The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-12-22
ps sArE IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA
CONVENTION.
The Collection of the Revenue-Post-O Office
Affairs

Affairs.
The debate IN the South carolina Conxep
ton about "the hereafter" is important On
Wednesday, before the adoption of the Ordi.
nance Of Secession, chancellor Dunkin. who
vas on the committee TO prepare ii. made the
following speech:
lido not know Ihat any partic olar amen dment
i.of very much consequence / suppose tn.
the c)mm'ttee VIII have authority To take to
consideration what has been termed postal
rransements. yoice-"Thars sou IL is
very difficult TO define and distinguish: bu,
when You come 10 consider what we have TO
50, Z VIII be no great stretch 10 saw that a
Committee on Commercial Relations might
1SSe into CONSIDERATION our postal arrange
meets AS part of commercial transactions;
s"i l dlu suppose, when my friend summit
lr.i his resolution for appointing the commit
lee, that 1T would have full authority, and
with due Difference 10 the gentleman, whom l
ereatiy respect, would desire that there
might TIE 8 question upon this. L do not be-
ueVe the Conyeu ZION entertslps a doubt about
the committee. that they may, If they think
proper, take into consideration pos tai arrange
ments.
The President has done me honor by plac.
iug me on the Committee 10 prepare an Ordi-
nance for the Withdrawal of this State from
whsi has been called the Federal Union" |
10 ROT thIuk l act IN violation OF confidence
~ a member of that committee 10 saw that
upoa the matter coufidsd TO them they are
uuled. fSmothered applause That If auy
delay lakes place 1t Will be simply for the pur-
pose OF preparing an Ordinance in a manner
consistent with its effect, and the dignity OF
the State.
SIR l am sure that Ordinance will be sub
uiltrd tomorrow. We have been working
this morning, and again will work this eyen-
Tag We do not intend TO be hasty, but We
proposs 10 lose no time We are anxiously
engaged in IL, and l say, without violation OF
confidence, we are engaged only upon the mat
ter Of form, and upon that we shall not be
long In agreeing.
Mr.. President, / will, in the remarks | in.
teAd offering. assume that this State will be
out Of the Union in very few days, If not in
as'many hours. Then, Mr. President, we
have something 10 look TO for many purposes
The Union has worked well-the machinery
is convenient aud advan tageous. In small
matters, very convenient Sir having a de-
termination 10 so cut OF the Union We should
epdeayor 10 do so with as little harm TO the
ordinary transactions Of the community as
practicable and consistent with the position
we have assumed and the character which we
propose to maintain. Sir, the machinery has
worked well, and You cannot stop il suddenly
unless ycu get some break in il IN some way
Sr l cannot illus trate what desire to say IN
better manner than by referring 10 the first
1natter 10 be considered-the commercial re.
lsti5ns, or the marine relations, if you please
to call Them so-the forts, harbors and Gus
tom houses.
TIL. is The most important subject, and the
great purpose Of the Committee. and l cannot
Illustrate or elaborate, but merely suggest
1rst IN reference TO the CUstom.House The
conduct Of The gentleman who now occupies
The lectorshIp of the Port, and who has
not illustrated 10 me his idea, has been most
eonmendaole. Sir, all know L read III the
newspapers know nothing more l saw the
COLES tor q few times directly after the an
nouncement OF the election OF Lincoln. The
feelings of that gentleman would then have
promptly caused him to Instantly have
lnrJTn up his commission. He did not desire
for one minute TO remain an officer of the Ma
tiona Government. But, sir, what would
have happened if an imm ediate acceptance had
rHSI
al Washington had he have forwarded his
commission. Sir, 1t is well known 10 every
man in the country that if Mr.. Buchanan had
received II, and appointed another to I'LL the
thrown up commission, no Southern man
would have accepted it-no man Of South
Carolina would have been allowed TO do it
SIR, Mr.. Colcock saw, and he is a practical
man, that If he had sent in his commission
aud it, had been accepted as l presume it
would, what would have been the result l
ask any man who knows any thing OF the COM
merciai relations of Charleston, what would
have been the consequence F! All the power
OF the British navy would NOT have more ef.
