The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-10-26
Serenade nt AndarEon.

others, Gen. $, MciowAS was called rpon Mt
the Benson llouee. The following is the report
of his remarks
Gen. McGownn after being repeatedly called
! for, appeared upon the balcony, and made
few remarks. lie returned his sincere thanks.
but supposed the compliment was intended
moro for the good old District oc Abbevile,
than for himself as the intelligence had just
reached us, that that District had returned hin,
to the Legislature.
lie said this day the genera! election in South
carolina had been declared, and true to her
! character for dcv votion to principle, we could
say with the utmost confidence, that she had
declared unanimously for Breckenridge and
! Lane. He was proud to be able to say, that
one little month hence, without single discor-
dent vote for Bell or Douglas. she would cast
her eight electoral votes for that cand datc
who atands upon true constitutional rrinciples
lie expected to vote for Mr.. Brcck nrdgc, be
! cause the p!aI form upon which he stands is 80
far as slavery Is concerned. in accordance with
renson-in accordance with the practice of the
| Governmcnt-the decisions OF the Supreme
| Court, and the Constitution itself lie inten-
ded to vote for Mr.. Breckinridse. not because
| he ia. ns has been falsely al!"gcdsa sectional
| candidate. Neither our candidate nor our plat
| form is sectional. Mr.. Brcckinrdge is true
National Democrat, ard eur platform, based
! upon the constitution, is rs broad ns that i'll
strument, and extensive as the limits of the
whole country. What is constitutional cannot
in the nature Of things, be sectional. He said
he would vote for Mr. Brccki.ridye. not he.
cause, has been falsely alleged, hc is dis
unionist, or for the purpose Of breaking up
! this Government, but for the very opposite
reaeon, because he is in fact. the onlytrue IN
! ion candidate before the people, whose prirci-
| piles alone can cave this Union, if it lie not al.
ready beyond the power Of man to save it
This Government can only he preserved Lv nd
ministerng its affairs according to tie Con-
stitution. It can not be savcd-;t ough, not
| to be saved from dissolution in any other way,
and Mr.. Breckinridsc, Of al the fonr candidates
is the only Que who proposes TO administer the
! government according to that standard.
lie hoped TINT Mr.. Lincoln would hot be
elected. lie doubted the policy Of admitting
his election in advance and in the midst Of tho
| fight. lie still had hopes Of tho efforts of the
| conservatives in the non.slaveholding States,
and some confidence in the result of the f,sion
tickets in New York. New Jersey aud peunsyl-
! vana. Hc could not bring himself to beliv..
| that man entertaining such obnoxious scnti-
ment-such sectional fnuaiicnl, and rcvolu-
tionarT principles. would be elected President
| of these United Statee. A kind Providence
had heretofore preserved our magnif mt coun-
! try from numerous perils Of various kinds and
he still relied upon the protection of the same
! benefcent power.
"Thcre is diviritv.t that shane. our ends
Rough hew them we may
| But if a!l our hopes should be disappointed.
if Mr. Lincoln should be elected, he said it
would he like the wrath Of Achilles. ..The
| direful spring Of woes unnumbered." In that
event what is to be done? 1t is n grave and i'm.
| rortant enquiry. Hesail he was u ot a d;suuion
t@pcr Sc lie was not one of those who look
| ed to the dissolution of this Union MS thing
desirable i'll ITSELF He appreIended the great
advantages we had enjoyed under our glorious
institutions. lie had very lively sense of The
immense troubles and pe,i!s necessarily incl
dent to dissolution but in full view of all this
| rather than live under government, in which
| We have practically no voice-which would
not be to us. in any sense, a common govern
me',t. but on the country, animated bv senti.
nent hostile to our institutions, he was ready
to incur all the dread responsibilities of a dis.
solution of this Union, and the formation of a
Southern Confederacy. lie was in favor of
this course. not from choice. bu. from necessity
not "per se," but "ex-necessitute"
He said that Africa slavery is q peculiar in.
s:itution. The world does not understand it
their sentiment is against it. and it can not
| 1--we In any government. which is inin,ical to
it. Slavery must be governed by Shareholders,
or at least by government in which slave
holders have protective voice. He took for
granted, that We resolved to mautaiu the
institution at any aud all hazards
Mr Seward WINS egregiousiy mistaken. when
he lately declared that we would soon give IL
up peaceably. Let the fanatics Of the world
rave and rant rs they may, We have settled
this question for ourselves. We declare in
the face of the world. that this institution is
our concein and so help US God we mean TO
main ain it J! Taking this for granted. it fol-.
lows that this IL no Government for sIaveh,l.
uers, when the administration Of that. which
should be commOn government has passed per.
Inanently into the hands of that geographical
section. which is animated by an internal ha-
tired of the institntion.
IL has been said that the election Of Mr. Lin
coin will be constitutional. and therefore. is no
cause of alarm. He denied it. He said il
would not be constitutional in any just sense.
t's true that the outrage would be perpetrated
under the forms of the Constitution; but it will
not oe the first time in the history Of the world
When oppression, in order to accomplish its
purpose, has put on Constitutional forms. If
they can elect Presidcns constitutionalIy nou
they may do it four years hence, and eight
years hence, and 20 on for all time IN o,,.no
III TINS way the Government will have passed
l enaer Tie exclusive contro! of a geographical
! tanat,ea' party and the South he literaliy dis.
rahchlsed IN their own Government. Can
this perverson of the Constitution be iustiv
claimed as eomsiitutionak It would be presrrv.
ing The form after the spirit had fled. It would
, oe the grossest tyranny under the lifeless form
OF iresdom. He declared that in that case VIC
would be taxed and governed, and roadcd by
government. in which We would practically
aud in effect, have no voice. 1t would be an
Other exempl;6cation Of the old principle O.
taxation Without ronroaontnf;on =.