The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-11-13
SOUTH CAROLINA NOT A UNIT FOR DIS.
UNION.
The Clergy Against the Press.
PROM REV. MR.. HEMPHIIL.

LETTER FROM REV MIR. HEMPHIII.
From the Due West Is. c. Telegraph September 81.
We deprecate the election of Fremont, and
still hope it will not be effected if he is, how.
ever, we would be willing, as we said before, to
try him q sohiIe, and we are sure that the Times
and others, who are so rampant for disunion, will
lind, when the pinch comes, that thousands,
even in South Carolina, as we'll as the Preach.
err" will be willing to try the Pathfinder while,
rather than bring all the evils on the country
and the world that we predict OF two evils,
they will choose the least. But suppose he is
elected, and we dissolve the Union? Are we
ready?
l. Are we ready to cast off the Democrats
and others who are battling for the rights of the
South, if they do not quite carry this election
Here, in South Carolina, we are as placid as the
Dead Sea, while in the North thousands on thou
sands are spending time, money, and energies,
IN lighting for our rights and their own. Shall
we disown them and cast them off if they fail by
few thousand votes to elect the right man for
Presidenty AS soon as we dissolve the Union,
these millions, now contending with us and for
us, will no longer be bound to stand by us and
the Constitution. Can we afford to throw such
q multitude of tried friends over to the ranks
OF the enemy? Would it be safe? would it be
grateful?
z. If the dissolution of the Union would bring
war-not war of one year, but of ten or TWEEN
ty years-are we ready for the contest? Where
are our gun factories? our cannon foundries
our shot factories? powder mills ? our ships of
war? and where are our men? In the whole
State of South Carolina, at the last census,
there we're 6sS, 507 inhabitants, black and white.
AT the same time, in the city of New York alone,
the population was 5l5,574.
As far as regards numbers, wealth, arms, and
shipping, New York city itself would be more
than match for the whole white population of
South Carolina. But if we are able to overthrow
that one GUY, or the city 20 overcome us, VINO
but bold fanatic would desire to see either
event accomplished? Every good man recoils
at the thought of such disaster.
Lastly, where is the money to come from. to
carry on this interminable war? When we
commenced the war with Mexico, it required
ten millions to start With. Where could we
raise one million to begin the civil war CON.
templated? Where?
Maj. W. d. Wilkes traversed South Carolina
from the seaboard to the mountains to raise
funds for Kansas. And what did LIE raise? In
bis Reasons Tor Leaving Kanses" he says
"Of public and private funds, I received the
sum of $5,S9O.53i" A pitiful sum. Are wa
ready for disunion? for long civil war-a
war which would require our best men, and
millions of money-which would stop the farm.
ing operations in measure, cripple commerce
destroy religion, and more than likely put an
end to Slavery and Freedom too?
No. We will stand by the Union and the
Constitution. We will stand bv the friends
that are standing by us this day in the North.
And what is mere, we will stick to the Aboli
tionsts themselves like wax, and if we have to
fight them, well fight them in the Union, and
not out of it; for, if we demand what is only
fair, we will always have party in the North
to fight with us; but if we dissolve the Union.
our Northern friends will, of course, forsake us
| when we bluff them off. To conclude, we are
dead down against dispnion. n.