Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-05-16
From the Charleston Mercury.
Address Of II Southern Rights Association Of
the South Carolina College.

From the Charleston Mercury.
Address Of II e Southern Rights Association OF
| the South Carolina College.
To the Students in the Colleges and Universities,
| and 10 the young men, Throughout the Southern
States.
FRIENDS AND FELLow-SrUDENrs: We have
been invited by the Southern Rights Associa-
ton, organized by students in the University Of
Virginia, to form an association similar to their
own, to protect the rights liberties and institu-
tions of the Southern States We obey the in
vitation, not merc because we deem it wise
and patriotic, in the present condition of the
Southern States, but because the invitation it.
self comes to us from source we have ever
been accustomed to regard with the highest
respect Virginia has, in times past, led the coun-
sells of the South. If she is to lead the South
no more,-if she has become the counsellor OF
base submission to the wrongs she taught US
to defy and resist as unendurable, we mourn
her position; and turning from the hnmilliating
present. look to that past where she is all glo.
rious BY her wisdom and energy, the first
brave struggle was made Tor the ghts and Ii.
berties secured by the Constitution against the
usurping despotism of Consolidation. She
first blew the bugle of resistance to the alien
and sedition laws. She first vindicated the
rights of the States, by her mastery expositiops
in 1898 and 1899, and interposed her power
to rescue them from the insolent federalism OF
those dark days. She gave US those great
Revolutionary Presidents, under whose benign
administration, liberty and prosperity, went
hand in hand together; and the love OF the Un-
ion, instead of inspiring that jealous watclIful'
ness, which all experience declares necessary
to check abuses im Governments, and to pre-
serve liberty, grew up in the Southern mind TO
be blind and unreasoning passion.
Looking, then, to the past, we bow with
veneration to all counsels coming from Nir-
gina. We obey the recommendations of the
Southern Rights Association of her University,
and extend to her students the right hand Of
fellowship-not nerveless, we trust-to redeem
our plighted faith to them, or the lost equality
and liberties Of the South.
Young men Of the South I'VE are, indeed,
fallen on evil days. That inevitable decay
which awaits all nations, or that redemption
which so seldom lifts up fallen liberty, il soon
to be our destiny. We have not like our faith
ers, "scented tyranny in the tainted gale" Like
touch of its foul pollution. No petty tax OF
three. pence a pound on tea now aFouses our
resistance Even threats of military coercion
to cement tyranny by blood-which brought
from our fathers but one response, the stern
grasp of the sword; seem to fall stirringless Oh
the Southern heart We have submitted So
long to injustice and oppression, that neither
submission burns with shame, nor insult fires
with an intolerable sense of dishonor. How
else shall we account for the long and passive
endurance of the Southern States, to the op-
preston of the General Government! For the
last thirty years, it has heaped upon US, an hun
dredfold increased in aggravation, the very op-
preston our fathers resisted, and vanquished by
seven years war.
The people of South Carolina, the people of
Virginia and of the other States, denied that it
was consistent with self government aud iiber-
ty in taxation, that they should be taxed by
any power beyond themselves. The claim Of
the British Parliament to tax then, in all cases
whatsoever, was, in their view, submitted to,
establishing tyranny over them. The mocke-
~ of representation in Parliament, which
was not strong enough to control or prevent
any taxes Parliament might propose to lay on
them, they disdainfuly rejected. Selt.taxation
alone gave them the lower to protect their
property-alone gave them liberty in taxation;
and. with this alone, would they be satisfied.
And vet, what has been tie nature OF the taxes
which every man in the Southern States opPo-
sed to the protective policy has been paying by
the laws of the General Government, since ne
arrived at manhoodl Neither he nor his rep.
resentatives have assented to them. Our rep
resentation IN Congress, too feeble to protect U.s.
has only served to give the semblance OF con-
stitutionalty to those robber laws, IN the shape
of protective tariffs, by which the South has
been taxed for the benefit of the North-the
Southern planter and farmer for the benefit OF
the Northern manufacturer. By this policy,
millions of the property ofthe Southern peopie,
have been annually wrested from them, and
transferred to the people of the North. Con-
eress claimsto be just as omniPotent over u.s. IN
the power of taxation, as the British Parliament
whilst in the purposes for which we have been
taxed, the British Parliament was far more just
and liberal. 1t proposed to tax only to assist
in paving the debt which Great Britain had in
Cured in defending US, as her colonies, against
a common foe. But Congress taxes Us, so tar
AZ the protective features of the tariff law are
concerned, for no purpose in which we are
bene6cially interested. We are simply plunder-
cd for the benefit of Others We are taxed to
enrich favored capitalists, engaged in manu-
factures, in a favored section OF the Union
There, also, are expended four.fifths of the pub
| =. .L,,o olso omonopoly to the naVl-