Washington telegraph., 1851-03-12
WoeDs OF Tnuru AND soDrRsrss.-we find in

WORDS OF TRuru AND SoDsRNEss.-We find in
the Charleston papers (says the Louisville Courier)
brief address from Bishop Capers, of The Meth
odst Episcopa! Church, 10 his fellow citizens of
South Carolina. With modest and graceful
apology for expressing publicly any opinions on
matters of Stale policy, in which he might seem
to be departing from the duties of his calling as
minister oi religion, he yet remembers that minis
ters are citizens, and that it may be exprd, mt
once in a life time oil three years aud more
for minister to ass-rt bis citizenship, aid com-
mune freely with the public Oh the state Of public
affairs. II am "a czeii,' says the Bishop; "a
son of citizen; born on the soil of South Carolina
not lofg after it had been won, in part bv the
sword of my ather" lie then proceeds 10 treat
of the subjrc in hand in the following tersr, visor-
Gus and most sensioe language:
After AN abseisee of ABOUT live mouths on nv
sacred duties, in Tennessee. Mississippi, louisiana,
Alabama. ana Georgia, cannot express how
painfully it has shocked iK- to be tou, on my re-
turn home, that ihe great Stale measures on
foot, look solely TO secession from the United
States by this State alone; that the Convention
shortly 10 be held is in order to this, and that te
only question to be opened there is one OF time
whether TO sece,e at orce, ait ,he issae OF The
Southern Cong ress and then secede.
To secede al ouce, d ii;ure time, alone
must be to secede iion the other Southern States
no less than from the Northern. [, must be ID
putting OF the other Southern States in fillt-a
Sort OF branding them deficient in knowledge,
or courage, patriotism, all these together.
They are involved in all respects, we are,
touching the ia Justice OF The late acIs ol Congress-
We may noi hold ourselv wiser nor better shan
they are bat as equals only; aud they are many,
while We are comparatively few. Aud what, IN
such circumstances, VIII be the probable jadg-
ment OF mankind, respecting our action, should
secede?
Ii may place any reliance on what has come
under my observation during my long Journey
through live oi Ahe priucip. Southern States il is
not probable that southern Congress, represent
Ing The Southern propie, eau be held at all; nor,
if it coul b. had, that it would do much If any
thing, 10 Jre than the Georgia Convention did.
AS to secession, have no doubt that thee iolrths
oi the people would oppose il at the present time.
The reason OF this opposition have understood 10
be that they DO not consider the act OF Congress
to be violation ei the Constitution, and in their
opinion, Lothing less should jIStiTv secrssien.
L understand ii to be he opinion OF our people
OF South Carolina, that Congress has violated the
Constitution. At NEST, then, is n.ooted point,
and not IA settled fact; entertain one view of il.
while majority OF the wise and virtuous of oil lcr
States, greatly oulGunIbtrnu u.s. hold the opposite
20 We Owe thesN uotiiingi is it not even due to
our own sef-rospect 10 review the matter! Surely,
We should know that We .ht, beyond DISPUTE,
fearful import
And ought not TO consider consequences?
Patriotism demands not of to run mady on to
our cOuntrys rum; and secession, bv our State
alone, musl prove riinOus. What though no hos
tile army nllS ht invade soil, the United States
must and Will oppose Charleston vii! BE- shut
out from the res: OF the world, her conunrrce
perish, her merchants leave her in despair; while
from her very saburus rice and cotton shall be
carried - Savannah and Augusta for market.
Even now the rivalry of Savdnnali-is is not TO be
contemned, bat let State secede from the
Union, aud Charleston must become desolatiou.
Nor viii the blight fall on Charleston oaiy, but
Oh all the State; while taxes increased seven
fold, and the heat OF the present agitation coolug
off, our very lra!ers, il they should prove too proud
to bc found knocking al the door OF the Union iCr
admission, shall join IN the many thousands OF our
poverty iy-siricken people in their Il ght from Their
ruined hoIaes TO more favored parts. Can patriot
ism deilsupI tht sacrifice! Patriotism d mand The
sacrifice o. the Statr No, never.
Let rs 'nrn, fellow citizens, review our grouad
If CenvrnlIon We must have, lei it not be d
Convention OF boys and hailmaoe men, but of The
wise and sooer-Iniuded. There is no batlie to be
fought Ter glory, by secession, but Il fearful strug
gle with poverty and high taxes hard times,
without lope OF Improvement aad great and
sore hnuilidtiuI. -Aai may God graAl us de-
i!verancr.