The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1851-01-16
THE FAIRFIELD HERALD,

roS,i'oh' her courage. her unity Of sentmcn
, , nS this upon her her destiny. She cann
cVade 1t. if bho would.
Mr. Chairman.- .--Ha wing indicated scparo
T'a'o secession as our duty. 80 soon as we fir
'nc cooperation of our sister States hopeless
"h'cI iact can be asceriained if ever in twcl,
months, the question presents itsclf--bayo we
,,gh' TO secode 7 This hold 10 be susccp,
o'e oi tho clearcst proof The right TO seces
IS out an incident Of that sovereignty, wbic
inc States reserved, when they scccdcd 10 ii
present constitutional compact, and liz inscp,
'soie from the very nature of that compact il
sell IL has never until lately been dcnic,
Inc very trainers Of the constitution and i,
co'cInporancous cxpounders. admitted it ,
The fullest extent. Mr.. Madison. unourstion
ably one Of the ablesi oG them all. said in dc
oa'c M convention, IF VIC consider the FcGc
| rni union M analogous, not TO social compuct
among individual men. but To the convention
among individual States, what is the doctrin
resulting from these conventions Clearly
according TO the Cxposiiors Of tho law of mn
| 'ions, that breach Of any one article by an,
one party leaves all tho other parties al lbrrt
to consider the whole convention as dissolved
Gould any opinion be more full and satislac
"ry Bui, SIR. VIC are not left TO rroupe ou
way IN the dark--to rely upon tho opinions o
iall'b'c men. bc they ever TO uble upon q sub
=
state OF Virginia, jealous Of her rights, n
would she were so now) when called upon /,
raiiiy tho Federal constitution, declared in
substance. that the powers delegated 10 tho
Federal Government "may be resumed by
them, (thc pcoplc,) whcnsocvcr the same sim
DC perverted To their injury or oppression u
New York adopted at the samo time, similar il
not stronger Language. This reservation OF
virginia and New York must, Of course, inure
nT all
compact, or that political equality, which con.
'utntcs tho very basis Of tho whole povcrn.
mental fabric falls at once to the ground But
more thun this, almost every State, if [ mis-
lake not, embraced in s"|l of rights"a dc.
ciaration that submission TO arbitury nuwor.
was st1rish in the highest degree. &c. Such.
at least, wns the declaration of North Carroll.
ma, when the spirit Of old Mccklcnburp was
rife in the land
Before l dismiss this branch Of the subject,
desire TO bring To the notice of the Commit
tee practical example Of secession under our
own government. 1t occurred under the old
artIcles'of Confederation, aud Virgr as usual
IN those days was the chief actor in the scene,
l substitute the language Of another as he
describes the whole modus operandi and result
far better than could.
"Whcn the Articles Of Confederation were
adopted, they received successfully tho assent
OF every State, aud bound no State until its as.
sent was given. BY these articles Union was
iormcd, and one of them, the thirteenth provi.
dcd that they should not be changed without
inc assent Of every State comprising the Con.
icdcratiOn. And the same article declared
mat The Union shall be pcrpciual.' Yet the
Government OF the Confederation, like that of
inc existing Union, was found unsa tisfaciory in
practice. And after propositions had been
made by Congress 10 The States. and by some
o' them 10 Congress. without effect Virginia
took tho lead and appointed Commissioners TO
meet similar delegates from such other States
as wcro willing 10 confer together to change
that system.
Five States only, at first took part in this
movement viz: Now York. New Jersey, Penn.
sylvania, Delaware and Virginia and their
commissioners met at Annapolis in Sepicm
Der, 1855. New Hampshire, Alassa chusc,ts.
6 Rh6ES1 .,s,i!and and North Carolina also appoin
ied cn,,,''s;1 none oft!icm attended.
lilo A'oners. Am'.. eurAiion rcnoList,, ,i,,,usrs,'
-, s,H,",P Po,s 2Sonvc' ], which Vas fieiu II
!, rh'iadelph'a. where delegates from twelve of
lhc states attended. They adopted plan Of
constitution, which was signed by thirty. nine
members out Of sixty!fyc who attended. Hall
ot The Massaclusctts delegation. a majority
Di The Ncw York, Virginia aud Gcorpi, dele. |
gations refused TO sign II. Such WAS the want |
'i nnah'niity then. Not ono Of the dc.csa. |
lions which assembled at this Convention was
authorized TO form new Constitution, or TO
sccede from the then Union of The States. |
fct 'hcy did both. Such men as Gen. Wash |
'ngton. jus. Madison, Ben, Franklin. Alcxan. |
Ger Hamilton, John Rutlcdye and tho Pipck.
icys. resolved TO do both Tho articles or
Confederation stipulated for a perp tut union. |
and required any amendment Of these articles
o be ratified by every State. And the articles
II tho Confederation were ratified withou,
publication. by oil the States. There was no
escrvation Of right of secession. Bat Gen.
'ral Washington aud his associates, wiil;out
wen authority from their States. and in dc.
lancc ol tho express lcrma Of the Constitution
'ndcr which they lived, deliberately proceeded
make new Constitusion and TO proclaim
cccssion and disunion from sucl, States M
ronid not agree 10 il. For il was made an
rtIclc ~ in the new Constitution, that tho
atihcation Of nine States should be sufficient
or It's establishment bctw, en- the States go
atiying II. and therefore for their secession
nd separation from the rest, if The latter ptc.
erred the Union already existing. Now il the
Ight OF secession be denied. tho trainers Of the
resent Constitution were all traitors-troitors
ot TO The British Government, but to their own
Etie{e sitf sf41!kn act Of secession from an
z. 4pSbe perpetual, resulting, how.
S ~ Ol llls more 'pcttGct
nicps Which has proven, eucli q wiihcring
nd uninitigaicd curse, upon the whole Sonth,
virginia and other States had right 10 SO.
cde from tho ono for small cause, how much
lorc right have VIC TO scccdc from tke Other.
chen Hs ,oholc pO,oers hare been perverted 10
"r r"iyury and oppression" ,,Ifwo,eannot, I
'ould ask what havc we gastlesi ~ ne blood
nd suffering 0f tho Rcyoiist.ass K &i S,lsiao.
'erally nothing. Wo haYg 80,
'rannyo Of onc, for Tho dcs ,ss q III
rccssion DO revolution, as 3s,h. s.st Is,.,,n
om Grccnvillc cont ends, Sll4a e EiItnc to
nact tho bloody sccnos of iS,siaw, York.
'wn and Trenton over again. If VIC have in
nc last resort no peaceabis remedy for the re.
ress OF our grievances. tncn have NC lost by
hange OF n,astcrs. and for one stand prc!
arcd to endorse the declaration Of the Hon,
(Mr. Memn,ingcr,) rather than
ontinuc under such government, 80 unlim,.
in lis character, so unappea scable in its an.
elites, SO full Of it's outrasts and wrongs. [
'ouid most chccrfully return under the power
tho British crown. But. sir, VIC have no
ccasion TO do eilher,--a manly discharge Of
uty ut this time, will save us from submitting
} tho ono or fleeing 10 the other.
but, sir, what will be the consequences of
'cesslon by single Statc2 Ihavo already
my conviction, that IT will at once
I'D to an union Of The South. and the forma.
on of Southern Confcderacy. IL, however,
J this reasonable hope we are doomed 10 dis.
ppointment, can we sustain our cause, SINGLE
anded and alone, against tho whole powcr of