The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-25

future Safety
And We al, in the opinion Of the late South
ern Rights eehvention, that ssuch has been the
patient sufissance" Of the Southern States, "and
such is now the necessity which constrains
them" TO advise that In all things we initiate the
example Of our gallant and virtuous ancestry;
and that we at once take steps to "provide new
safeguards for our future security"
The historical statements submitted to you,
fellow-ctizens, prove that for series Of years
the general government has refused to be
guided by that chart which the compac. be-
tween the States demand should BE- its only
guide-thst this refusal is in order the more Of
fectualy to destroy your political power in the
confederacy, with view to the determination
Of African slavery in your midst That the
South 1has been disposed to suffer while evils
were sufferable" that your section alone has
exhibited fOrbearance and long sufterance for
the sake of Union and in the hope that these
aggressions would cease
History maintains US in the assertion that we
have used every means to right ourselves in the
Union, without success. While 1.-THE history OF
the present government is history of repeated
injuries and usurpations, all having in direct
object the establishment of an absolute tyranny
over these States"--it is equally true that, "in
every stage of these proceedings, we have Pc
titioned for redress in the most respectful terms
Our repeated petitions have been answered
only by repeated injury"
| To continue the paraphrase of the Declare
ton of Independence, SO completely suited to
the expression Of that similarity Of wrong and
general condition which exists between the posi-
ton Of the colonies in ITS and that of the
| Southern States in le5l-Hn0r have we been
wanting in attentions to our Northern brethren
we have warned them from time to time, Of
attempts by their legislation to extend an un-
warrantable jurisdiction over u.s. We have re-
minded them Of the circumstances of the revo-
luton and the compact made between u.s. We
have appealed to their native justice and mag
nanimity, and We have conjured them by the
ties Of our common kindred, to cease those
usurpatiols which would inevitably interrupt
: our connexions and correspondence"
7 We have appealed TO the balot-box through
: our usual party organization, but to find that
every successive election has served to increase
Q the power of our foes. And at last despairing
5 of full and complete recognition of our clearly
: defined constitutional rights, we have proposed,
Y in order to preserve the Union, to yield to and
abide, as final adjustment of this much vex d
: question: with faith TINT has never been sullied
t by single act of per6dy, a division of the ter
: ritories by the line of the Missouri compromise
/! line rendered unobjectionable to them by its
: northern inception and its past success in con-
Y trubting to the power of that section, and adj
dressing itself to its interests by its curtailment
of no privilege of its citizens, while it excludes
the South from all territory north of it. But
vain have beerthes attempts! Like the British
: government, in the days of our fathers, they
have been deaf to the voice of justice and mag
nanimity" They have scorned to compromise
; what, our own divisions and discussions showed,
|, thew had the power to enforce
) Like our fathers, then, We are driven to seek,
not for remedy for the past-that is hopeless,
but for security for the future. That is to be
3 obtained, not by a reliance on faith that has
' proved worse than "Punic"-not by reliance
: on written guarantees which have proved worth
Q less to restrain determined and ruthless free
soil majority-not by adherence to the forms OF
It government, which in the hands of our foes are
y all used to rob us of our rights and to bind us
: for further sacrifice, but by brave and faithful
II imitation of men who in former times, after a
= review of all the wrongs done them by their
e mother country, thus declared to the world
n their course, in that last line Of the declaration
4. with which they close the statement of their
J. case-"We must therefore ncquiesce in the ne
g cessity which demands our separation, and hold
It them, as we hold the balance of manknd-en-
Q emies in war; in peace, friends"
Il If we are not prepared for this, it seems to us
= that it has been in vain that the noble Declare
ton Of Independence has been Transmitted to us.
/ IL il is to be handed down to posterity but "a
memento of an interesting event in history. only
e to be admired for its terse eloquence, vain in-
d deed was the great example-vain the bonfires
e which have celebrated its annversary-vain the
J. teaching of the American youth to regard it as
n duty incumbent upon them to perpetuate its
J. mighty truths
81 a. ~ hi, Lo1:
d you will shrink from a line of duty prescribed
+ and followed by Washington, Hancock, and
e Adams, and the host of ilustrious dead who
i made that declaration, and thus fearlessly np-
pealed from the tyrant to the God of Liberty.
e We may be stgmatized as rebels; but Wash.
b ington was rebel! LaFayayette was rebel,
" and so was Tell, and SO is Kossuth-rebels
! against abuse Of power; and welcome to us be
}, the appeaton received in defence of our rights
I and liberties We frankly say to you that in our
opinion, it is our duty to prepare to nssert our
2 rights, to maintain within our limits our liberties
In the language Of the resolution of the conven-
( ton, when we shall do So is in our opinion, the
! only question. Whether by secession or revolu-
ton, matters not Resistance to tyranny, by any
and all means, is ever the motto Of the vigilant
5 freeman Every Statesman in our country, who
was ever entitled to its confdence-such as JEFF
IeTsOu, GuhuiS"t, niouToc, IhLcWclls NauuOipH,
, Barbour and Calhoun, have asserted the right of
, secession as resulting from the nature of the
compact between the States. But as we have
intimated it matters but little by. what name re-
, sistance is caed-if it is founded on oppression
and aims Mt liberty, it is sancti6ed and justif-
able.
We would not declare that Alabama should
secede at any particular time but simply that it
is her duty TO prepare for secession; and that if
any other Southern State secedes, good faithto
such State requires that we should sustain her
by all means within our power, and should like
wise secede. We have q common cause and
common evils to endure and redress, with all
Southern States. Let us put the State in po-
sition to act promptly and efficiently with them
or any Of them in any mode of resistance which
! may be adopted. 1t is our duty to declare that
in our opinion, these great aims should engross
the attention Of the people of the State, and be
f paramount to all old party issues-that in pur-
> suing them, we should not know each other as
l H. - u Ill