The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-07-24
SOUTH CAROLINA.

Early In the morning, crowds OF human beings
rolled through our streets like the pillows of the
ocean, The Farewell Address Of Washington
was read, as was also patriotic ode, after which
Gen. Waddy Thompson addressed the vast null
titude. An address and resolutions were report
ed by committee, and adopted Secession is Op-
posed for the following reasons:
"But neither the going off of the South, nor the
coming to of the North will stay the uplifted hand
of secession in South Carolina! A State Conven-
ton has been called and members elected at
most unreasonable time, in order 20 prevent dis
cussiou and division before the people A MAORI
ty of the members, elected by less than one fourth
of the voters Of South Carolina, are pledged to
r sv.rr.,..o l. o., secession 10 is believed however,
that majority of the people Of this State OPP
posed to separate secession, and majority of her
leSiiSk rA>s oo,e 40 expressed thrmGsSSSs. HhsTe'
is danger then of South Carolina going cut of
the UniOn at the bidding of one fourth Of her
population, and against the advice and counsel of
her Cheves and Barnwell, aud her Butler and all
his former associates amongst the Judiciary Of the
State.
alt behooves the people, then, to look TO this
matter and see if there be no means of defeating
it and saving the State That secession will in
volve South Carolina in bloody civil wars and ru-
inous taxation weaken and ultimately destroy the
institution of slavery, and end in the degradation
of the State, your committee have not the
slightest shadow of doubt. That it is any RENE
dy at all for the evils of which the secessionists
complain is, to the minds of your committee, pre-
posterous and absurd. Ii will not restore Cali
fornia, or open any wider the admission Of slavery
into Utah and New Mexico. IL cannot increase
the area of slavery, prevent legislation on the
part Of Congress in relation to slavery.
But secession will, If successful, most effectu-
ally circumscribe the Of slavery, and utterly
ruin it in South Carolina. AS soon as the State
goes out Of the Union, every slave in it, and all
their defendants in all time to come will be fix
lures to our soil II one should chance to be car
ried over the Savannah river, his owner will for
felt under the laws Of the United States, ten
thousand dollars and incur seven years imprison-
ment, and stand committed till the fine is paid
White persons may leave the State but slaves
cannot. Their labor may be valueless, but here
they must remain. In the conrse Of time their
owners will run off and leave them, and South
Carolina may become black SAFE second San
Domingo, by the wisdom Of secession
"Onoe out of the Union seeing the fate that
awaits her, south Carolina may attempt to avoid
it by going back into the Union. But here she
may be met by majority in Congress, who
will apply to her Cons tuition the Wlmot Proviso,
as a condition precedent to her resntering the
Confederacy of States! Her doom will then be
|
Secession will deprive US Of the constitutional
guarantee which we now have on the Northern
people to surrender our fugitive slaves We shall
then see Georgia and Alabama sending after and
bringing back their fugitive slaves, but South
Carolina cannot pursue hers or attempt to bring
them back.
aft is we'll known that the police regulations
in Charleston in relation to colored seamen, would
not be tolerated by Great Britain, but for the
| ~ NJ tha
Were South Carolina an independent nation, she
would be compelled to repeal them. Indeed we
should be the prey of the abolitonsts in all quar-
tiers of the world, and in no kingdom or nation on
earth is that class more powerful than In Great
Britain. Her Britannia Majesty's present consul
in Charleston was sent, we have understood,
to effect repeal Of these police regulations in
laion to the imprisonment of colorei seamen.
"By secession we give up all interest South
Carolina has in the territories, in the public
lands in the gold mines of California, In the
property belonging TO the United States, and in
the army and navy. We will be left without
vessel to protect our commerce, or sail to defend
our flag on the high seas. We shall have neither
navy nor an army, nor the means of raising and
maintaining either the one or the other. The
whole property Of the State, lands and negroes
goods and chattels, moneys and credits would
not support an army and navy capable Of defend
ing our nationality FIVE yearsl Our weakness
and insignifcance in the eyes Of the world would
almost deprive us Of admission into the family OF
Independent nations. IL admitted, the republic
or kingdom, or oligarchy of South Carolina, could
hardly maintain her foreign missions at the diff
ferent courts Of Europe.
| "Hundred and thousands Of her citizens would
leave the State to avoid the burdens Of taxation,
and that general blight and gloom which would
pervade the land No one, however, could move
out Of South Carolina without being an alien for
i've years He would lose the right Of citizen
ship, the right Of voting, holding Ia nds, serving
| on uries and holding commissions under the
United States or State in which he might settle
| Living in South Carolina we shall neither be able
to inherit the lands OF our parents, children, or
kindred in the other States nor will they be able
to inherit ours
"This is not all, nor the tenth Of the evils and
misortunes to which secession will bring this
proud and gallant State of the Confederacy, Her
commerce will forsake her--Charleston will no
longer be the emporium Of the South. She can
only import for her own merchants, and sell TO
her own citizens Not a bale Of her goods can
get beyond her limits, in consequence Of the
duties which they would have to pay. We should
no longer see the merchants OF Georgia, and Ala
bama, Tennessee and North Carolina, and Mis-
sissippi, coming 10 trade with Charleston. The
cities of Augusta and Savannah on the one side,
and Wilmington on the other would literally strip
her of her commerce, and make her pauper
State compared 10 what she Is now. The idea Of
giving her prosperity by levyiDg ten per cent on
Goods now free of duties and made in the North
ern States, for the purpose Of having them Snug
gled over the Savannah river, could have origi-
mated with none but secessionist
"The moment South Carolina secedes from the
Union. her railroads will be valueless, and her
hanks destroyed Her manufactures and public
improvements will sink into utter insignifcance
Not bunch Of yarn can get over the mountains
of North Carolina, without paying heavy duties
Every load Of apples or Irish potatoes which we
receive In return must be stopped at the custom
house and pay duties The value Of our lands
will be destroyed, and our capital and enterprise
driven from the State.
1But il isn vain tosuppose that South Carolina
will thus be permitted peaceably TO secede from
the Union. In the language Of Mr., Burt, as true
| and az gallant son as South Carolina possesses,
{ we need expect no such event. The President
IL sxorn 10 enforce the laws, and for this purpose
he Ia put In command Of the army and navy OF
the United States The collection Of the customs
an hoard vessel, In the harbor Of Charleston,
might nj once check mate secession and prevent
resort 10 force But II IL did not, who can enter
tain doubt as 10 the result Of a contest between
South Carolina, without On army or navy, and
the United States with both, equal 10 any In the
world for skill and science. fearful response
bility rests on him who urges the State into 80
unequal conflict"
The resolutions appended TO the report recon-
mend those opposed to secession to hold State