The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-27

And if the conflict is to come, what can the
South gain by delay? What can the citizens OF
the cotton States gain by postponing This con,
troversy? lfycu know that you have deadly
enemy, and that he is determined TO destroy
you-that he only waits for midnight to light
the fire that will involve your family in flames
will you wait until the night comes and the
torch is applied or will you not meet him in
open contest and in open day, and settle for him
and for you, and for those dependent upon you
the great question whether you shall live or die!
The Sou;h, can gain nothing by the delay.
Hence it is, that have been for secession with
other Southern States and if they would not
secede with US, have been for secession OF
South Carolina alone. She can but be subjet
ed and enslaved we can but have those guns
now mounted at Fort Moultrie and the bayonets
OF the soldiers within its walls used against US,
We are now nothing but an outraged and de
graded colony. Worse than that-we are an in
suited and endangered colony; and if we do not
shortly Eight ourselves, in my opinion, we must
soon be a ruined colony. The fate OF Jamaica
must be ours, although our country is different
from Jamaica, where the beasts of the field and
the African, do not necessarily take possession
of the home of the once proud Anglo Saxon. !
am for meeting the difficulty now. The sooner,
in my estimation, the better for the people rep.
resent-the better for the whole South. Ii the
South cannot unite in making one common eff.
fort, let one State, if she has. the courage and
the power, do it, and for good or evil, bravely
dare the consequences. That is my counsel for
the State represent-my counsel for the South.
But we are told, that we have no right to Sc.
oede from the Union, and that the general govern
ment will bayonet and shoot us if we make the
attempt. Sir, what the government will or will
not do,is not question for freemen. With them,
mere force never yet satisfied or dcters. Has
a State right to secede from the Union! That
is the question Ii she has the right, what mat
tiers it that mere brute power stands in the way
| am not to be deferred by the accumulation OF
force recently sent to the United States forts in
Charleston bay. No, sir if needed anything
to inspire me to march on, it would be that
because it proves that this government is pre-
pared to be a despotism--a military, coerclve,
bloody despotism-such as lately subjected
Hungary to Austria. In that attitude, so far
from shrinking from the controversy, my spirit
rises higher, and am more prepared than ever
to meet the conflict, whatever it may be, and to
carry it on to the lasts
But, sir, / will now endeavor to show that the
State of South Carolina has right to secede
from this UGion if she thinks fit The right of
secession is not right derived from the Consti-
tuition of the United States. served that, in
some resolutions which were laid before us the
other day, it was spoken of as right not granted
by the Constitution. Why, sir, the right to hold
| Legislative assemblies, and of taxing our people,
and all the other powers connected with a State
government, existed before the Constitution,
and are not granted by the Constitution of the
United States. The right to secede, Ike all
these powers is a reserved right. 1t is a neces.
sary incident connected with the reserved SOW.
! ereignty of the States. One State could not
give TO another, and the Constitution could not
| give TO the States, the right to secede They
had it previously. The first question for us to
consider is, were the States sovereign? If they
were sovereign, is there anything in the Consti-
tuition Of the United States TO impair that sover-
eighty! Ii the States were sovereign-it the
Constitution is compact between them, and if
in that Constitution there is no concession, no
grant of the sovereignty Of the States-that
sovereignty still exists. Although the Const-
| tuition does not and could not contain in it a
grant of sovereignty, yet it does in several
clauses, and in one particularly, distinctly recog-
nize it. ] allude now TO that clause concerning
| treason 1t reads thus
Treason against the United States shall con-
slst only IN levying war against them, (the States)
/ or IN adEerng 10 their enemies, Nhe enemies OF
/ tue 'oba'es) giving lneUl dlu anu comfort.
! Treason is n violation Of your allegiance to
! your sovereign. Allegiance, according to the
! laws Of nations, is co-reatve to protection.
/ The sovereign protects and on that ground al
egiaHce is due, and treason is violation of that
allegiance. See the close connection between
the sovereig uty Uftle State and treason. Against
whom can treason be committed under tie
| Constitution Of the United States Against the
] 4
Union, or the people Of the Union agrregately q!
No, sir; the government is only the agent Of
the soveroignties Of the States. IL is the crea-
ture Of these sovereignties-made for certain
purposes, and endowed with certin powers to
effect them. But the SOW regnties are the
States and hence, the Constitution speaks Of
them "a the sole objects of treason Here is,
then, in this article, (although there can be no
grant Of sovereignty di-tnct recognition of
il in the Constitution. Treason against the
United States is violation Of allegiance TO the
sovereignties who established the system Of
I government; and those sOveregnties are de-
scribed in the Constitution as the States. A
person levying war against them, or giving aid
and comfort TO their enemies, is gully OF trea.
son-sho Ning distinctly that treason can be
committed against them and against them only.
But let us leave that question, and 90 high r
up in the argument pray the Senate to bear
with me, because, If my conception Of public
affairs is correct, this is no idle dissertation il
/ is no by-play here for the entertainment Of TIE
audience but il is a question upon which bay.
onets may be crossed and blood may be spilled
/ Therefore it is important for every man in the
/ present state cf things a. the South, 10 know
| where his duty lies, in order that he may dis.
charge it faithfully TO that authority which has
a right to demand its exercise.
Let us 20 back of the Constitution, where this
I question properly belongs. The Declaration Of
Independence declares the States TO be free,
sovereign, aud Independent States. | have helrd
il said that that was united declaration, and
that therefore, il only meant that the States were
sovereign aud independent unitedly. The State
represent did not wait for the Declaration Of
Independence, 70 establish her iadependent ex.
istepce. Neither did the people Of Virginia, nor
the people of New Jersey. In March, 1876, tie
people Of South Carolina set up for themselves,
government and constitution Of their own.
- ,rdDp ma hove sir iC I dipr.sg and sfat. bnt