience and all the responsibilities
they owe to Con and their country.
You may hear from INC again.
EIvpEx.