Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-11-13
Speech of Hon. J. H. Hammond,

uouplc tribute, though nearly all the trade
OF the United States with ENGLAND is bas-
cd on southern products
Thus has the South, by her energy and
ability, disposed of the capital grievances
against which she protested, with slmost
nan her public men against her, in 1928.
Durlng this time our opponents have twice
Wfcsted The government from us, and in
hicted other injuries, but they were soon
stripped OF their power and their acts re-
pealcd. Only four times since the organic
alton of this government has the North had
possession oft, and in each case only for
one term. The North has never united
long on any policy The injuries inflicted
ON the South have been mainly Inflicted by
her own ambitious, factious, and divided
public mcn, and our history proves that no
man and no measure has yet been strong
enough to stand against the South when
united believe none ever will.
Butit is thought that the abolitionists-a
Suppostion still credited by some of this
country-will inevitably get the power ofthis
government permanently into their hands,
and, backed by the opinion of tho world, use
1T tor our destruction Let us consider what
arc the facts. From the time that the wise
and good Las Casas first introduced into Am
erica the institution of African slavery-I say
Institution, because it is the Oldest that OK.
lists, and will, believe survive all others
that now tlourish--it has had it's oncmics-
For a long while they were chiefly men Of
pcculiarand eccentric religious notions Their
first practical and political success arose from
the eonvulsions OF the French revolution,
which lost to that empire its best colony
Next came tho prohibition Of the slave trade
tho excitement of the Missouri Compro-
mise IN this country, and then the deliberate
emancipation of the slaves in their colonies
ny the British gorernmontin in 1881. About
tho time OF the passage OF that act, the aboh.
ton agitation was revived again in thi. coun-
try, and abolition societies we're formed.
rcmember the time well, and come OF Won do
also And what then was the state of opin-
ION IN the South? Washington had emanci-
patcd his slaves. jefferson had bitterly de-
bounced the system, and had done all he
could to destroy it, Our Clays, Marshalls
Crawiords and many other prominent south
orn men had led off III the colonization move
ment. The inevitable effect in the South
was. that slio believed slavery to be nh evil
weakness, disgraceful-nay, sin. She
shrunk from the discussion of it, She COW
cred under every threat. Che attempted to
apologize, to excuse herself ander the plea
which was truc-that England had forced it
on her; and in fear and trembling she avail
ted doom that she deemed inevitable. But
few bold spirits took the question up; they
compelled the South to Investigate it anew
and thoroughly, and what il the result?
Why, it would be difficult to find now a
southern man who feels the system to bc the
slightest burthcn on his conscience; who does
not, in fact, regard it as au equal advantage
to the master and slave, eevatinS both as
wealth, strength and power; and as ono of
tho main pillars and controlling Influences of
modern civilization; and who is not now pre-
pared to maintain it at every hazard Such
have been for us the happy results of this
abolition discussion So far, our gain has
been immense from this contest, savage and
malignant as it has been. Nay, we have sol
vcd already the question of emancipation by
this re-eXamination and explosion Of the false
theories of religion, philanthropy and polti-
cal economy which embarrassed our fathers
III their day. With our convictions and our
strength, emancipation here is simply an i'm
possibility to man, whether Nv persuasion,
purchase or coercion The rock of Gibraltcr
does not stand 50 firm on its basis as our slave
system. For quarter of century it has
borne the brunt of n hurricane as fierce and
pitilcss as ever ragged. At the North and in
Europe they cried ''havoc," and let loose up
on us all tho dogs Of war"
And how stands it now? Why, in this
very quarter of a century our slaves have
doubled III numbers, and each slave has more
than doubled in value. The very negro, who
as prime lab0rer. would have brought four
hundred dollars, in 1928, would now, with
thirty more years upon him. sell for eight
hundred dollars. What does all this mean !?
Why, that for ourselves, we have settled this
question OF emancipation against all the
world, IN theory and practice, and the world
must accept our solution. The only inquiry
Is, how long this ncw-found superstition will
survive, and how far it may carry its votares
elsewhere? What changes in production, in
commerce. IN society or government it may
effect! For production, commerce, society
and government, must yield and change when
ever they come III contact with tile great fun
damental principle OF tho subordination of
the inferior to the superior man--as made by
God and especially Of the colored to the
rnitc races. 1t is, say, only through the
evils that this superstition may bring unon
other peoples, and especially on those of the
North and of Europe with whom we are so
closely connected, that the South can he ma
teria!ly damaged by it, standing as she now
does, firm, assured, united. How, then, is it
with others?
Permit me to say that, in my opinion, the
tide Of abolition fanatcsm has begun to ebb
everywhere, and will never rise again When
the English freed the negroes in their colo
ncs, 1T was not wholly a sentimental move
ment, dictated by political radicals and the
saints of Exeter Hall. Her statesmen, in
their ignorance, thought that what is called
free labor--that is, wages slayery"-would
succeed in tropical culture, as we'll or better
than slave labor. In their arrogance they
1n! al t,,lI en-