The Yazoo Democrat., 1851-05-28
ADDRESS OF THE CHARLESTON
CONVENTION.

Having met To take counsel together, and |
having agreed upon that course wh ch we
think il right and necessary to pursue, we
wish To lay before you The considerations |
by which we have been governed. with |
that fIankness which our respect for YOU
aud our desire to merit your good opinions
require.
We regard the position Of the southern
States in this cDnfederacy as degraded and
rulnous. The manifest tendency of those
systematic sggressions which they have suf
tered for maRy years past, is to subvert the
institution of slavery. II those acts of hos
tile domination, which have been rendered
more insulting by mockery ofanguage, un-
der the term OF compromise, were final
IN their nature and were not to be followed
by any iIrtl er aggressons, we should still
regard them as oulrages, TO which sover
cign States possessing the spirh ol lreedom,
ought never 10 submit. But those measures
only form part Of a system, gradually com
menced, steadily carried forward, gathering
renglh from development and proceeding
with fatal momentum 10 its end. That end
IS the abolition Of negro slavery in The
southern States, and the lowering E the
Tree white population Of the south, To the
same level with that ograrian rabbe,
which, already str ng and dangerous, seems
destined before very loIg to be the CONTROL
! rover in tn nOrtle n States. We see 10
remedy onl no saley for the south in the
present Union. b we know that in this
we dlll~r from very many citizens oltbe 9th
or southern Safes, spirited aud intelligent,
having he same interests, and suffering un.
der the same wrongs with ourselves. and
who cherish tie hope that the rights Of The
south may be indicated and secured with
out dissolving the existing con(cdcracy.
In this Li!lreucr, il does not become Us
TO assum} To dictate, and we hope m stand
free from that charge. U to this tims, the
citlz'ns "f ) SutI Carolina, aware that pccu
lmri'y of pnliica position, arising from pas
events, rendered a certain reserve on their
part uJent and proper; having studious'y
avoided everything which might look like
assuming The lead in the defense Of south
ern rights. They desired to act, because
they believed that safety and honor required
action; buI they hoped that they might fint
leaders in other Safes where they Nigh
f,ll0w in defense of the conmpn cause
When the ancient cImmpnwPalth Of Virgi
mia, the proper 10 der Of The south, declare
her determination to resist at all hazards
and 10 the last extremity, hostile measure
th'n threatened, South Carolina, with a
alacrliy, stood readyo support Virginia i
carrying ont her high resolution. Whe
Georgia, whose former resistance 10 isde
raj usurpN:ion, under her heroic statesman
Ir upe, gave promise OF unhiuching firm
ness, in any conquest in which she migl
engage, proclaimed her determination
make stand for the rights Of the Soul
Carolina rejoiced at rallyiug underline bal
ner of Georgia ...e
And when her young and gallant siste
Mississippi proposed the wise measure
a southern convention, for the purpose of
dcavOring to unite the southern States
maintaining their constitutional right, a.
1.-THE samo time. preserving ifpOssible I
existing Union, South Carolina heartily e
tered into this measure, and she b
carried out the Recommendation Of the co
vention so assembled at the instance
Mississippi, by providing fr the election
delegates TO southern convention,
whose meetings she stills looks with anxic
interest. r.t..t.l.
lRall these proceedings, we think, d
The citizens Of South Carolina hG
evinced all proper anxiety 10 avoid the
pearance OF arrogance or dicia.ion, to act
concert with The citizens 0flhe other soN
eTn Slales, aud to do nothing separately
pTeeipitately, And, now, strongly as
have Expressed our belief that there is
hope tor the South in the existing Uni
wo are prepared 10 give atrial fairly anC
good faith, 20 any effectual plan which I
Be proposed bY any sister State of
south, for obtaining redress lorthe past
security for The future, without dissolul
of the exisling UniODi if there be posi-
fly 0( such aconsummalion.
But i've find ourselves forced to cons
ths-uteriOr question:. what we are to dc
we find that thefe Is 40 reasonable hope
the co operation 0fna6y 0theT Asoutl
State in any efectual plan Of relief; and
alternate Is presented 10 us OfosubmI'
or aeling by ourselves. And reluctan
We are TO separate ourselves from our q
raj friends aud allies we have made ~
minds. We cannol submit. We j
that south Carolina entered this e01let
ey as q sovereign aud an independent y
tnf lhah having been vwronged, she has
perfect right 70 withdraw from Il.
sons mus exercibe abe right and NEE
consequences. IN no olher State will
Us IN IeiieeMg sir0m lhe asohes ali
infiEisd, we see.nO hOpa iri,paitisg l0r
OatTageS o aT0use q higher spirit Of J
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