The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1851-05-20

: rights of the South may be vindcated an
secured, without dissolving the existing col
federacy.
{ In this difference, it does not become u
to assume to dictate, and we hope to stan
free from that charga Up to this time IN
citizens Of South Carolina. aware that pc
culiarity of political position. arising iror
past events, rendered a certain reserve OF
their part prudent and proper, have studious
; ly avoided every thing which might IooI
: like assuming the lead in the defence o
Southern Rights. They desired to act. be
cause they believed that safety and honor
required action but they hoped that they
might find leaders in other States whom
they might follow in defence of the com.
mon cause. When the ancient common.
wealth of Virginia, the proper leader of the
South, declared her determination 20 resist at
al! hazards, and TO the last extremity. hostile
measures that threatened South Carolina,
with all alacrity, stood ready to support Vir-
ginia in carrying out her high resolution.
When Georgia. whose former resistance to
federal usurpation, under her heroic states
man Tfoppe, gave promise of unhinchmg
firmness, in any conquest in which she
might engage, proclaimed her determina-
tion to make stand for the rights of the
South, South Carolina rejoiced at the pros
pect OF ralying under the banner of Georgia
And when her young and gallant sister,
Mississippi proposed the wise measure of a
Sc uthern Convention, for the purpose of en-
deavoring to unite the Southern States in
maintaining their constitutional and at the
same time preserving, if possible, the exist
ing Union, South Carolina heartily entered
into the measure, and she has carried out
the recommendation Of the convention so
assembled at the instance of Mississippi, by
providing for the election of delegates to a
Southern Con ention, to whose meeting she
still looks with anxious interest.
In all these proceedings we think that
the citizens of South Carolina have evnced
all proper anxiety 10 avoid the appearance
of arrogance or dctaton, to act in concert
with the citizens of the other Southern
States, and to do nothing separately or pre-
cipitately. And, now, strongly as we have
expressed our belief that there is no hope
for the South in the existing Union, we are
prepared to give trial, fairly and in good
faith, to any effectual plan which may be
proposed by any sister State of the South,
for obtaining redress for the past and secur-
ity for the future. without dissolution OF
the existing Union, if there be possibility
of such consummation.
But we find ourselves forced to consider
the Interior question, what we are to do, il
we find that here is no reasonable hope oi
the cooperation of any other Southern
State in any efectual plan of relief and the
alternative is presented to us of submitting
or acting by ourselves. And reluctant as
we are to separate ourselves from our natu-
raj friends and allies, we have made up our
minds We cannot submit. We know
tnat South Carolina entered this confedera-
CIV as sovereign and independent, State, and
that having been wronged, she has the per-
feet right 10 withdraw from it. Her sons
must exercise the right and meet the con-
sequences. Ii no other State will join us
in relieving ourselves from the wrongs al
ready inflicted. we see no hope in waiting
for new outrages to arouse q higher spirit OF
resistance. The new outrages, we are well
convinced, will come in due time but we
feel no assurance that the spirit of the vas
sal will rise in proportion to the indignities
heaped upon his head. On the contrary,
we see that the South has already borne
what it would not for moment have sub.
mtted to ten years ago. and what the orth
would not then have ventured to perpetrate
We are not willing to try the experime mt
how long it will be before our spirit is COM
petely broken by gradually and continually
yielding to slow and gradual, but unceas-
ing encroachments. And if the exercise oi
the right OF secession is to9be followed by
the attempt on the part OF the Government
of this confederacy to subiugate South Car
olina, it is better that we should meet that
attempt while we still have some spirit and
some power of resistance left. If we are
to submit to the condition of a conquered
people, we think it less dishonorable not to
do so until we have first been conquered
And il any thing could add to the necessity
from the existing Union, it would be the de.
NAL OF the right OF secession For the de-
NAL of that right indicates, Of itself, ex-
treme danger. The right of secession has
heretofore, and in better days, been regard
ed as unquestionable by all Southern poll
ticians, with the exception Of an inconsider
able number Of consolidationists. And i
ever that right can bedenied, without arous'
ing the'whole South to sustain it. the South
will be ripe for the most miserable fate
which has ever befalIen any people. It viii
then, as a permanent sectional minority
have no defence against the tyranny of Q
Government combining all the vices of the
corruptest democracy and the most oppres
sive foreign despotism.
We know the consequences which vii
follow failure in our effort to maintain ou
liberty. We see clearly that triumphan
exertion Of the power of the Federal Gov
eminent, in subjugating State, will yastl!
increase that power. and greatly excelerats