Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-05-17


Vedsy before our readers such accounts as the
Charleston papers have placed within our reach o.
s<hk mA action of the State Rights Convention
i which assembled in that city on Monday last.
This Convention, as our readers are aware, was
clothed with no more authority, and could exercise
no more political power, than any other assembly Of
an equal number of citizens in courtyard or at
underground in any part of the United States, to
discuss public questions which, in the course OF
the year, are TO come under the consideration of
State Convention which is already chosen for the
purpose. The "Associaons," by whom the De-
legaes to the State Rights y Convention were ap-
pointed, are composed of the most extreme of the
elements of discontented people. From Conven-
ton constituted, what could be expected but dis.
organizing and anti Union counsels and recon-
mendations The purpose for which they were
delegated was to concentrate the venom of Dsunion
and give 10 it greater activity. Under circumstances
SO notorious, the Issue of this Convention falls far
short of what was intended by its projectors.
Compressed as is the report Of the speech of Mr.
Senator BurLER-of which we shall copy the full
report which we trust will be published-there is
enough that speech alone to arouse the torpid sense
of the mass of the People of South Carona-who
have hitherto allowed the Arstocracy and Heredi-
tary Wealth of the State to use its political power
to answer their personal ends-and induce them to
look ahead to the abyss of wretchedness and suf-
fering into which, without any agency or consent
of theirs, and against the earnest advice of some Of
the gravest and wisest men of the State, they are
to be inevitably plunged, if they do not assert and
exercise their power 10 avert the dire catastrophe
After the foregoing was put in type we saw for
the first time the propositions brought forth by Mr..
RHETT in the late South Carolina State Rights
Convention. They are as follows:
l. Resolped That in the opinion Of this Convention The
institutions Of South Carolina longer safe under the
Constitution in the Union
g Resolpe2 That the concert Of the Southern States in
any systematic and decisive resistance to the power OF the
General Government has been hitherto sought in vain.
g. Resolved That the only effective call upon the South
must be by the appeal Of practical issue.
A. Resokued, That the committee to whom these resou-
tons referred be instructed the Of the Conven
ton 10 memoaze the Legislature Of the State to
the State Conpeon at the earliest period practicable after
the lst Of February 1852, for the purpose Of declaring
South Carolina an Independent State.
To the lengths proposed by these Resolutions,
even this Convention of Anti Unonists was not
prepared to CO. and would not go.
In connexon with these direct propositions, may
be added the following extract from speech de-
ivered by Mr.. RHETT in Charleston some weeks
ago, showing the bitterness of his hatred to the
Union, and to all those who are not mad enough,
with him, to set fire to the house over their head
"If we secede from the Unon we will secede during the
sitting Of the Congress. Congress alone declare
Congress must vote the supplies and authorize the
Of the army and navy against One Of two aterna
ves Congress choose-et GO peaceaby of tbs
Union, fright believe every body gives very
common credit Of not being very aggss fighting
II war is made upon will fight. On land or sea wi
will fight; and any supposes that any form
be made South Carolina without fighting he wort
reasoning with. Where there is will there way,
war as in all other things We will fghfghi long and
If necessary, trust will fight eveastingly in defence
the sovereignty Of State, and of dearest rights lbe
ties, and institutions"
The spirit of the propositions of Mr.. RHETT to
the Convention, last week, u ) in perfect harmo-
n.y. as the reader will perceive, with his Speech to
the People several weeks ago: and, Heaven be
thanked, his couasels have fallen to the ground!
This is what we meant in saying that the Re.
solves of the Convention fell far short of the aims
of those who expected the most from it.
We find in the Charleston Courier the annexed
letter, to the uninitiated somewhat enigmatcal in