The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1855-11-09

cltllIlS OF juStlcc, ana disregard the sacred
guarantees Of the Constitution, rs to re-
quire her and her Southern sisters either to
submit to degradation, or to resort to the
most appalling alternativcs9
Yes: Georgia ac9uiesced, but she did it
upon terms. She put the world upon no.
tice that she had yielded the last inch to
the encroachments of Abolition fanaticism.
The South was then, as now, threatened
with the abolition Of slavery in the District
of Columbia, with the inhibition of the
Interstate Slave trade, with the cxtcllsion
Of the Wilmot Proviso over the Territories.
with the repeal Of the "Fugitivc Slave
law" and with the refusal to admit any
other slavcholdng State into thcUnion
Still, with these threats staring hcr.in the
face, she acquicsced, but proudly dcfcd the
execution of a single one of them. She sol.
cnnlv announced, "That the State of
Georgia, in the judgment Of this Conven-
ton, will and ought to resist, even (as last
rcsorO to disruption of every tic Which
binds her to the Union, any action of Con-
Grcss upon the subject of slavery in the
District Of Columbia, or in places subject
TO the jurisdiction of Congress, incompatible
with the safety, domestic tranquility, the
rights and honor Of the slavcholding States;
or amy refusal TO admit rs Il State any Ter
ritory hereafter applying, because Of the
existence Of slavery therein; or any act
prohibiting the introduction of slaves into
the Territories Of Ctah Or New Mexico or
any act rcpealin@ or materially modifying
the laws i'll force for the recovery Of fugitive
slaves" Such was the position she took in
oil In fh.,f
TO her involable sovereignty and her unsul-
lied honor. Il is her position to-day, re-
announced and re-aifrmcd, by the action of
both political parties, in their respective plat
forms; and true to her fame, her interests
and her rights, if she shall bc put to the
test, painful though it be, she will maintain
it cat all hazards and to the last extremity"
The last Congress organized Territorial
Governments for Kansas and Nebraska.
That act repealed the Missouri restriction,
Of which the South has complained for
moro than thirty years, and applied prac-
tically the principle OF the Compromise Of
1850, that the people Of the Territories
should determine the question Of slavery for
themselves. y large majority in Kansas
seem to be III favor Of tolcraing slavery,
and it is probable that at no distant period,
they will apply for admission into the I'm
ion as a slavcholding State. This brings
up the paramount question Of the dav,
compared with Which all others sink into
insigniticance. On the one hand, the Abo-
litionists and Free Solcrs threaten the re-
lection OF Kansas as slaveholding State;
OH the other, Georgia, in the lead of her
Southern confederates, who have generally
endorsed her position, stands pledged, if re-
jcctcd on that account, 'to resist, even las
last resort, to disruption of every tie that
binds her to the Union" The question is
how to secure her admission if she so apply,
and ut the same time preserve the integrity
of the Union {! The answer is simple.
The thing can be accomplished if patriot
ism shall rise superior to faction, and pas
sion be silenccd by the voice Of truth The
late elections in the Southern States demon
strate that the great majority of their pco-
pie arc willing to cooperate with and
stand by the sound constitutional men of
the North and West, If they, cschewing all
affiliation with Abolitionists and Free Soil
ers, will reciprocate with frmness and fdel-
ity. The Union can he preserved in no
other way. Events are prccipitating the
crisis.
1t is we'll that the North and South
should understand each other, and look the
issue full in the face. tlIink I can speak
for Georgia. She does not intend to sub
NIT to the rejection of Kansas "on account
Of slavery therein" She loves the Union,
she loves her rights, and she earnestly de-
sires to preserve both. But she is immov-
ably resolved to maintain her rights in the
Union if she can, out of the Union if she
must. She will not act rashly or hastily.
She feels and knows that the true men of
the North can save the Confedcracy by
maintaining the constitutional rights of the
South, if they will come to the rescue. To
them she appeals-not to tlIeir fears by
threats, nor to their sympathies by Iachry-
mose supplicatiop, but to their sense of
justice and patriotism, by the timely an
nounccmcnt Of her standing ultimatum of
1850. There is hope that the appeal will
not be in vain. Georgia remembers with
gratitude the forty-four Northern Demo-
Gratis who voted for the Kansas N ebraska
bill. She is greatly encouraged by the re-
cent demonstrations Of popular sentiment,
as exhibited, by the late elections. in Penn
sylvania and other non-slaveholding States
while the resolutions adopted by the late
Convention Of the National Democratic
party of New York, are well calculated to
strengthen her confidence. Z. In: q word, the
beacon light Of hope begins TO throw. its
beams again over the political sea, whose
ua oaaIn Al q IN on %.