The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-10-28
POT, IT T..
speech Oi E;X~GsH5. .suI.sa.on
v @ e. v d .

suhSAftSeS'tiy S'hS'' w lutSl'V ONci
this vast assembly, it is, OF course,
expected that | should attempt to cx.
plain The object of our meeting here,
and, although, it has dcrangel, il
some degree, the course which had
prescribed for myself, it is. perhaps,
rs well that l should say now what
had proposed, ii left to follow ont
my own plans.
On an occasion, not Long past,
which, suppose, will be remembered
by some, l avowcd my intention of
retiring forever from the tur,nols Of
public life, content to spend the re-
maindcr Of my sime here in the quic-
tudc Of my own Grcsi.lc, and in the
interchange Of kindly Offices with NY
friends and nci.hhors my a2c, my
in6rmitics, and inclination, all con.
SPiree~ to render this desirable but |
had net then lorcsccn that, in SO
short time, we should be involved
in controversy with our sister
States, and indeed amonss, ourselves,
presenting questions Of as great deli.
cacy and magnitude rs ever 4 pcoi lc
weyc called On 70 ie iClc. AMI, nsw
ever, c,ss.-cioyslt i:FFgt22.4.4al " le 81 ril;u2
upon anil dircc,iug ,hc storm,
should feel myself unworthy the
claims of citizen, and lryra led as
. man, if I shoul' shrink from sl.a.
ripg with you the responsibilities tla,
are inyolvca iii the Issue. II | had
but day live, ;ha! is due t. South
Carolina.
No one $,as ever yet questioned
that in the frame aul substance Of
the Federal constitution, i authors
had in Wow perfect 2GNality amon.s,
the States aud inAiyilual ci.;zcus-
-rN,a!uy of burl'Icns an i espousibili.
III equality of II dts privileges
aad immunitics. and un'i within the
ast four years, VIC, (ycs, we - +.
:'Hvcs.1 si'Hp,oSrsl il tho w6y'; Of r,ly
inspiration. and re:s&ilct !. - 80.
palladium Of our liberties MN. It
IS denounced as sconr.c aud c.,vs ,
llow is this9 Holy writ i.sc'fi not
secure gainst the assaults Of per-
verso and wicked men. Some Gcny
its authenticity, others pcIvcrt is
meaning SO rs to make i; su'scrvom,
to the vilcst purposes. So it Las
Jared with the cons:itu;ion--somc
hold that there is a law paramount 10
it, and under color Of il, would fire
our dwellings and butcher orr wives
and children others admitting its
authority, use it as a rrrtcxt for
plundcring us OF our wcaIJh. In
this spirit the Congress Of the Uni.
ted States, governed Of necessity bv
a majority, has levied contributions
on US in the form Of inpoat Gu.cs TO
construct public works Al an immense
expense, professed!y national, bu. in
truth merely local, and in which The
SouthcrnAtlantic States have 10 A.
ticipation and to build VI, and project
the manufactures Of the no.! Slave
holding States. The right Of prop
crty in our slaves, which is rendered
indispensable to us by or cliuatc.
our productions and orr usagcs, are
guaranteed by the express provisions
of the constitution, ana these have
been undetermined. In the spilit Of
fanaticism and deceased hunanitv
they have been purioincl from w,
and arc cncourag gcl 10 escape from us.
The thief and the fu.itivc find p.o.
lection in the local laws OF some oi
the States, and in others q more 10.
tent security in a wild and rauatital
public opinion. This might be borne
x We were free to right ourselves.
We are restrained by the cc,.s;i;u-
tion by which wc ought to be bound.
unless we can shake OF lis Ir"n.ncls.
But this is not ali. The Govern.
ment itself has laid tie train that will
blow up the very foundations Of The
institution Of slavery, Unless wc can
cut it Oft. i is already Iail aronll
the whole extent Of the Eastern.
Northern and Northwc5!cw! bounuia
RES, and have manifested by various
overt acts the viii to cXt.nl t. the
Gult OF McNico. Slavery s cyclu.
acd from California, oss2nslJl b, he
net OF California icrscIt, bit do,.
any rational n'au believe Tia, Il Nh,
not done upon the sue.cg,iou ana
procurement OF the Government r.
She'll itself against tie u,iuo 3,,i
responsibility Of intcrjic,nn., X.y