The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-22

with this design, cannot but regard as equally
'e.Dugnant to sound principles, in morals and
politics. For myself, must acknowledge that
! should entirely despair Of the slavehOding
States ever forming confederation, if thought
that upon subject, on the just appreciation Of
which their prosperity and even existence were
in common dependent neither reason nor ex-
perence could produce among them concur
renee of Judgment concert of action.
| remain, gentlemen,
Very respectfully,
Your obedent serv mt,
r. w. BARNWELL.
To Messrs. DR.. T. E. Screven, Thos. F. Dray-
ton, +. Eikernkoetter, John Feribee, commit
tee.
The committee on their return presented the
following report aud resolutions:
REPORT.
We, the citizens of ST. Luke's Parish, who
are in favor of cooperation as a measure of re-
sistance to the unjust aggressions upon our
rights and institutions, have assembled here to-
day to adopt such resolves as may appear ex-
pedient, in the present threatening attitude OF
our political affairs Feeling, rs we all do that
we have long list of accumulated wrongs I'M
settled, the great question that presents itself
for our consideration is What is the earliest
and surest remedy for the evils under which we
labor!
A very jealous party in our State has pro-
posed " separate State action as the most GER
tain and efficient means of obtaining indemnity
for the past and security for the future"
They say that they also aim at co-opera-
ton but with such an aim as they are taking,
we suspect they will shoot very wide of their
marx. They insist that this independent act of
South Carolina, addressed to the fears of our
sister States of the South, will urge them, at
the eLerenh hOl1, TO do battle with us in the
common cause.
Now, this idea of forcing cooperation seems
to us to proceed upon principles AS unsound
in reasoning as false in morals" How can we
reasonably expect to force States, as proud and
powerful as the slaveholding States, to unite
with US in a co:federacy to which their wishes
and their judgment are equally opposed Nor
may we rightfully rest our support upon the ex-
pectation of making moral, if Tot legal trai.
tors, of our friends in the South who may march
to our assistance for we must remember that
until their States secede the war will be a war
against the solemn and public declarations of
their own States.
Opposed then as we are, to this hopeless and
perncious scheme Of isolated State action, let it
be our effort to prevent the State from separat-
ing her destiny from that of the other slavehold-
ing States. "Dimde and conquer" has ever
been the motto of our fanatica enemies, descend
ants OF those indomitabIe men, whose career,
from their first landing at Plymouth Rock, has
been marked by bigOtry, intolerance and untr
ing zeal in all they undertake. We feel con-
vinced that South Carolina could not more di. |
recty afford aid and comfort" to her enemies. |
than by severing herself by immediate STATE
action" from the aid and sympathy Of her sg
grieved sister States. The Abolitonists would |
hail with delight the first dawning of a day so
suspicious to their hopes, and We ourselves, |
when too late, would discover I" that our own
hand had helped to plant the wound that laid |
us low"
And now for our side of the question; our
plan Of resistance is based upon the recommen- |
ddtions of the wise and lamented CALHOUN, upon |
the course indicated in the acts of our'legsla- |
ture in the three consecutive years of '4S, 40
and so. These expressly point to concert of
action as the one thing needful," and disavow
any wish on our part 10 take The lead in the i'm |
pending s,ru gle.
The liberal appropriation by the State for
arming her citizens, was only to meet the emer-
gencies that might arise and to be in readiness, |
whenever the States to whom we had pledged |
ourselves, should claim the redemption of our
co operation bond. To this, AID no more is the
State pledged-and many who once thought
otherwise, are fast recovering from their deu-
sions, under the influence of the food of LIGHT
which is "making darkness visible" from the |
mountains to the seaboard
1t is through this very change Of public opin
ion that we hope to overturn the present unjust
and unequal Union, and to establish permanent
and prosperous confederacy of Southern States
Almost g the revolution begun to show itself
in the open and manly avowal of the thousands
spread tho Ighou The South, who now admit that
dmputation is the only remedy for the corruption
OF the federal body Men now openly advocate
disua'on, who, few short months ago, would /
hardly have dared to whisper such thought TO
their most int mate friend
Perceiving, then, that in every Southern State.
we have strong party battling upon our side
Tor equal rights and privileges, can we reconcile
1t to ourselves to desert them, and pursue the
desperate path that leads TO immediate seces-
sion? Can our rllies, in the other States, fight
a. well without us with us! TO this there is
but one answer We must be true to one
another, aud insist "Upon n union of the South
TO save the South" We want our united
strength to stem the coming storm, which
threatens to overwhem us and our institu-
tons in one common ruin.
In order, then, TO effect this most desired co
operation there must be unity Of sentiment al
home.