The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1851-08-29
EXTRACT FROM THE SPEECH OF
Eon. F. W. PICKENS,
Mt Carmel.

;. EXTRACT FROM TIE SPEECH OF
Hon. F. W. PICKENs,
DELIvEREs AT EDoEFrELD c. H. July Z, 1851.
In the first Nashville convention took tn 3
ground that decided and concerted action of
the southern states would preserve our rights
and the union too. The states, if they had
then united firmly and temporarily, could
have made an authoritative declaration of
their rights under the Constitution, and it
would have been equivalent to bill of rights
in all time to come. If Virginia had taken
the lead in this matter, our rights would
have been preserved, and the Union too. I
said then, that without this the states would
be driven to separate action, and this would
bring on CONFUSION and in all human pro-
liability dsunion. saw it then, and 1 see
it now. Virginia and Georgia permitted the
occasion to pass, by which they might have
saved the constitution and avoided a convul-
sion. Those two states acting together then
could have controlled the south aud dictated
terms. They have passed it by and now we
must make our own liberties. We were the
first state to put forth written constitution,
and form government independent of Great
Britain, even before the joint declaration of
independence, and we also as a state, won
glorious victory before that declaration, and
if we are true to ourselves, we can stand
alone again. l do not stop to ask the ques-
ton, whether we will have the rendition
of fugitive slaves secured perfectly, or whe-
ther it will affect the value Of that species -ot
property and its profits, if we move alone.
scorn and despise this small view Of great
question. It is a question of chartered rights,
Of constitutional liberty, and rises far above
these small views.
If they have right to say that you shall
not 60 beyond certain line with your slaves
they have right to say, you shall not 60
with any other species of property. Ifthey
had declared in SO many words that the peo-
pie of Mississippi, Of Alabama, of Georgia
and of South sOarolina, shall not go above a
certain line into any of the public territories
of the union, they had named these states,
the result and degradation would have been
so palpable, that an army of southern SOL
diers would have taken the field at once to
avenge the wrong and yet they have done
precisely the same thing in effect. If they
have right to exclude } GU with your slaves
they have the right to exclude you rs citi-
zens of the states named. AS far as consti-
tutional power is concerned in government,
the ingenuity of man cannot show why they
should have the power in one instance and
not in the other. IS.
fthey can put the citizens holding slaves
in certain States under the ban of the Con-
federacy, they can put the states themselves
by name and the citizens as citizens. The
Constitution declares that "the citizens of
each State shall be entitled to all privileges
and immunities of Citizens Of the several
States" And yet the Government openly
asserts that the citizens Of nearly half the
states Of this .tinion hall not be allowed to
20 above certain line with the privileges oi
'afheir properly, but shall dispossess them
"a Of the most valuable part OF that
81 Ey before they can claim equality, in
- with the citizens d, Ohio or Mas:
tA They make compromise line
y0 1Aen It suite them to seize hall
- s / Louisiana and then, instead
ss that line in good faith, as it
Is spitit and substance to the
4 at them, to seize territory
= S9s aghout reniorse and
issas4;ssi Where !.
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