The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1851-04-19
Reply to Mr.. Perrin. Continued.

Rcply 10 Nlr. PCrr1n...COMtinUcd.
We now proceed to consider the acts Of the last
Legislature, in connection with the resolutions ,f
'46 and '49.
We have already shown, from the resolutions,
'h"t III 1913 "thc time for discussion had passed.
anu tsat Tie State was prepared to resist "te aI-
pllcat'on of the principles Of the Wilrnot Provs,"
with or without co-nperaton, uud sat any and ey
cry hazard;" that in ~, "the period for decisive
action had arrived" and that etl,e pcopc of tb;s
State,' entertaining can ardent desire and fired
determination to- resist the lnwlcss encrouch,n,nts
Oh Congress-, had authorized the Governor us,u
the passagc oi the Willnnt Proviso or anv kindred
measure, FORTHWITH to convene the Legislature
in order to take such sicps us tile rights, utercs,s
and honor of the State" dr,rnntc.l. And that bv
the last resolution Of 40, the Legislature had fur
ther solc'nny resolved, that upon the adoption of
the Win'ot Provi%' "the rights, interests and honor
Of the State" demanded that ..tl,c Union" .ho,,d
"bc dissolved" und that Soutl, Carolina .,ooull,
dissolve it by secession.
In the fall of 1850, the principles of the Wim,t
frovis' were applied to California, by the exclusion
OF slnvcry from the whole territory by net of Con,
gress' and by no other authority. The Governor,
as requested, did not convene the Legislature and
why7 Bccauae the Legislature would soon
be in session. This new Legislature, fresh from the
people, elected after the admission of Cos,rn;s.
and expressly with reference To action by the State.
convened in November last aud what did /, do
Did 1t merely make further resolves to resistance.
and publish additional pledges to Cooperate with
other Stntes?p No; it ceased to resolve, and com.
= called a convention of the pec=-
ple-it invoked the ~ereign power Of the Suite.
And for what was this convention called? Was
1t simply for the purpose Of doing nothing at all
Was it to be assembled merely for the purpose of
prociuining, like the Georgia convention, our sub.
mission to past wrongs, and empty threats to
resist future nggressons7 Was it intended that the
convention should meet, merely .'to publish man.
lfesto Jay down platform and sound the alarm, :,
and that, too, in the face Of our repeated decara
t'ens, "thnt the time for discuss;on had passed r.,
~ Eas merely to re-enact the ridicuous farce,
which, Mr.. Perrin would have us believe, the Leg
snture has been rcheursing for the last three wears
make solemn declaration to our sister Stutes.
that we nre Prcpurcd tn Cooperate with them, if
they coosc to resist, but if they prefer .o submit,
Sd will we? ,rt- .,,-a
The convention was called to cary ,;oit. sliat
fired determination to resist the luvlest escsoaeh-
mens Of Congress-" expressed in the rssolaa6ssso al
'49-to take thpt 6npl and "lre:s;s. actioo. " ~
long assore spoken Of and contemplated. 1t was
oas,sd Wt6ttske care that the commonwealth Of
! ssath e'aJolsa atEss detrimcnt" Now how is
linn isgset this object7 Mr.. Perrin
admits fhslassssbsSSs, injuries und insultsn hovo
been heapcd fiifissa'us by Congress and the no,-
slnveholdng Stntes "suficient to jurify any course
of action" on part. How then, is the conven-
ton to redress these "wrongs, injuries and insults ~
Gan the convention restore us to that perfect equal
ity in the Union, from which we have been dcgra.
ded! 1t cannot; but it can give us independence
out OF the Union; it can sever the tic that binds
us to the confedcracy; it can "rcaune the powers
delegated to the United Suites for special purposes,
and this is the only mode in which, the convention
can stake care that the commonwealth suffer mn
detrimcnt"
Now, If the purpose for which It was called, can
be accomplished, only by giving us Independence
ont OF the Union" then the act calling the conven-
ton IT, ITSELF the strongest pledge to secession, that
could possibly have been given by tho Legislature
unless Mr. Perrin be prepared to retract all he has
sad about ''wrongs, injuries and insults received
by us, and to maintain that we have .'suifcr.d mn
detriment" .-.
And in this very act, calling the convention, there
is conclusive evidence that the Legislature do not,
like Mr. Perrin, regard pledge or offer to co-ope.
rate, and a pledge to resistance by secession, as
''inconsistent" For in the same net, the Leeiaa-
tre have also provided for the election of Delegates
to Southern Congress, which 10 to convene prior
to the meeting Of the convention and has proyi-
ded that the convention, when It does assemble,
shall, in the frst place, consider "the proceedings
and Recommendations Of this Congress, If the same
shall meet and Be held" and then, "further to take
into consideration the general welfare Of this State,
in view Of her relations To the laws and
Of the United Suites, and thereupo.,, to take care
that the commonwealth Of Sout, Carolina suffer
ITO deirimcnt ;"-thus holding out, until the very
last moment before separate State action, an offer
to our sister Suites to corporate with them.
1t Is evident, then, that the Legislature did not
consider the two pledges as inconsistent with each
other, when in the same act, calling the convention
that is to take the final step in seeession, thew
make express provision TO redeem the pledge given
10 our sister States to cooperate" by going with
them into the Southern Congress; and for that
purpose have postponed the assembling of the con.
vsntien until the Congress "shopd meet and be
eid'-or foil to meet-thoreby, providing at the
same time for cooperation, II il could be procured,
aud 1t eoud not for action by the State separate.
lyand alone. l. is slso apparent from this act,
that whiIs. "the convention is, in any event and
under, Any circumstances, to take action for the