North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-08-02
soIrTH CAROLINA.

SOUTH CAROLINA.
rL E5i,or of the Wilmington Commercial has
;soorooiveJ the tone and object OF our remarks OF
49,. oad r,imo. in relation to the contemplated action
g Su,b Carolina. 1t is true we said that If South
,rIino should secede she would draw no State after
bo. and that while her sister slaveholdlDg States
,roud not 90 with her, they would not stand by and
,oo bcr coerced and trampled down. But, we added,
nwe deplore this state of public opinion in that gal
Ian, State: and if voice could be heard by her
,oonle and could have any effect, if heard, would
,neal to them in the kindest and most affectionate
rms to pause in their course. Their interests are
b interests in common of the people of all the slave
hoIdino States; and the blow which is intended to
La down South Carolina will not fall upon her
boad alone. Her cause is the cause of the South /;
and her true policy is therefore, not to separate her.
elf bv her action, from the other slavehoding
s,aes.'' We penned these words after some refec-
n and we do not feel disposed TO take any of them
back.
The Commercial would have done full Justice
n the nremses, if the Editor had laid our article en-
tire before his readers.
The Commercial thus sums up what, in tie opin-
i'm Of the Editor is the position of this paper the
subject:
let US see the position in which the Standard
has naced u.s. We will not go for secession at this
lime because there is not sufficient cause for such
acion-we will not resort to what we consider le-
nal remedy-but will involve the South in all the
horrors of a civil war; in support of State which
secedes ocifhout necessity. Mr.. Holden would make
the rest of the Southern States far more sympathetic
than wise or just, inasmuch as they would 60 to the
death for sister Stale, VINO cauSeiesSIy leadS them
into the disaster"
Now, we undertake to say that our article of the
ODD will not bear any such construction. We have
not at any time encouraged, nor do we now encourage
the people of South Carolina in the step which, it
seems, they are determined to take. We have ap-
peaIed to them to pause, and to make common cause
with the other States of the South; and have held
out to them the hope, in all sincerity, that the time
was not distant when the ople of the free States
would cease their aggressions and agitation, and when
harmony and cordality of feeling would be restored
among all the States of the Republic. We have as
much horror of civil as any living; but if
civil war should result from the action of South Car
olina, the fault and the blanche eternal nfany
of the deed will rest with the people of the free
States If that State ,UiN leave the Union, let her
90 in peace if Massachusetts Vermont, instead of
nuMtying the laws of Congress, will take nselves
off from the common sisterhood, say of them also,
let them 90 in peace. We would not fix bayonet
ernnent of force, but of common interest and faterna
regard and the first blood which is shed, with the
lew of holding this government together, will be
but the first step towards its overtnrow-its ever
lasting overthrow, amid scenes of strife and carnage
such as the world has never
We agree with the Commercial that the Southern
States ought TO strike efficiently not at ALL" We
believe these States ought to acquiesce, cut of their
regard 10 the Union, in the action of the late Con-
gress; and they do so, protesting against that
action, without making themselves parties to
which have thus far resulted only in injury 10
them. The compact has not been broken if it should
be, the Southern States will be released from
all their obligations to it, and they then strike
one man for their own salvation and deliVerance.
We have thus thrown out few words, in some
haste, by way of reply to the Commercial. We shall
recur to these matters again at the proper time. We
are determined that position this vital subject
shall be correctly understood The times demand
that every who speaks all of public affairs,
should speak plainly and from the bottom ofhs heart
We have nothing to conceal from readers and we
shall endeavor to keep them advised of the facts
they may transPire.