Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-12-28

more perfect union, establish justice, insur
domestic tranquility, provide for the common
defence, promote the general welfare and sccuF
the blessings Of liberty to ourselves and on
posterity." u
These ends it endeavored to accomplish by
Federal Government, in which each state wa
recognized as an equal, and had separate Gu"
troll over its own institutions. The rlshI o
property in slaves was recognized oy giving u
free persons distinct political rights, by giving
them tho RIGHT to represent and burdenlnS then
o.;th direct taxes for thrce.ffths Of their slaves
by authorizing the importation OF slaves lo'
twenty years and by stipulatlng Tor the rell
di,ion of ~fueitives from labor.
We affirm that those ends for which this TO
rernmcnt WAS instituted have been defeated
and the Government itself has been made de
s~tructiye Of them by the action of the non
| ~slayeholdinr States. Those States have as
surned the right Of deciding upon inc propr'cly
of our domestic institutions and have de'
MED the rights of property established IN VI
teen Of the States and recognised by inc ooh
s~tltution they have denounced us sinful Inc
institution Of slavery they have permitted
the open establishment among them OF societieS,
whose avowed object is TO disturb the peace anu
to. purloins,he property of the citizens OF elhel
States. They have encouraged ana assisted
thousands of our slaves to leave their MONIES
and those who remain, have been melted by
cnlissur;cs, books and pictures to Servlle l'iSur-
rection.
For TWENTY-FIVE years this agitation has been
steadily increasing, until it has now secured
10 its aid the power Of the Common Govern
mcnt. Observing the .Jorms OF the Constitu'
tuition, 4 sectional party has found within that
article establishing the Executive Department,
the mcans Of subvcrting the Constitution IT.
self. \ geographical line has been drawn
across the Union, and all the States North Of
that line have united in the election oil a man
to the high office of President of the United
States whose opinions and purposes arc hostile
to slavery. lie is to be entrusted with the al
miuistration Of the Common Government, be
cause he has declared that that "C'orerntnent
cannot endure permanently half slave, hall
free" and that the public mind must rest in
the belief that slavery is in tie course OF nltl'
mate extinction.
This sectional combination for the subvcrsion
Ct the Constitution, has been aided IN some oi
the States by clevating to citizenship, persons,
who, by the Supreme law Of the land, are inca
pablo Of becoming citizens, and their votes have
been used TO inauguratc a new policy, hostile
TO the South, aud destructive Of its peace and
safety.
On the -ith March next, this party will tnkc
possession of the Government 1t has an
nounccd that the South shall be excluded from
the common Territory; that the Judicial trlbu'
nails shall be made sectional, and that a war
must bc waged against slavery until 1t shall
... a,t thn IJo;tn1 SyotnS
The guarantees Of the Constitution Will lllrn
no longer exist; the equal rights OF the States
will be lost. The slarcholding States Will no
longer have the power Of sclL-government, or
scli.protcction, and the Federal Government
will have become their enemies.
Sectional interest and luminosity will deepen
the irritation, and all hope Of remedy is render
cd vain, by the fact that public opinion ut the
North has invested a great political error with
the sanctions Of 4 more erroneous religious h;-
lief.
We, therefore. the people Of South Carolina,
BY our Delegates in Convention assembled, ap.
pcaling to the Supreme Judge of the world for
the rectitudc Of our intentions, have solemnly
declared that the union heretofore existing be-
tween this State and the other States OF North
America is dissolved, and that the State OF
South Carolina has assumed her position among
the nations of the world, as a free sovereign and
independent State; with full power to levy
war, conclude peace, contract alliances, cStap.
lish commerce, and TO DO all other acts and
things which independent States may OF right
do.
And, for the support Of this Declaration,
with q firm reliance on the protection OF d.
vine Providence, we mutually pledge to each
other our lives, our fortunes and orr sacred
honor.
= The declaration was discussed full two hours,
and several verbal alterations were made and
the most rigid criticism in indulscd in. The
declaration WAS finally adopted with few dis
senting votes.