Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-12-22
SATURDAY. DECEMBER %. 1860.
South CAROLINA.

We published, in our telegraphie column,
yesterday, the ordinance of secession adopted
by the Convention of South Carolina on the
10th inst, declaring athat the ouion now ex-
listing between South Carolina and the other
States under the name of the United States
of America IS dissolved?' The ordinance is
exceedingly brief, simply connecting the
above declaration with a repeal of the ordi-
nance of May %, 17ss, ratifying the Federal
Constitution, and the several acts Of Assem-
bly, ratifying amendments to the Constitu-
ton.
This action viii be followed up by steps
of course, to organize and sustain a sepa-
rate independent Government. The conven-
ton has already provided for the appoint
ment of commissioner to negotiate with the
Federal Government for retrocession Of the
forts, magazines and other Federal property
in the States. 1t has also provided for COM
missioners to the several Southern States, to
ask their cooperation in the formation of a
Southern Confederaey, This latter move
ment comes with bad grace from the State
which scornfully refused to accept any sort
of conference with her Seathern sisters be-
fore her act of secession, and might. on the
usual delicacy of international punctilio.
Justify them in waving back her am6assa-
doris, on their approach. Throughout her en-
tire programme thus far South Carolina has
shown her repugnance to cooperation, and
an utter blindess and deafness to the duties
and obligations towards her sisters, arising
on the great moral and juridcal principle that
binds individuals and friendly tates alike.t to
so use their powers and possessions as not to
conflict with the well-being of their neighbors-
She has openly suspected many of the South
ern States of being unfaithful to their own
interests and rights, and has denounced them
as being unworthy of trust and confidence
And now, after she has chosen TO take that
mcmentous leap out of the Union, with an
inconsistency scarcely compatible with a
sound mind, or sound morality, turns AID in
vites those unworthy sisters to follow her. If
she could not trust them before, how can she
do so now? IF their counsel and consuita-
ton were worthless then, what new credit or
value can they have obtained by the act of
secession on 1eT part! Inc idl4OudA iutSi-
probation is that she was dissatisfied with the
Union, and had made up her mind to go out
of it-sClitary and alone-go out she would
In doing so she has, to all practical intents,
treated the Northern States and the other
Southern States precisely alike and with
equal disrespect; and if the circumstances
surrounding them were the same, she has as
good right to expect Massachusetts, to fol-
low her as Alabama She has simply adopt
ed the "dragoOning system"-whieh it re-
mains to be seen how the other Southern
States will accept.
It is true that secession on paper Is moth
ing of itself. What is to follow is the sub
stance of the matter. What she will do IN
the event of failure of her negotiations for
a retro-cession of the Federal property with
in her borders; how she will act with refer
ence to the collection of duties by the FEEDER
al Government; what sort of government
she proposes to construct for herself; how she
proposes to sustain it, &C., &c, are questions
which she will have to answer. They are
not only important to her, but to all the
Soutbern States. She has inaugurated a des-
perate game, in which we all have great
but involuntary stake, and We trust that she
will be permitted to play her hand, before We
are requested to go any ''better-"