The southern press., 1851-08-01
r.sself 81
-. Y. Il. RS1 EA9,

~. '. u. Pseer1s,
Dsiioered ~ EdxeesidC C. m, July q, 1861.
Nh. CHAreuAH! Fxx1Owr-C ClrlxESs:--I re-
turn you my sincere thanks ibs the kind manner
ia which you ere pleased t0;teceive me--it is
far more than had right to expect.
1t il with the utmost rsluctsnce that am In
duced to trespass upon you at the present time.
assure you in great sincerity, that upon no
previous occasion OF my life, have | risen to
speak more reluctantly or under feelings of
deeper embarrassment and anxiety for the future.
| thank God that have been able, for the last
few years, to withdraw myself entirely from all
the bitter conflicts Of party feeling It was my
lot. when very young. to have been thrown into
many angry contests in the excited party warfare
of the day | know that ! have said many
things, which perhaps incooler moments
might have wished unsaid. But removed, as
have been, for years, from all active struggles in
politics, can truly say that whatever harshness
may have been generated by collision |, at pre-
sent, feel not lingering sentiment OF unklnd-
ness towards any party or any men, with whom
it has ever. been my lot to come in conflict
through the past scenes of life never wish
again to minge in the bitter, and, for the most
part, heartless struggles of politics. hsve
enough, in the endearments OF home, to give
conrentment to the heart of any, man. But,
gentlemen, we are on the eve OF mighty events.
And the emergency Of the country rises superior
to all parties or all party contests. Entitled to
an inheritance, transmitted through treason and
revolution, | would be untrue to those from
whom claim my origin, and prove myself but
bastard, if could hesitate to risk that inherit
ance and life ITSELF il necessary. in defence of
the ancient liberties and independence of South
Carolina.
II we expect to 90 through the present con-
troversy successfully, the very first thing to be
done, is to produce union, concert OF action,
cordial and kind feelings at home, in every citi.
zen of the State and between all classes and all
parties We uiust forgive and forget the past
we must come together as brethren of one
fanily--we must bury all feelings in concen-
trated and holy devotion to the State, and no.
thing but her true honor and interests. Dvi-
sion at home will be fatal to South Carolina-
and through her to Southern Independence. All
know that to divide South Carolina is to par
alyze her arm, and to made her imbecile Is to
destroy all hopes of Southern cooperation or
Southern resistance. Our strength has hereto
fore consisted in our union, and this has made us
a fit basis to commence Southern resistance.
We are small State, and have been isolated by
detraction and abuse The minions of federal
power and the tools Of Northern aggression
have singled US out for their constant denun-
citation, because they we'll knew we stood in
their way, and were their main diff .ulty in per-
petrating schemes Of plurder and usurpation.
If we become united they become bitter If
we become divided, our deadly enemies begin
to exult, and fawn upon and fatter those who
make the division.
| stand here untrammel'ed, to speak the un-
biased dictates of my heart and the convictions
of my judgment, and | beg and entreat that
there will be no party divisions in South Caro-
lima, and that we will give and take, and if we
differ we shall differ as friends and as brothers,
with no hard or unkind aspersions whatever.
The day of trial is coming, and let no man sup
pose we are to go through without difficulty and
without dangers. Commercial credit is sensi-
tive and breads a convulsion; banking capital is
also sensitive, and to the amount Of millions will
be deeply felt in any movement calculated to
shake society But if the people of the State,
with all the interests Of the State. be united and
we move with Judgment and frmness-stand-
ing upon our chartered rights as fixed in the
compact and dcducibe from the history of the
confederacy-we can do anything that sover-
eign people dare dove can save ourselves by
Joint cooperation with our sister States of the
South, if possible, to be obtained by prudence
and conciiiaton-but If all hope of co-opera-
ton be lost, and we should be driven to the last
sad alternative, if We are cordially united at
home, we can Sare ourselves alone.
Fellow Citizens; The great struggle in mod
ern times is for separate communities to preserve
their separate independence. The tendency in
all modern society is to aggregation, where one
consolidated public opinion is to govern abb
solutely. The press, steam power, and electric
communication, all tend to concentrate one
united public opinion and public feeling, without
reference to different local interests. Local
feelings and local rights are all absorbed in one
general vortex.
Formerly the great struggle in the world was
to protect and secure the personal or individual
rights Of man. The contests for liberty were all
confined to securing personal rights. But We
have long since passed that point in the progress
of civil liberty. Magma Charta-trial by jury
and the hab as corpus, have all secured mere per-
sonal liberty, at least TO every Englishman and
American.
But the struggle now is to preserve the inde-
pendence of separate communities. II is far
more difficult, and requires far more phio-
sophical constitution of society. For one COM
munity to be subject to the control or public
opinion of another community if carried out in
litc po"Si VI 10 POsiS"' uSoPo''Sh'-
Magma Cbarta and its principles have secured
personal rights, and confederacy of separate
independent States, with power in the parts to
prevent themselves from being absorbed by the
central head, will secure political liberty. Eng
lish writers, and English statesmen have ex-
hausted the subject of personal liberty, but be-
ing compact small territory, with no distinct
and sectional interests, entirely consolidated in
interest and feeling they have had no great oc-
cason to investigate the still higher theories
connected with the separate rights of indie.
pendent communities acting together under u
common government.
The French writer's and enthusiasts at the
breaking out Of the French revolution, pushed
eisonal rights to an extreme. The philosophy
of Rousseau and Voltaire and their followers
made the public mind drunk with new theories
and doctrines. Being goaded and insulted by
arrogant orders in society, they made all liberty
turn upon the natural and personal rights of
man; and the whole French people were con-
verted into nation of propsgandists. They be-
I;ox,aJ tharpoalvao In ha tho choaap paOpia Of