The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1851-04-19

>'"' '"'o "Its dCOnVcntOn Of tie people,
not only pledge TO resistance by secession, and
the strongest, too, that could possibly have been
given, but il il also the first and most important stcp
! towards carrying out that resistance. The MEM
bcrs of this Legislature were elected after the an
pcntion of the principles of the Wilmot Proviso to
the territory Of California, and elected, too, ex-
ressy with referehcc TO action by the State OH this
subject. Now in every instance in which, il is ne
cessary to invoke the sovereign power of the Statc
'hh nct calling the convention, and prescribing the
purpose for which 1t is called, is not only the firs
nut most difficult step in effecting the object in view;
and for this reason: It requires the constitutional
majority Of two-thrts of both houses of the Iegis-
I't're to cnl the convention but that body, when
assembled, may act by bare majority.
The State. then, is not only pledged to resistance
oy secrs"o'' but has actually taken the most diff
cult and important step necessary to carry that re-
s'stanc" into effect. She has, through her I.cgisa-
turc, and by majority Of two thirds Of bth houses
called convention of the people, expressly for the
purpose of tnking s'cnre that the commonwealth
suffer no detriment = and that purpose, us VIC have
si"wn' the convention can accomplish only by So
ccsslon-hy giving us independence out of the
| Union.
l'''t not only has the Legislature, by the act call
ing the conventions tken the first and most diff
cult step towards resistance by secession hut il hns
made actual provision for the result that may fol-
low that resistance. 1t has made m appropriation
Of ss35O,000 To put the State in an attitude of de-.
frnce-f'r the purchase Of arms and ordnance md
for training the militia Of the State. II has also
made loan Of $l25,000 to the Atlantic Steam
Navigation Company, free Of interest for five pears
upon condition that their vessels should be 70 con-
structcd Us to admit of being converted into war
steamers. "For what purpose were these appro
rrlaiions made to what did they LOOK ?-and by
what reason il this extraordinary expenditure of
public money justified? They were made in the
expectation of conflict of arms, they looked to
the separate action Of the Stntc, and were justified
by tho necessities Of the case" Docs arly one s,p
Tose' that in the opinion of the Legislature, coer
cion would be attempted against the United South 7
Or that the Legislature would have made the np
preparation, merely to enable the State to co.opc-
rate when scarcely any hope was entertained that
Cooperation would be procured7 ~. -..-----~"
But the mntter is net IN doubt. Tho Iegis
lntrrc, ny tho adoption of the report Of the military
committee, recommending the appropriation, have
expressly declared for what purpose il was nude -
"in ORDER to enuble the State "to ,ss,,n,c that nt
tit"de Of competent power" necessary "to vind-
| cate the indsputnblc right of secession, unaidcd
ana! sk,ne" The whole report. cxcentng detnls
Is rs follows: -, ''' e"
"Your committee have .~---.,ercd tho severnI
Ptopostions Submitted ID them ns constituting PARTS
of the general subject of Sate defence at the pres
entJnnctnre Of Oar public aairs, rather tnn as dis
tnct und separate measures. However diversified
| may he the opinion upon the subject Of separate
Slate action, this committee cannot doubt, that
all concur in the existence Of OF difference
between the North and South. which must ihssi-
tnbly lead to the dxlnsmbenneat. of this Con(ed-
eracy, at no defiant day. And though there NAV
be soliIe dserersTcy OF opinion to the probab-
ny nf' f'pe1cs'o or war, resulting from such u move
nient Your committee believe they urc called up
on 70 refomnend Preparation for the contingency
or wal, AZ the best mode of increasing the prob-
bitiss Of peace.
"If the State of South Carolina should ct any
time fInd It necessary, alone and unaided, to exer.
cise the indirputable right of secession, your COM
mtee conceive themselves warranted in the belief,
that the Federal pow er of coercion, so recently
aud insnltingly n,cnaccd against the State of Tex
| as, would be resorted to, to preserve the Union
unless restrained by the demonstration of power
in the State, to uindicate thot right. In order to
assume this attitude Of competent pouer, your
committee are agreed" &C.; and proceed to re.
commend the training of the militia, uud the an
preparation.
But Mr. Perrin, in his last article, whilst under
taking to give the report. omits altogether thnt
part of II which expresses the object and purpose
Of the appropriation, and ut the same time charpes
Abbeville with an unfair recital of it. Mr. Perrin
IS peculiarly unfortunate in his charges of unfair
ness For it SO happens, that in every instance in
which he has made such charge, it not only turns
out to be wholly gratuitous, but in the very act Of
muking it, he really, through inadvertance or 9th
erwise, subjects himself to the same charge.
In his first nrtice, he charges Abbeville will,
making "garbied extracts" Of the resolutions, be.
cause, he could see in them-what. to Mr. Perrin's
perception" was invisible-a pledge to resistance
by secession ;-and whilst, in tho very act of ma
king the charge, he really "garbles' the resolu-
tions himself, by omitting, altogether, the most
important one Of the three. And now, in his last
article, the charge is, That Abbcve "hus taken
part Of the report, and dwet upon particular words
IN It, SO as to give no adequate conception of the
whole; )" and in undertaking to give tho "whole,'
himself, he omts the only important and material
part contained in it-that which shows the object
for which tho appropriation is made. The purpose
for which the report is referred to- is, to show the
intention with which the Legislature made the ap
propraton of $3.50. 900; and yet that part of it
which declares that intention, in words as plain az
language can express, Mr.. Perrin entirely over
looks and omits. The omission, NO doubt, results
from an entire Misunderstanding of the report, or
Of the object for which it is cited. 1t 10 not in
the rcpoft merely that the nleIoe IN r..;sta,o. h