fectually stopped the port Of Charleston. 1t
is well known that II vessel passes the bar
OF Charleston without the regular papers,
signed by the Collector OF the Port, that yes-
sci is liable to be taken up in twenty minutes
as d yagrant or pirate. No vessel would yen-
ture that peril The Collector knew this and
he did not forward his commission. He gave
notice that he would resIgn-that be would
hold his commission subject 10 the directions
OF the Conven ton OF the people OF South
Carolina when here Sc n5led. He knew that
usudden stoppage wound have been accompa-
MED by the most mischievous consequences
He i. prepared now and he holds his commits
sion under the direc tion and st the Will OF the
Convention, or of this body 10 which he ex-
poets 10 owe allegiance, and to whom he al
lows allegiance alone.
Let us pass, then, Mr.. President TO the pos
tai Arrangements. Mirabeau, many years
ago said that the hercest instructions were
those which arose from the stomachs of a peo-
PIE without bread They won't hear they
wont reason, and the voice of patriotism is
dead. Sir, next 10 bread, in our artificial state
Of society, is light. l do not mean the glo-
rous light OF the Heavens-l mean that in for
nation and Intelligence is next TO bread
People must have information-they must |
have light. IT, sir, you suddenly Withdraw
this lignt--if for eight and forty hours a
casual interruption in postal arrangements !
occurs, you stop the means of communica-
lion. Why, sir, the perilous consequences
which would result from it Will be easily ap-
preciated by every thinking mind in every |
corner Of the State. II should, therefore, not |
be done suddenly. We should have little |
lime 10 effect common arrangements. It's 10
o done by Congress. Don't let me be mis- |
understood ! assume that we will to-mor-
Tow lake the attitude of L sovereign State. l
Will assume that the national men al the head
OF The Federal Government when The matter
spresenLed 10 them, Will see the right. We
assume that our rights must be recognlZed.-
Without that they will soon be prepared TO
ly acting they will then be prepared 10 treat
With Us III relation 10 commerce, upon pos tai
arrangements, and upon any and all other
matters.
Let NE say Mr. President, / don't this
Argument i'll reliance upon their good feeling
toward US, but from their in teres sus-int terests
Is important TO them as to us. Fer such ac-
uon Tine should be given. If in the lns lance
Ola co. par tnership time /. proposed to closelt
up, and make the necessary arrangements, It's
but reasonable that the Time be given 10 effect
The purpose. You cannot act until you are
out OF the Union. The object should therefore
Dc 10 make temporary arrangements, and thai
very SION, so Us 10 keep up commerce. we
should place The postal arrangements, which
Ieonsider part of the great commercial rela-
aohs OF The country, In such position as TO
Keep them up unui We hear whether the Gov
tTnment is prepared to say yea or nay. If yea,
There will be no difficuIty-if nay, then for d
resort 10 the experiment OF managing things
lUr ourselves
Mr. President have said that got my in
formation about the Collector from the news
papers. Al To the Postmasters OF The State,
tuluk may say the same thing. For mum
Der OF them know / can say they are ready,
aho they are only desirous OF knowing from
this Convention what is proper for them 10 DO
iof The welfare and the advancement OF TINS
great cause. But for the Postmaster OF
Charieston / have right TO speak little
more automatically. l cay, sir, that at this
very moment he is prepared 10 put his COM
inls.ion Ia the hands OF the Governor OF the
n''i+ " be forwarded 10 the United States
fos,-Ondcs DepaT tment, whenever in the opin-
loa VI the uoserunenI, through this Conven-
non expressed, il shall be deemed expedlent
ior the welfare Of South Carolina, 10 which
alone, after It's Withdrawal, he Will look.
40 hm in ustice, however, and come short OF
all l should say. He has lived To the time ap-
pointed for man, and rather beyond it, and
say that In view of all the difficulties and
troubles he may have encountered IN that long