Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-05-16
South Carolina Convention.

address from the delegates of the Southern Rights As
sociaionS Of South Carolina, assembled in Charles
ton, to the Southern Rights Associations of other
southern States.
Having met to take counsel together, and having
agreed upon that course which think it right and
necessary to pursue, wish to lay before you the
considerations by which we have been governed,
with that frankness which our respect for you and
our desire to merit your good opinion require
We regard the position of the southern States IN
this confederacy as degraded and ruinous. The
manifest tendency of those systematic aggresslons
which thew have suffered for many years past is to
xnbvert the institution of slavery If those acts of
hostile domination which have been rendered more
insulting bv mockery of language, under the term
Of cnmnr0mise were final IN their nature, and were
not to be followed by any further aggressions, we
should still regard them as outrages to Whlch SOW
erpcn States possessing the spirit OF freedom ought
nnyer to submit But those measures on y form part
of a SYSTEM gradually commenced steadily earned
forward gathering strength from Development anu
proceeding with fatal momentum to It's emu nat
end is the abolition of negro slavery IN the southern
States and the lowering of the tree whlte popui"-
ton of the South to the same level with that agra
ran rabble which, already strong and dangerous
seems destined before very long to be the control
ling power in the northern States.
We see no remedy and no safety Tor the SCUM III
the present Union But know that IN this we
differ from very many citizens of the other southern
States--sprited and intelligent-havlng the same
interests and suffering under the same wrongs with
ourselves and who cherish the hope that the rights
of the South may be indicated and secured without
dissolving the existing confederacy. In this differ
ence it does not become us to to dictate, and
we hope to stand free from that charge Up to this
time the citizens of South Carolina, aware that Pc
cuary of political position arising from past events
rendered certain reserve their part prudent and
nroper have studiously avoided everything which
might look like assuming the lead in the defence Of
southern rights. They desired to act, because they
believed that safety and honor required action but
IL IL G,1
States whom they might follow in defence of the
common cause. When the ancient Commonwealth
of Virginia. the proper leader of the South declared
her determination to resist, at all the hazards and
to the last extremity hostile then threat
ened, South Carolina with all alacrty stood ready
to support Virginia in carrying out her high resolu
ton When Georga-whose former resistance to
federal usurpation, under her heroic statesman,
Troup, gave promise of unfinching frmness in any
contest in which she might engage-proclaimed her
determination to make stand for the rights of the
South. South Carolina rejoiced at the prospect OF
rallying under the banner of Georgia. And when
her young and gallant sister, Mississippi, proposed
the wise measure of Southern Convention, for the
purpose of endeavoring to unite the southern States
in maintaining their constitutional rights and at
the time preserving, if possible, the existing
Union, South Carolina heartily entered into this
measure; and she has carried out the recommends
ton of the convention assembled at the instance
&C Mississippi by providing for the election of dele
gates to southern congress, to whose meeting she
still looks with anxious interest
In all these proceedings we think that the citizens
of South Carolina have evinced all proper anxiety
to avoid the appearance of arrogance dctation to
act in concert with the citizens of the other south
ern States, and to do nothing separately or precp
iately. And now, strongly as we have expressed
our belief that there is hope for the South in the
existing Union 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 OBJ
fort ho anHc tha fin
ture, without dissolution of the existing Union, il
there be possibility of such consumation.
But we find ourselves forced to consider the ute
rior question: what to do if we find that there
is reasonable hope of the cooperation of any 9th
southern State in any efectual plan of relief and
the alternative is presented to US of submitting OF
acting by ourselves =! And, reluctant tc
separate ourselves from natural friends and al
lies, we have made up our minds-we cannot sub
nit We know that South Carolina entered this
confederacy a sovereign and independent State
and that, having been wronged she has the perfect
right to withdraw from it. Her must exercise
the right and meet the consequences. If no Other
State will Join US in relieving ourselves from the
wrongs already inflicted, We no hope in waiting
for outrages to arouse higher spirit of resis
lance
The new outrages, we'll convinced, will
come in due time but feel no assurance that the
spirit of the vassal will rise in proportion to the in
dgnitieS heaped upon his head. On the contrary
would not for moment have submitted to ten years
ago, and what the North would not then have ven
tured to perpetrate We are not willing to try thu
experiment how long it will be before spirit i
completely broken, by gradually and continual,
yielding to slow and gradual, but unceasing en-
croachments. And if the exercise of the right @
secession is to be followed by the attempt the par
of the government of this confederacy to subjugat
South Carolina, it is better that should meet tina
attempt while still have spirit and SOM
power of resistance left If we are to submit to tn
condition of conquered people, think it less dis
honorable not to do so until we have first been con
quered And if anything could add to the necessit
which we believe exists for withdrawal from tn
existing Union, it would be the denial of the RICH
of secession for the denial of that right indicate
of itself extreme danger. The right of secession
has heretofore, and in better days. been REGARDED
as unquestionable by all southern politicians, witt
the exception of an inconsiderable number of con
solidationists; and if that right be de
MED without arousng the whole South to sustain it
the South will be ripe for the most miserable fat
which has ever befallen any people. 1t will then
permanent sectional minority, have defenc
against the tyranny of government combining a.
the vices of the corruptest democracy and the mos
oppressive foreign despotism.
We know the consequence which will follow
failure in our effort to maintain our liberty. W
clearly that a triumphant exertion of the powe
of the federal government in subjugating a Stat
will vastly increase that power, and greatly accel
crate the change, already far advanced of our fed
erative system into consolidated central despotsn
We see, also, that South Carolina will not suffer tn
consequences of this change alone but that the
of the southern States must suffer in equal de
gree They will have no safeguard against the cen