Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-05-15


CHEvEs, addressed to the Convention, which
he asked permission to have read. This was
agreed to by the Convention, and the letter
was read by Mr.. TRENHOLM, as follows:
PLANTATION (OeEEcHEE,) lst May, 1851.
My Dear Sir: have been appointed a
Delegate Of the Southern Rights Association
of st. Philips and ST. Michael's, and also of
the Indian Land Association of York Dist,
to the Convention to be held in your city on
Monday next; and it was my wish and in
tention to have attended the Convention in
obedience to these calls, but cannot do so
without negeeling private business of my
own of Importance, which admits Of no de-
lay, and which cannot be well accomplished
without my personal attention. This busi-
ness, however pressing and important, should
have been superseded by tile public call, if I
could have believed that my attendance at the
Convention could be of any material impor-
tance, but nm well satisfied that it could
not. My general views of the grievances of
the South, and of the subversion of the Con-
stitution of the United States, are fully known
to the public, and will weigh for what they
are worth, as effectualy as if l were again to
declare them.
The object of the Convention, under
stand to be, to declare whether, in the opin-
ion Of the Convention, South Carolina ought
to secede from the Union alone, and without
the concurrent action of any other of the
Southern States. My opinion in the propri-
ETY. of the separate action of one Southern
State, and particularly of South Carolina,
has been long known. There is no man in
the country who feels more sensibly than ]
do the danger, the dishonor, the infamy Of
the condition of the South. No man is more
entirely convinced Of the justice, the consti-
tutional right, and the political expediency of
the withdrawal of the Southern States from
that Union by which they are enthralled, and
which cannot fail, while it subsists, TO bring
on them farther and future dangers, opprcs-
sion, and infanly. am satisfied that history
furnishes no example of such disreputable
submission as that which they now exhibit.
The philosophy of Liberty is jealousy. The
proper action of patriotism is the earliest
possible resistance to the slightest encroach-
men. OF, The public rights. The lovers of
liberty snuff the tainted breeze of tyrannyin
the distant gale, and do not wait for the over
whelming power of the storm. But we tame
ly endure the full blast of the injuries and
insults so profusely poured upon US. We
hug our chains with something approaching
to fondness,- and submit to be governed BY
our bitter enemies-and yet tits only neces-
sary to will it, to rend those chains, and to
be redeemed, rcgenerated and disenthralled."
As citizen of the South, feel humiliated
into the very dust. Yet l am not of opinion,
that South Carolina should secede alone
Nor do think this on account Of the dangers
it may provoke, or the sacrifices it may re-
quire. No dangers and no sacrifices can be
too great in such cause. But one State of
the South cannot stand alone in the midst of
her sister States: These States frbm one
family in interest, in blood, in feeling and in
endearing, social and historical relations and
recoleclions, and such ties ought not to be
broken but BY dire necessity: South Carroll
M, know, has been grossly slandercd and
vilified for what no dispassionate man can
say is rash or unwise. She has done no more
than proclaim the Southern wrongs, ard who
can deny them, and to express a desire to
unite with her sister States in resisting them.
She will be wrong, however, in my poor
opinion, i she separate alone from then in
her measures Of resistance. But it may be
said they have not proposed to do what the
honor and interest of all require to be done
to redeem the character and to sustain the
rights of the South. 1t is most true and
deeply to be lamented; but we are but one
member of this large family, and have no
right to dictate au;horitativcly 10 the other
members of the family. We must wait up
on them, and enireat them 10 move. We
should use no language Of irritation. We
must look with forbeararce on their tardi-
ness:
{; Be to their faults little blind,
Be to their virtues very kind,
And put u paddock on the mind" as TO the
past.
The people of our Southern States, are
brave people, whose fathers fought for liber-
ty, who themselves were born and nurtured
in the enjoyment of ii, and who, therefore,
know the value of it. 1t cannot be believed
that such people will long consent to be
governed otherwise than by Government
in which they shall enjoy equal rights equal
power, and equal honors. They have been
deceived and betrayed They must and will
hearken to other counsellors than those to
whom they have hitherto listened. The
South must and will rouse from its slumbers,
and mainly rely upon the Democracy of the
country The Democratic party once al
ready, under the guidance of Jefferson, in
1898, saved The South from the ambition
and tolls Of Federalism. We now contend
against the same people. but with these diff
rercnces The leading Federalists were then
high, honorable, able men, who were ambi-
tious to govern You, but whose ambition was
noble, and, therefore, scarce crime, though
dangerous to the true principles Of our Union.
These men have gone down 10 the grave, or
have been prescribed and discarded by their
unworthy associates-men with more than
their ambition, but none Of their virtues or
talents. The great object of the old Fcde-
ralists was a strong, but honest, Government.
That Of their successors, is an anarehical ty-
ranny, regardless of the provisions of the
Constitution for the security of Southern
rights, and animated BY the principles of abo-
lition, and the phrensy Of fanatcisr,. Let
the Democratic party, then, which rallied un-
der the wise guidance and foresight OF Jei'
ferson, and saved the South, again pat fortl,
its strength. 1t embraces the great power OF
the Southern States. Even the Wings OF
the South are Democrats, though in false
position, in which accident has placed them'
and freed of that, they will appear under
their old flag. The Wing party is now no
longer that of which they were msm5era II