Newbern weekly progress., 1860-12-18

/ We commune the puoHcaIlon OF meetings
held in the different counties of this State n
express the sentiments of the people on tba
present crisis.
IREDELL COUNTY.
We copy from the Express the following
proceedings ola meeting held in Iredell:
The people of ihe County of Iredell, irres-
pective of party, to the number of five OR six
hundred assembled at Statesvillc on Satu-
day Sth December, TO advise and consider the
condition of the Country and the proper course
for North Carolina to pursue in the present
emergency which threatens dissolution of
the American Union.
On motion of DIR. H. Kelly, the meeting came
to order by appointing DR.. R. L. Campbell
| Chairman, and requesting r. A. Mclaughlin
and Will p Drake to act as Secretaries
W. ?. Caldwell explained the object of the
meeting, and on his motion a Committe Was
appointed to report Resolutions.
Whereupon, the Chairman appointed the
following gentlemen: Col A. Mitchell. L. B
Drake, j. III. Mclaughlin, DR.. II. Kelly, W
NJ. Allison, David Waddell, Jno. Young, j. NJ
Lewis, Jno. Davidson. W. P Caldwell, \.
! Feimster, P. Gray
j. L. Pennington, Esq, Editor of the New
bern Progress, being present was then called
upon to address the meeting, which though
unexpected to him, he proceeded to do in
! speech OF great power and conclusive argument
in behalf of the Union, while he condemned ut
terly the Northern aggression which the
South had suffered, and urged, notwithstan-
| ding, that we should first endeavor to secure
our rights, in the Union, and if we could not
then for all the slave States to withdraw in a
body and be united in sentiment upon the sub
ject.
At the conclusion of Mr. Penuingtons speech,
the Committee upon resolutions retired, when
Rev. S. c. Mellin being called upon addressed
the meeting III a forcible manner upon the evils
| that must inevitably result from a dissolution
| Of the Union, and urged the Importance of
avoiding such an event if it were posi-
b1e without compromising the honor Of the
| South.
The Committee having returned reported
through Col. a. Mitchell the following resolu-
! tons, which were adopted una iimously:
ResoluGd, That the Constitution ot the Uni
ted States was framed by the men by whose
| firmness, patriotism and wisdom the American
! Revolution was conducted to successful ter
mination and the Independence OF the American
States was established. The triumph over the
| appalling difficulties and dangers encountered in
that great struggle, illustrates their sagacity,
constancy and love OF Freedom. They, after a
most thorough deliberation, under a sense of
solemn responsibility offered this their work to
! the people of the United States with the sin
| cere conviction that it furnished plan of I'm
| ion and Government best calculated to secure
| and perpetuate the liberties and all other ma
terial interests of the American people This
work was ratified by the people Of each one of
| the States, and since it has been the object of
| their enthusiastic devotion, and also the object
| of admiration throughout the civilized world
esteemed as most perfect model ola Govern
ment and distinguished monument Of politi-
| ical wisdom.
Resolced, That--before this Constitution
| was adopted, none was so poor as to do us
reverence, united we "stand against
| the world, then foreign commerce fear
fully tempted the highway Of nations-now our
national flag proudly floats in every sea, and
our commerce is unsurpassed by the most pow
erful and wealthy nations OF the earth The
! increase OF our population, accumulation of ma
! tional rcsOurces-the vast domain of nature
| subducd to the cultivation of man /; the pro-
! greSs of arts and science the energy and en-
| terprize in all industrial pursuits; the unintcr-
rupted enjoyment of Liberty the acquisition
of vast territories and addition of many new
States. These are proofs Of prosperity and ma
| tional progress that have no parallel in history
and We believe are evidence Of the excellent
adapt ,tion Of the National Constitution to the
condition o: tie States and the character Of the
people.
hex2!rc@, That the Constitution and Union
conceived in so much virtue and perfected VIII?
much wisdom, ratified hy the people of every
enthusiastically admired by the friends
of Constitutions i'll every land, and
productive Of so much NaissGel prosperity and
lsreatncss-iiave llndcsiab!c claims to the fer
vid attachment and earnest support, of the
People who have enjoyed ard arc still entitled 10
enjoy its bcnchtS-lnd they rightly cannot
sail them or falter in their support, except Tor
the most wei@hty considerations.
Resolred, That whoever would make dis
rupton of our National Union, for alleged
wrongs and injuries, should demonstrate
weishty, material and lasting wrongs clearly
resulting from the injurious operation Of the
|, Union, and remcdilesS tcjthiR lie Gni0n.
Reso1red, That we are aware a frienzied ia
naticism has inspired portion Of the people
of the Northern States with destructive mania
towards the slave property of the Southern
States, and that the political ascendency Of a
| sectional party in several of the Northern
States, has enabled them to eyincc their section
al animosity by acts Of Legislation injurious
| to the slave property of the South and also to
enale them to elect a sectional President of the
| Union: Still VIC believe that the danger of ag-
! greSsive measures from the sectional party Of
! the North, is chiefly threatening to the Border
| Safes of the South and that they protest
| against Disunion on this account; and they be-
! leve that secession out of the Union Is more
dangerous TO Cncln, Inan Northern aggression
| in the Union. We further believe that if the
people of the South and the friends of the I'm
| ion at the North would learn to consider that
| the welfare of the country is paramount to the
schemes of demagogues and of ambitions aspir-
ants and the spoils of ofice-and would unite
! for the mantainance of their common ri ghts
within the Union they would not fail to find in
resources of the Constitution and the Union
and in the virtue of their cause. the means Of
the most triumphant success.
Rcsolccd, That we cannot find in the Con-
| stitution in the circumstances attending
its adoption nor in the experience ofour nation
al Union, any grounds for the Constitutional
right claimed for any one State to secede from
the Union, when in her own separate judg-
ment she deems it expedent. And can
not at this time countenance any measures or
or listen to any suggestion that tends to the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of this Great Republic And
we will not be ready to lay ruthless hands up
on our present Constitution sever our pre-
sent National Union, until we can have some
reasonable assurance that, can be induced
| into other institutions whose future, without
greater burdens and fratrcidal discord, will