Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-04-29
From thes c@efinfan, a7tlii inst. :.
The State feaCOnVcntiOn.

itol. nj 70 O'Clock, snL IN. On motion of MIR. Z.
Bellingcr,z zir:, HonsDsI4 Wardlaw was call
ed to'the ,chair, and RsJ. Darant, esq, ap-
pointed secretary. The members present
then proceeded to%enrof their names, and a
committee aas ppdiatedSEto verify the crt :
dentials ofsthe members spresent. MIR. Del-
linger, from said eammittee, reported that
there were dclegnsessfrom all.the districts
present, except ST. Georges. Dorchester, ana
that. one hundred :ssnd .forty.seven members
had enrolled; their names :,
On motion of AffssE. Bellinger, jr., the
Convention procee edga ito ballot for Prcsl.
dent, and, tlie votes being counted, his Excel
1lency Gov leans was found to have
received 36 rotes scattering z.
ii On motion df Me- Bond Iona commit
tee Of. three, consisting of Messrs. John Can
teY, w. f. DeSausslre, and W. A. Ovens,
was appointed to escort the President elect
to his sent The committee returned with
the President, andstGea Convention received
him standing. TIE President, on taking his
seat addressed sthe Convention us follows:
Gentlemen Df the Contention:
AlthoughsI am5fuilyawae that / am in
debted more TONY official station than to any
merit ofmy own for the distinguished honor
YOU have CONTRADICTION me, yet / must be
permitted t0 express;my profound gratitude
10 you foDr; having honored that station in my
person. Unaccnstomed rs am to.parlir-
mentary s,lsages,a should be disposed to
shrink .from.lhe eposiiion!y have assigned
me, but that ] fee assured that will be sus-
tanned and assisted in the discharge of its
duties by the. ,sSnc Kindness which has
prompted you 10 bes.ow,it upon me. While
.l am: fully alive to- responsibilities, trust
feel still deeper the solemn responsibility
which rests upon me rs 4 member OF this
Convention. syNehaye met together clothed
in the sorercignp0&er of the land. The
voice of this C0nfention, when it speaks,
must be potential Ifor good or for evil. How
prudence, how much caution and delbcra-
ton does it beeeme5 us to use before we act!
It is useless for:me to enter into detail OF
the peculiar circumstances under which we
have met; asmere allusion tothem is sufli-
cient, to bring tossour minds the fact that
they are full of3embarE'ssment. We cen
tainly have a most delicate part to act; one
which we canpot:perform with credit to our
selves, or with holoF:to the State, unless we
are buoyed BY adevoted patriotism above
the petty considerations of party strife, of
personal ambition,'ors whichis even worse
and more to- be-deprecated, vindictive fee
i.iir=s 10 each other because we differ in orn-
ion. Tie; external circumstances by which
we ore surrounded ifearfully admonish us
that we have no strength to waste in internal
feuds. The very dangers of our position
call loudlynponE JUS to be united. But, un-
fortunately for .us and the great cause of the
South, We are not united. We have been
divided and distracted by, the convulsive
throes of party strife. The great question
oil. our wrongs has: been, forgotten amid our
wranglings as t9Sthe remedy. Willie this
state of things exists amongst us, the fen.
dish fanaticism, of an abolition spirit, which
tramplcs dllElaw;S bofh humane and divine
under foot, is stefdily moving forward TO-
wards the accomplishment Gifts ends. II
we intend mot sbaseiy 10 desert the cause ir
which sp,es shage beenlso long engaged, and
finally. submit s4anr degradation and ruin
Tsi q IS cts
surround us, more gloomy arc those
,wieh Threatens nsifrom our internal cnmmo
1tions. IF VIC are united, ,5we ncc1 fear no
danger. The. Justice of our cause, and oul
strong arms wilrbe suficicntto protect us
.Butfif, .nsthesm smaduess of artyasritc, we fall
upon EACH o,herm forget the common enc.
my, an easy victory will be accomplished BY
them; aivictofs tmhichsMill. bring ruin and
disgrace upon u.s.. The very first object of
this Convention Should he to heal these di.
visions. i viii not presume to suggest the
coarse which vii, be proper for You to pur-
sue TO accomplish this great object, and to
maintain the honor and dignity Of our be.
loved State. X This must be matter of con-
snltation and delberation TheintelIigence.
the patriotism, the dignity of this body is an
earnest that that. course will be one which
will involve no sacrifice of principle; one,
the object of Which will be TO promote the
best interests of, our State. We meet to-
gethcr as members Of one common family,
whose interest, honor, and destiny arc the
same. A deep; devotion iosour country ard
its institutions should be the polar star to
guide us in our,4cOurse.- The arm of our
State, ENTHUSIASTICALLY strong and ready
to strike, has been 'paralyzed alone by our
Edissensions. Let Us heal them at once, that
with firm and united strength we may meet
the enemies 4of:6nr institutions. Upon the
union of our Stale, I'socmnly believe, de-
pends our destiny,
Mr.. DeSaussife submitted that upon an
occasion which so deeply concerned the hon
GRAND interest ofthe Statc,t was fit that the
proceedings Of 4he Convention should be
opened by an humble supplication TO the
throne of Divine Grace to enlghtcn our
counsels and direct our course. Wherefore,
he moved that che Rev. Mr.. Colt, member
and delegate from Chesterfield, be requested,
on behalf Of this Convention to address the
throne Of Divine Grace. g
Mr. Colt having officiated. on motion of
Mr.. E. Bellinger. jr, it was ordered that The
Convention on!eafh day be opened BY prayer.
On motion of thelsame gentleman, the Con-
rention, proceeded to ballot for Clerk, Mes
sepger and do ofkecpcr. J.eA. Strobhart,
esq, was elected Clerk, B. l. Hayes Mes
senger, and B. .oNeill Doorkeeper.
On motion of:DIr. Burt, a Committee of
five, consisting Of Nlessrs. Burt, Nance, II.
G. Young, Buchaiian and Harlee was appoin-
ted to contract for the printing Of the pro-
ceedings Of theC Convention. Several orders
in relation to the hour of meeting, printing,
&c, were adopted. -...,s.s.54zl.
Mr.. Jamison, delegate from Orange, arose,
and in a feeling manner, announced the death
of his colleague, Capt D. Rowe. On his
,1,,ts