The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-02-10
sUrHTERVTAEE, S. o., n FHlBEsUAEsY a G, ,ns52.


The Declaration of lndcl cndcncc
declares the States to be free, soyc.
reign and independent States. |
have heard it said that that was a
united declaration, and that, there
fore, it only meant that the states
were sovereign and independent uni
tcdly. The State l represent did
not wait for the Declaration Of lndc-
pendencc to establish her independent
existence. Neither did the rco) le
Of Virginia, nor the people Of New
Jersey. In March, 1776, the pco-
rlc Of South Carolina set up for
themselves government and con-
stitution Of their own. Pardon me
here, sir, if l digrcss and state how
they accomplished it. They were
not very scru]tuous concerning the
words traitors and dcmayoyucs. They
were intent upon things, and did not
fear the words rebel and traitor,
when they were Illuminated against
them. Not having arms, they de-
tcrmincd to seize twelve hundred
muskcts from the British arsenal at
night. 1t SO happened that the very
night they were to execute their III
tcntion, they heard the glorious news
of the battle Of Lexington. You
may easily imagine that it did not
dispirit them; but they marched in
upon the british garrison that night,
and seized twelve hundred muskcts,
an open. acknowledged act of treason.
They wanted powder, and seized
government vessel containing it, ~
ing at ST. Augustine, and supplied
themselves. y proposition was made
i'll their srlf:cols;ituted assembly, by
Arthur Middleton, to take the Brit
isl Governor, Lord William Camp
bell, into c,lstedy. 1t was nearly
carried; ami the Governor, finding;
the colony a bad place to be in,
tflSassgsht .iifsbss t ,te go tiiit MD SS,
cordih.ly lie went aboard tie British
sioop.oiwar Tanner, chen lying with
the Cherokee i'll Charleston bay. Our
ancestors were not satisfied to leave
him there; they determined to drive
linn and the vessels out of the bay,
and they accordingly organized
force to seize Fort Johnson. The
British military, seeing their design,
dismouutcd the guns aud went Oh
board the sloop.of war. The cannon
were soon rcmountcd, and Il battery
constructed The otl.cr side of the
bay, where Fort Moultrie now stands.
They opened q fire On the British
SHIPS, and drove them out Of the bay.
That was the way in which they got
rid ot' the British government and
Governor. They then met, and
formed constitution, Of which the
preamble set forth then wrongs and
grievances. They adopted this con
siitution Oh the 4th Of March prcvi-
Gus to the lth Of July, when the De
c!a'ation Of independence was made
and put into operation, the first con-
st!tutlom ever framed 10y Il free lco-
! lc for themselves since the ioulda-
ton Of the world. 1t is very true
that III that constitution it is avowcd
as necessary, because his Majysty's
servants had abandoned Tie colony,
and temporary, until they should
come back again: but iliat was III
imitation Of the policy pursued To-
wards James II, who, although drly-
eli from the throne, was dcclal ed to
have ab'!icatcd it. 1t was. III fact,
an assertion and establishment 0!
their independence Of the British
throne. Virginia, also, il Jnnc, be-
fore the united Declaration Of lnde
remdcncc, declared herself an indie
pendent state, and adopted hcl bill
Of rights. New Jersey did the same
Oh the Il Of July, two days before
the general Declaration OF lndcpcn-
drncc, and set UP 4 government Of
her own. Thus, sir, you sec that,
from the very foundation Of our
liberties, tic States took into their
own hands the custody Of their own
rights, and made themselves indcpcn
dent. Aud now, will amy man show
me where. in our subsequent history,
these States have surrendered a TT
tic of sovereignty? In their iiIst
bond Of union--lhc article of oonIcl.
eration--thcy distinctly declare that
leach State reserves itself its free.
dom, sovereignty and independence .
We're they surrendered by the exist
ing constitution Virginia, fearful
tliat some such false inference might
be drawn, declared, in her ratification
Of it, THAT the powers granted m-
der the constitution, being derived
from the people Ct the Ulited States,
may hc resumed by them Mhcusocvcr