Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-05-31
Address

From tie Delegates Of the Southern Rights -ASSo-
ciations of South Carolina, 0SsembLedin Charles
ton, to the Southern Rights associations Of tie
other Southern States.
Having met to take counsel together, and hay
ing agreed upon that course which think it
right and necessary to pursue, we wish to lay be-
fore YOU the considerations by which we have been
governed with that frankness which our respect
for you, and our desire to merit your good opin-
ion, require.
We regard the position of the Southern States
in this Confederacy as degraded and ruinous.--
The manifest tendency of those systematic aggreS-
sions which they have suffered for many years
past, is to subyert the institution of slavery. If
those acts of hostile domination, which have been
rendered more insultngly by mockery of language
under the term of Compromise, were final in
their nature, and were not to be followed by any
further aggressions, should still regard them as
outrages to which sovereign States possessing the
spirit of freedom, ought never to submit. But
those measures on form part of a system, grad
ually commenced, steadily carried forward, gath
ering strength from development, and proceeding
with fatal momentum to its end. That end is the
abolition of negro slavery in the southern States
and the lowering of the free white population of
the South to the same level with that aggrarian
rabble, which already strong and dangerous, seems
destined before very long, to be the controlling
power in the northern States. We see no remedy
and no safety for the South in the present Union.
But we know that in this we differ from very many
citizens of the other southern States, spirited and
Intelligent, having the interest, and suffering
under the same wrongs with ourselves and who
cherish the hope that the rights of the South NAV
be indicated and secured without dissolving the
Confederacy. In this difference, it does not be-
come us to assume to dictate, and we hope to stand
free from that charge. Up to this time, the citi-
zens OF South Carolina, aware that popularity of
political position, arising from past events render
ed certain reserve on their part prudent and
proper, have studiously avoided every thing which
might look like assuming the lead in the defence
OF Southern Rights. They desired to act, because
they believe that safety and honor required action:
but they hoped that they might find leaders in
other States, whom they might follow in defence of
the common cause. When the ancient Common
wealth OF Virginia the proper leader of the south,
declared her determination to resist all hazards
and to the last extremity, hostile measures then
threatened, South Carolina, with all alacrity.
stood ready to support Virginia in carrying out
her high resolution. When Georgia,-whose for
mer resistance to Federal usurpation, under her
herolc statesman, Troup, gave promise of unflinch
ing hrmness IN any contest in which she might en-
gage-proclaimed her determination to make a
stand tor the rights of the south, South Carolina
reJoiced at the prospect of ralyng under the BAN
ner OF Georgia. And when her Young and paI-
liant sister, Mississippi proposed the wise measures
OF southern Convention, for the purpose of en-
deavorng to unite the southern States in maintain
ing their constitutional rights, and at the same
time preserving, if possible, the existing Union,
South Carolina heartily entered into this measure
and she has carried out the recommendation of
the convention, SO assembled at the instance of
Mississippi, by providing for the election of dele
gates TO southern Congress, to whose meeting
she still looks with anxious interest.
In all these proceedings, we think that the cit-
zens OF South Carolina have evinced all proper
anxiety to avoid the appearance of arrogance or
dlctatlon to act in concert with the citizens of the
other southern States, and to do nothing separate-
ly or preclptately. And now, strongly as we have
expressed our belief that there is no hone for the
South IN the existing Union, we are prepared to
give trial. fairly and in good faith, to any efec-
1ual plan which may be proposed by any sister
state OF the south, for obtaining redress for the
past and security for the future without dissoIu
ton of the existing Union if there be possibility
OF such contamination.
Dat we ind ourselves forced to consider the ul
terror question what we are to do, if we find that
mere is no reasonable hope of the cooperation Of
any other southern State in any effectual plan of
renei and the alternative presented to us of sub
mission, or acting by ourselves And, reluctant
as we are to separate ourselves from our natural
trends and allies, we have made up our minds =
we cannot submit. We know that Seutb Carol;n.
entered this Confederacy as SOVEREIGN and ;nde-