Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-10-02
EDGEFIELD, S. c., OCTOBER 2, 1851.
the other Southern States"

the Other Southern States
Let the above resolution be contrastc,
with the following which passed with but fin
dissenting voices, a meeting composed o
hear five hundred members, and doubt wht
can, the object and design Of the Charleston
Convention.
"Resolrcd, That in the opinion of thi!
meeting, the State of South Carolina canno
submit to the wrongs and aggressions whicI
have been perpetratcd by the Federal Go
vernment and the Northern States, without
dishonor and ruin; and that it is necessary tc
relieve herself therefrom, whether with OF
,cithom the cooperation of other Southern
States.
We repeat, let the two resolutions be con.
trasted.
Thus it appears that the old system OF
political tactics was abruptly abandoned and
n new system unceremoniously introduced.
A new light here dawned upon our vision.
The scenes arc shifted. .Souihcrn Rights
Associations" are interpreted TO mean asso-
ciations for the advancement Of the separate
secession of South Carolina and Conven-
tlon of the people of the State, called "for
the purpose in The first place, of taking into
consideration the proceedings and recon-
mendatlons of Congress of the slavc-hold-
ing States, if the same shall meet and be held,
and for the further purpose Of taking into
consideration the general welfare of the
State, is indirectly Instructed (not BY the peo-
pie in primary assemblies. but by n sclf-con-
stit"ted Convention, consisting in part, of
members of the very Legislature which call
cd the State Convcntion) to achieve the Sc
paratc secession of South Carolina.
If to participate in the proceedings of u
meeting, part of which proceedings, is to
rotc dozen 4 resolution expressing "conf-
dcuce in the wisdom and fidelity of State
Convention and willingness TO leave to
them the mode and measure Of redress" is
politically right and proper in one member of
the identical Legislature which called the
Convention, then it follows that erery mcn,Jcr
could with equal propricty have participated
also and if each and every member, might
have been present, with the same propriety
~ those members who 1cere present, what
objection could have been made to their ap-
pearing as organized bodies with the speaker
of the House and the President of the SEN
ate at the head of their respective branches?
Now, if the same Legislature (the creature
of the people) which calls Convention has
the right also, even indirectly 10 instruct it,
by indicating" and suggesting" what it
shall or shall not do, what becomes of our
thenrr that y al l-nndnlnnatnd- nnu:--
er, vests IN ihe people! 10y So.
As citizens of Republic, when every free
man is a sovereign, we can never tolerate in
silence and without our solemn protest,
change Of government, without an obscr-
vance. at least, of the spirit of our State
Constitution.
In the last article of the Constitution of
Sd June. 1880, it is declared that, "No part
of this Constitution shall be altered, unless
q bill to alter the same, shall have been read
three fines in the house of representatives,
and three Times in the Senate. and agreed to
by two-thirds Of both branches of the whole
representation, neither shall any alteration
take place. until the bill so agreed to, be pub
lished Mree months previous to Il ne'c election
for members TO the house of Representatives.,
and if the alteration so proposed by the Lc-
gislature, shall be agreed to in their first scs-
sion, by i~o-fhirds Of the whole representa-
ton in both branches of the Legislature after
the same shal! have been read three times on
three several days, in each house then, and
not othcrnise, the same shall become part Of
this Constitution"
A bill enacting the same provision in ic!a-
ton to amendments was ratified In the man
ncr prescribed on the 18th December. 1903.
And shall i, be pretended that precautions
and restraints, so stringent upon the leglsla-
turc, in regard to an alteration, of even that
article of the Constitution which requires 4
member to resi- gn his seat when elected Lieu
nant-Govcrnor, have so little force. bcaring,
or effect, in spirit or fact, upon Convention,
that it may bc called by the Legislature with.
ont the expectation of the people, elected
without discussion by minority, empowered
to alter, amend or annul each and every arli-
Gle of the same Constitution and launch our
people into an "occan Of uncertainty" and
into revolution, all within sic wceks of time!
We solcmnly aver our belief, that an ordl'
nance in any wise affecting DIR State Consi-
tuition, passed by Convention thus consti-
tutcd. would be rs hagrant and oppressive 4
violation of the Constitutional and political
rights of the citizen as any enactment OF the
Federal Congress:
We are constrained to regard 4 Convcn-
ton so called, if at the time with view to
the separate secession of South Carolina rs
IN abuse Of delegated authority, and as an
invasion Of the most vital principle of our
State Constitution; to which it is duty of
patriotism, to interposc determined, perse-
vcring resistance:
We quote from Junius. (whcn cnninri"g
his counlrymcn never to suffer an invasion Of
their political constitution, however minute
the instancc) paragraph as here applicable:
"Onc precedent creates another. They soon
accumulate and constitute law. What yes.
tcrday was fact, to-day is doctrine. Exam
pies are supposed to justify the most DANCE
rous measures: and when they do not suit
exactly. the defect is supplied by analogy"
We do not propose here t. discuss the OK.
pcdicncy of separate secession; but content
ourselves with expressing our uncompromi.
sing oppositionto the measure. rs Intellectual
ms n remedy and involving embarrassmcnts
dstrcsses and dangers, which we arc required
neither bv honor or interest yet to incur
We are incapable of percciving in what
manner good eau with probability result from
the measure, while the evils crowd thick
upon us. Because we have been uniustl,
excluded from the territory of California, w
can sec no reason. why we should voluntarily
rclinquish our interest in that, of the Wcs
and Southwest, together with our proper
tionate interest, in the public Treasury, il
the Forts, in the Army and Navy, and in fact
all kinds of public property.