Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-12-14

cargo, and VIC will no longer be tributary t.
the North. We will then have this poor
barren, bleak manipulating, not producing
section, laid suppliant at the feet Of the South
the cry of abolitonisln will have no more
potency than a puppy's whine. But our
peace will not only he attained, an impetus
will be given to southern manufactures, that
will place us independent Of the world.
While the factories of Lowell, Lynn and
Springfield will become the haunts Of bats
and owls, those of the southern States will
be vocal with the hum Of life-giving trade.
Let non.intercourse be enforced by fines and
penalties, that shall make it fiji, perfect and
complete Let the State send commission
| Of two of her ablest and most talented citi-
zens TO the Executives and Legislatures OF
the southern States 10 urge the adoption OF
similar laws, as well as to confer with those
States as to the propriety of Immediately
summoning convention Of the southern
States to decide upon the future course Of
the United South.
"Non-intercourse," as the Enquirer con-
tends, is the first and best remedy which the
South can employ to protect itself from the
insults, the dangers, and the wrongs, to which
it is exposed, by the aggressive antisavcry
fanaticism Of the North; for it would bring
| about almost the same relations in trade be-
tween the two sections OF the Union, which
dsunion would produce, and teach the North,
what We fear it will not believe, until the fact
is demonstrated, that the Union is worth III.
tnltely more to it, in dollars und cents, than
it is to the South. The South has often threat
ened the North, with declarations Of CONNER
cial independence, which she has treated as
empty threats, asserting that the South never
can be commercially independent OF her I'M
til she can manufacture and carry for herself,
and that she can never do either AZ long as
she employs slave labor. And there has al
ways been large party at the South, ready
to treat the suggestion of commercial nom
intercourse with the North the same way.
But this party is Just now smaller than 1T
ever was, and if Virginia can devise plan,
which can be enforced, by which she can
break the chains Of that commercial and in
dustrial vassalage to the North in which she
and her sister States Of the South have been
bound SO. long, there are other southern States
which are ready to adopt it and carry it out.
But, we have republished the preceding en-
tracts from the Enquirer, for the purpose,
particularly, of endorsing the suggestion which
they contain, that convention Of the south
ern States should be called for tue purpose Of
adopting some line Of policy, III the present
critical condition Of affairs, upon which they
may act as unit. Such a convention, it
seems to us, is absolutely necessary, if we
desire to preserve the Union, and at the same
time protect our rights.
The Union, as every man of any tliacerll-
ment must perceive, is weaker to-day, in the
affections of the people Of the South, than it
has ever been. Its enemies are confirmed in
their hostility tu it, and even those who have
claimed to be its friends, as the paramount
political good, arc ready to abandon it, Us
something which is worse than worthless to
She South. These lamerta5lc facts may Se
traced to the recent affair at Harper's Ferry,
and to some OF the results which have fol-
lowed it. That affair, in ITSELF was con-
temptible effort to excite servile insurrec-
ton at the South, which ended in the mpst
signal failure. But, it has been followed by
manifestations of The feelings and opinions Of
the northern public, in reference to slavery,
which have cXaspcrated the people Of the
Suuth, exhausted their lorbearancc, and weak
encd the ties which have heretofore buund
them to the Union, through thirty years Of
continued insult and oppression from the
North. They expected, from the North, all
outburst of horror at the bare attempt Of
old John Brown to overthrow the General
Government, by deluging the South with
blood, and an indignant protest against the
suspicion of sympathy or completely with
him. In these reasonable expectations they
have brcn disappointed. The North has
openly avowed its sympathy with old john
Brown--has made deHi-god of the vulgar
vagabond who has been guilty Of all The
crimes in the Code, from petit larceny to
treason and after hu has died tho death of
criminal on Tue gallowS has canonised him,
in its presses and its pulpitS, rs Il myrtyr and
a saint, and declared that his conduct WAS
worthy Of Christian bcnison, instead Of shame
full death. Such has been the response Which
has come to the people of the South frtm
their brethren Of the North, i'll reference To
the llarper$ Ferry affair, and it has convinced
them that they cannot long continue in union
with such Joseph's brethren, unless they can
use with them some argument, stronger than
the obligations of comfy or the Constitution.
In this state of public opinion at the South,
convention Of its people might unite them
upon some policy, defensive and aggressive.
which would protect them in their rights.
and so restrain them from a resort to disunion,
Let the Virginia Legislature call such a con-
vention, and the people Of the South, what
ever their Legislatures or Executives may do,
will be representedin in it.-Augu'ta Corstitu-
tionalist.