Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-07-24

ty. 1t Is vile demagogueism 10 quote tho
great WASHING ToI's farewell address as ap
plicable to the present state of the country
those who expect to save the Union by simply
doing that, without reforming the Govern
ment first, hug to themselves fatal delusion
Fellow citizens we now come to investi
gate our present position rs State, and to
state fairly what may be our particular duty
in the present emergency.
was opposed to the call of the Conren.
ton under existing circumstances, and par.
ticularly opposed TO the meeting of the con-
rention being so long after the election.
thought it would give preteXt for divisions
amongst our own people. l thought il
dangerous 10 rcposc the sovereig en- power of
the State, even extending to life and property
in its results, in so small body of men as
constitute that Convention, for so long a
time in advance. The great strength of con.
reliton consists in coming fresh from the
people, and the people themselves deciding
all great questions in advance thought
there was danger of confusion and feared
final imbeciity. I therefore would have pre-
fered the election of the Convention to take
place in October next, instead of February
last. But now that we are in Convention
| am for going through. lam against stand
ing still or taking any step backwards. True,
the issues may somewhat change by next
Spring when the Convention meets. New
questions may arise that may vary the pros
pect of affairs. Allow me to say, with defer
ence TO Others, that the great danger now is,
not rasiness, but division and imbeciity.
| g, ti,,f ~, tl,o
pressure brought to bear on us. fear, that
five pass this crisis without doing something,
the country will sink. The spirit of our peo-
pie will die away. five permit this accnmu-
lation ofall power in the Federal hands under
the diatalion of Northern fanaticisln, North
crn prejudice and Northern interests. We will
be worn out and prostrated, and finally quail
before despotism.
Our young men will sirk-They will begin
to worship Northern power, and become in
different to their own country. They will
bow down before Il magnificent Government
where liberty will be absorbed in the extend
ed rays patronagc-
"They will crook the pregnant hinges of the
knee
Where thrift may follow fawning."
Our very women will comtemn and dcs-
pise us rs degenerate race, and they will
look to others for protection. The first evi-
denee of the corruption and decay of peo-
pie, is that the woplen begin 10 ido!'ise for
eigEers. If the men become cowardly and
luxurious, the women begin to look to others
for that manliness Which they so much ad-'
mire. Such was the case in Mexico and slch
10 tbo ft>,
men want spirit 10 defend their rights /
know that the great chartered rights and in
dependence of my State are in dangcr-1fe feel
that we are Il degraded people if we do not
rise. l desire cooperation with our sister
States of the SOUTH will wait to the very
last while there is hope-I will yield every
emotion of pride and every thing, but a sacri-
fee of principle, to procure cooperation
But it may become our sacred duty 10 act alone
and if so, nee must acalk The plank alone like
men, although thai plank may lead over n
gulf of frigltful dangers. III be n right to
scccde-it is a perfect right, and belongs as
much to one State as to ALL 1t Is 4 right ir-
cidcnt to sovereignty. And the denial Of that
right by the constituted authorities would
make it an imperious duty to exercise il. If
this be the issue, the sooner wc test the ques-
ton of the unlimited powers of the Federal
Government, the better. But the gentleman
(Capt BRoOEs) has quoted from Il speech Of
mine delivered in Spartan5urg last August,
urging cooperation and Joint action with the
that speech was delivered under totally
different circumstances from the present. It
was delivered before tho second meeting of
the Nashville Convention when trc were ac-
tually in consultation with our Southern
brethren. 1t was delivered before the cleo
ton and meeting of the Georgia State Con-
vention-bctorc tho meeting Of the Virginia
Legislature, before the extra session of the
Mississippi Legislature-and before cur
own Legislature had met or done any thing
| feared that We might become isolated at
that time. But all these things have taken
place and we exhausted every thing in trying
to produce o.opcraiion-and we arc now
free to take our oW', n course, exercising our
best judgment for the welfare ofall.
The gentleman will scc,in that very speech
ask il others should give way and we should
fail in o-opcration-what then will South
Carolina do? said then "she dare not SUBJ
init finally" Let others do as they will she
was bound, (not by any commital, for State
is not committed to herself-and only CON-
mittpd when acting with others,) to go
through. I used this languagc-awhat
others may do We cannot say, but trust ]
may be excused for saying, nee cannot-we
dare not submit finally, If we do, the mighty
spirits that sleep under the plains of the Cow
pens and Eutaws would turn in their graves
with scorn and Indignation for their degenc-
rate sons." The very speech from which the
gentleman quoted contains this language.
l WAS for concert and cooperation, but
never dreamed that we were to fold our arms
and wait forever. was for waiting and do
ing all that reasonable men could do to pro-
ducc CONCERT and unanimity in tho States, but
l never conceived the idea, that in no emcr-
gency, should VIC be forced 10 act alone.
In the first Nashville Convention, 1 took
the ground that decided and concerted action
of the leading Southern States would pre-
serve otr rights and tic Union TOO. The
States. if they had then united firmly and
tcmpcrtely, could have made an authorita-
tive declaration Of their rights under the
Constitution, and it would have been eqniva-
lent to u bill of Rights in all time to come.
If Virginia had taken The lead in this matter,
our rights would have been preserved and
the Union Too. said then, thnt witloutthis
the States would be driven 10 separate ac-
ton, and this wouid bring on Il CONFUSION