The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-05-28

conclusion the; Southern mind can be
Brought, we have every confidence in the
accomplishment of the purpose which is
nearest to our heart-the preservation OF
the rightsro the States and the perpetua.
ton of-the Federal Union. We know that
sorne.of our friends oppose; any propositions
to amend the Constitution,' under the ap.
prehension that moro harm than good will
result from the precedent. They think it
unwise to begin the work Of amendment
but if we, do not begin it for our protection
now while we have sufficient strength per-
haps to accomplish that object, have we
any guarantee that an aggressive majority
will not begin it in very few years for the
purpose of,legalizing their assaults T., -
The balance of power in the Senate is
lost, or will be lost in a very few years. A
glance at the map of the United States Ter
ritories is only necessary to satisfy us that
in few fectiug years the on,slaveholding
States will be invested with full power to
amend the Constitution as they will. Can
We doubt, after the. experience of the last
year in the rapid concentration ofsectional
strength upon such mere man of straw as
John @. Fremont, that as soon as the pow:
er is attained it will be exercised What
then, is to protect us from such amendments
to the Constitution as will invest the FEEDER
al Government with power to emancpate
our slaves, and that power once attained,
can we doubt that the fate Of Jamaica and
Hayti, is reserved for our clildrcn9 IT. now,
we can so amend the Constitution as TO
provide that no such power shall ever be
conferred upon the General Government,
except by the same unanitnity which is al
ready required to, deprive any State, that
danger might be obviated. If the Consli-
tuition be not now amended, to curtail the
growing power Of the Central Government,
as sure as the sun will rise upon the NOR
row, so surely will it>be amended, if the
Union continue SO long, to increase that
power.
If the States Of the South now fear to ask
amendments for their protection, how long
will they be better able to resist amend
ments for their subjection DO not; the
muttered thunders of Northern indignation
at the Dred Scott decision. already give
earnest Of the coming? Is it not wise, is it
not cminently prudent, for us to insist now
upon a revision of the articles Of the Union,
while we are capable of withstandng as
sault-when with every day comes increas-
ing comparative weakness and, with that
increasing weakness, comes in geometri-
cal ratio the disposition to assail and sub.
due9 The Constitution was the offspring
of similar wisdom upon the part of our
forefathers. The old Articles of Conieder-
alton, which were the first articles of Union
between the several States, were found in
sufficient to accomplish the object forwbich
they were adopted; and the severance of the
Union they established was foreseer, ,as. very
imminent by the wise men Of that day
They did not recoil from. the discussion and
consideration of the danger, but. anticipa-
ting the. catastrophe, Virginia invited the
co:opperation Of her sister States, in recon-
sidering and rediscussing the basis of Union,
and from that reconsideration and redseus.
sing arose-the present. Constitution.
Z