Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1851-05-17


before you the considerations bv
which we have been governed, with
tha. irankness which our respect for
you, and our desire to metit your
| good opinion, require.
We regard the position Of the
Southern States i'll this 'Conlederacy
as degraded'and runous, The man
fest tendency Of those systematic ag
gfessiohs which they have suffered for
many years past, is 10 subyert the in.
SStllu ION OF slavery. Ifthose acts of
hostile domination, which have been
rendered more insulting by mockerv
OF language, under tie term of a
! Compromise, were final in their ma
ture, and were not to be followed bv
any tnrther aggresslons, we should
still regard them as outraEes, to
wi ich Sovereign States, POSSESSING
the spirit of freedom, ought never to
submit But those measures only
form a part of a system, gradually
commenced, steadily carried forward,
gathering strength from developr enf
and proceeding with fatal momen-
inm to lis end. That end is The abo-
ition of'negro slavery lhthe southern
States, and the lowering of the free
white population Of ne south to the
same level with that agrarian rabble,
which, alrea-l -ly Strong and dangerous,
seems destined, before very long, 10
be Inc controlling power iii The north
ern States. We see no remedy and
no safety for the south in The nresent
Union. But we know that IN ibis
we differ from very many citizens of
| the 0 ,hersoullern States; spirited and
intelligent, having The same interests,
and suffering under The same wrongs,
with ourselves, and who cherish the
hope that the rights ol+t.lic south Nav.
be v,ndlcated aru securea p withotit
c'sS} S}lylEg tne existing Conlederacv.
In this difference ii does not Become
us TO assume TO dictate, and we h ope
to stand Tree from that charge. Up
TO this time, the citizens Of South Car
olna' aware that peculiarity of poiI7
lcal position, arising from past events,
rendered d certain reserve on Their
pari prudent and proper, have studi
ousiyaVoIded everything which might
look like assuming the lead in the de.
fence of Southern Rights. They de-
sired to act, Because they beIieVed
That safety and honor required acton;
but they hoped thdt' they might find
leaders in other States, whom thev
might follow in defence Of the com
mon cause. When the ancient Com
monwealth of Virginia, the proper
leader of the south, declared her de-
termination 10 resist, at all hazards
and TO the last extremity, hostile
measures then threatened, So. Caro-
lima, with all alacrity, stood ready 10
support Virginia in rarrying out her
high resolution. When Georgia, -
whose former resistance to Federal
astirPat!on, under he. heroic states
man, Tronp, gave promise ofunfincb-
mg flrlnress IN any contest in which
she might engage proclaimed her
determination to make a stand for
the rights Of the south, South Caro-
lima rejoiced at the prospect of rally
ing under the banner OF Georgia.
a nd when. her young aud gallant sis.
Ter, Mississippi, proposed the. wise
! eashre of a Southern Cohvention,
for the purpose Of endeayoring to
unite the southern States in maintain
ing their HonstitiiiiohaT, rights, and at
inc safiii5 tin time Pt &c; ~ cossble
the existing Uhion, 'SoInh iCatoIina
heartily entered into this measure;
and SHE has carried out the recon-
mendahoh Of that Convention SO as
sembIed at The instance of M;ssissil1
pi, by providing FOR the election bf
Delegates TO a soutiiern Congress-, 10
whose meeting she still looks with
anxious interest. aHoNsHl an6 H2.y1G
IN all these proceedings, we think
that the citizens Of SoGih Carolina
have evuiced an proper anxiety TO
avoid jhe apptaf6iiGe of arf6gance
and tlictation, to act in sconeert5 with
Ithe citizens ofFthApi other southern
States, and TO do noilii1g separately
or precipfateiy! And nov, Sefdngly
as we have EXPRESSED our beIief'that
there is no hope for the soutIfin The
existing Union, we are prepared TO
FgiVe atrial, fairly and iiuIgood faith,
IIto any effectua! plan which IrnRysabe
proposed by'aDy sister: State ofitbe
south, for nobtaining redress fpfgthe
past andsecurity forthe future, with.
out adIssoIutioH of, the skistiuls JJn-