The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1851-05-10

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that the right of selfgovernment was so sa-
cred in people, that tho emigrants in Cali
fornia had right to set up government
for themselves throughout that whole mag
niticent region, although owning not foot
OF the soil, deny to the people of South
Carolina the right they thus accorded to the
people of California, and force on them
Government they have repudiateda Could
the Northeastern Democrats, resting on the
limitations of the constitution, as their great
leader (Mr. Woodbury. has SC long and so
faithfully done, find any warrant in the Con-
stltution to coerce Il State How many
Senators from the South are prepared to try
! the strength Of the General Government in
coercing Southern State to remain in the
Union? There may bc two, and you will
not find it difficult to name them. NV
friends, | am satisfied that if South Caro-
lima thinks proper to go out of the Union,
she will 60 without single hostile gun be-
ing fred, or n single tombstone being erect
ed to tell a tale of martyrdom. On express
ing such conviction to distinguished officer
of our State, Immediately OH my return from
Washington, he exclaimed" No fighting !!
vel, that is the worst news / have heard for
a long time! How in the name of heaven
are we to get the Southern Confederacy 2"
| answered, "Bv just government and a su-
perior liberty" No. You will have no
fighting, and rejoice that the responsibility
is not with us, whether we shall have it or
not. We will have no fighting, not because
you are loved, nor from any principle which
restrains from shedding your blood. You
are hated, no doubt, quite enough to bring
on you any calamity which unscrupuIous
power, avarlce or fanaticism can inflict. But
there is policy in power. There is policy in
avarlce. There is policy in fanaticism; and
all these perceive, that to attempt to coerce
South Carolina in any way, is to secure their
own defeat, and Our speedy deliverance from
their degrading thrallom. They acquiesce
only in the necessity of things.
That this is the policy determined now in
| Congress may perhaps be stronger inferred
from two fscts-the army bill, proposing a
considerable increase of the army, and the
fortification bill, both failed in the House of
Representatives at the close of the last ses-
sion by large majorities. The election of
South Carolina to her convention had then
| distinctly indicated her future course.
But have heard it said tile General Gov
ernment will not blockade US entirely They
will only have foating custom house in
their ships of war off our coast, or exact the
duties ;aac: :!:c cannon Of the forts in our
harbor. wish to meet all objections.
BY this scheme of interfering with Our
commerce it is not, in the first place, easy to
perceive how duties can he collected on n
whole cargo in bulk in the hold of a shin.
10 collect the duties the ship must be un-
loaded, the goods he seen, to he appraised, or
seized if falsely invoiced, or not entered at
all, to evale the duties. All of our custom
house Jaws to prevent smuggling and the
evasion of duties are based on the irnposi-
bility of collecting duties on goods in bulk
in the hold Of a ship. If it is the establish
cd law that papers, without the inspection
OF goods, or captains statement of what !
his ship contains, are TO be the only proof
OF lnportatlons into Charleston, and the on
Iy criterion of the duties to be collected, the |
collection of duties will soon become a farce
Charleston will practically be free port
Even ten per cent duties will hardly be lev
led on our imports. But the true answer to
this mode of interfering with our commerce
49, that it will be war. In seeding from the
Union. South Carolina will exercise right
which she, at least, deems unquestionable.-
When she has dissolved her union with her
co-States, she puts an end TO her copartner-
ship with them-she puts an end to their
common agent, the General Government 50
far as she is concerned. So long as the Uu-
ion between them lasts, their common agent.
with her consent, and by no other means.
discharges the duties which, by the compact
OF the Constitution, she has agreed it shall
discharge. But with our separation from
the Union goes NIL our relations with the
other States of the Union. They are for.
eign nations, exactly on the same foot;no
as Great Britain orsFrance Their Govern
ment has no more right to interfere with our
commerce than the Government of Great
Britain or France. For either of these Gov
ernments to attempt TO collect taxes out of
us by forcibly controlling our commerce
on the high seas or in our harbors, is moth
ing more or less than levying military
contributions on us-makimg aoar. Or
course we will be compelled to fight with aIl
the means in our power, and with all the al-
lies we can command. We must storm the
forts If we can where this aggression is car.
ried OH, and capture the ships of war en-
Pioyed against us. 1t will be war on all
sides-war in the South to subject the South,
which will only end in Southern Confed.
eracy or the utter extinction of South Caro-
lima as State. If the Government holds
on to our forts merely as property belonging
TO the United States, it may be question
whether we ought not pay for anv property
our co'States, through the General Govern.
lnent rniuhf otvn in South |