The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1851-06-21

a demand 81. tlseir ~ nhts, embracing but.
The sqnality aud jdAsioe gsiiatsutied by the
Cs1stitut;0n ,naad dss with ifff1ness and mode.
ration, 6y Ill the Southern States united a.
Ole man. must have exertsd the bappiestin-
fltsence. any humble judrmentits effects
would, ere now, bare been seen in it's fruits
Of justice ID the Government, and peaca and
harmony among the States and the people;
But this could not be acconplished; and The,
wrong having been done, each State must
judge foritsslf without consultation with the
rest in the matter. Georgia, in advance of
her sisters, has metin hersoyereign capaci
ty, and her people have determined, to pre-
ter,nit tile outrage committed on her rights,
by the admission Of California into the I'm
ion as State with her highly Objectionable
Constitution. This they have done, not
from any affection they have for the meas
ure or the policy which dictated it, but from
their extraordinary forbearance, and encour-
aged to hope, too, by the agreeable procla-
nation Of some of their sentinels on duty,
that "all's WELL" Their decision ought not
to be disturbed, however much it may con-
t1ict with individual opinions. In Govern.
ment of law and order, such decisions must
be considered autlorative. They are the
will of the people. If the people have au-
thority to say, that they will resist, and to
determine tile extent of that resistance, they
hayethe like authority to say that they will
not resist. This principle hold to be incon-
troyertible, and necessary to the safety and
happiness of mankind. ,S@qi5
The right of State, in virtue of its inde-
pendence and sovereignty, to secede from
the Union, whenever the people thereof in
their sovereign capacity, shall determine such
step TO be necessary to effect their safety
and happiness, flows necessarily from the ma
ture of our Governmental organization
The Government of the Union was formed
for the purpose of protecting the States,
people from foreign aggression and fofSSpf.
noting justice and peace among tie StateS
themselves 10: the. Same: extent. and in as
ample q manners as each State might have;
secured these objects for itself and its peo-5
pie, by treaty or otherwise had It retained
its sovereignty. It is Government for pro-
tection, not for offence. Each State came
voluntarily into the Union for these objects;
and if the Government fails to give this pro-
lection and security, it follows, that the
State has the right to take care of ITSELF
This is no new principle. Three of the States,
New York, Virginia, and Rhode Island, on
coming into the Union, declared that the
powers of the Government may be re-as
sutned by tho people, whenever it shall be-
come necessary to their happiness. It thus
became condition of their adoption of the
Federal constitution. The people of Massa-
c!:usetts in their bill of rights, (embodied in
their constitution,) declare that the people
alone have an incontestable, unalienable and
indefeasible right to institute Government
and to reform, alter, and totally change the
same, when their protection, safety, prosper
lty and happiness require it. The State of
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connec-
ticut. Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio. Indiana. M,ssis-
sippi. Alabama and some others have adopt
ed the same principles in substance. The
States of New Hampshire, Maryland and
Tennessee, have each declared in its consti-
tuition, that "the doctrine of non-rcsistance
against arbitrary power, is absurd, slavish,
and destructive of the good and happiness
of mankind" Upon the principle of the
right of resistance and the right Of secession
from the Union, the people of Georgia,
through their delegates, recently met in con-
vention, have declared that the State in their
Judgment, will and ought to resist, even to
disruption Of every tie which binds her to
the Union, any such action of Congress Ms
is mentioned in the resolution, containing
the declaration. But inasmuch, as the peo.
pie of Georgia have determined, solemnly.
in Convention, that from none of the past
wrongs of the General Government, howey.
or aggravated they may be, will the State |
exercise this unquestionable right, it is suffi-
clentto consider it rs set down BY our peo. |
pie, as political axiom, to be acted on.
whenever in their judgment, the evils of the |
Union, more than counterbalance its bene- |
6ta.
The constitution is the compact of Union
and our safety depcndsqn astricS Construct
ION OF it. 1t is to our country, what the
bible Is to the christian, and q departure
from it will be fatal to our political security.
But we cannot be blind to the fact that for
some time past little respect has been paid
70 II. and that the tendency Of the Govern
ment is TO consolidation, We must return
% its principles as expegnded by the apos-
les frepublicanism Id .gs and 90 or our mo-
Die fabsicswill al 20 pieces. Let US do ali
We can, as sStatsto preserve it. Let us in.
'lst on the full measure of justice to ourselves
or q people snto I'D not value tlIcir own
rights need not hspas sthat they win be -.
'pected by Others. ra must use the mean.
n our power, and Day are abundsnt to en-.
3ghten the public mihd, bring education to
2 ne doos q Svety man. trusting 70 the min