Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-05-04
The Secession Convention.

by the Douglas party, under Instructions from
Washington, it is said.
The Secession Convention.
CHARLESTON May 3.-The secession con-
vention assembled at noon. About forty dele
gates were present Mr.. Bayard of Delaware,
presided The motion pending was that the
committee should express a preference for
candidates for president and vice-president.
The delegation from Texas moved that the
resolution be referred to a committee of one
from each state, The delegates from Alaba,
ma and Texas said they were prepared to act
at once on the resolution
Mr. jackson of Georgia withdrew the reso-
luton to express preference for candidates.
Mr. Burrows OF Arkansas presented resO-
luton for reporting standing committee of
one from each state to issue an address to the
democratic party of the Union He said =
"This convention has in its possession the ark
of the covenant" The resolution was adopt
ed by seventeen states of this Union, and it
was point around which the country would
rally.
Mr.. Meek of Alabama moved a substitute,
that committee be appointed merely to pre-
pare an address giving the reasons for the
course pursued. He further said that any
southern state that shall go into the Baltimore
convention goes in as an approver of squatter
sovereignty doctrines. The resolution adopt
ed at their adjournment invites the southern
states to fill up the vacancies occasOned by
our secession declaring our seats vacant. He
was in favor of nominating Jefferson Davis
and Bayard, but he yielded to the wish of 9th
ers to forego expressing any preference at this
time.
Mr.. Burrows withdrew his proposition.
Mr.. jackson of Georgia moved that the
convention adjourn sine die.
Mr.. Hill of Georgia said, if the object was to
make this a disunion movement, he and his
colleagues were prepared to leave at once.
His constituents would approve of nothing that
would tend to disunon
Mr. Yancey asked who he alluded to rs IA
voring disunion.
Mr.. Hill asked to be excused from answer
ing.
Mr. Yancey demanded an answer, as he
wanted it to go to the country, that there had
been no word or deed tending to a disruption
Of the Union.
Mr. Hill admitted that nothing had been
said or done, but the position we would be put
in by this action would make us a disunion
combination. Our attitude will be disunion
attitude.
Mr. Meek of Alabama had always been
Union man, and was so still, If the constitu.
tonal rights of the south were to be respected.
A delegate from South Carolina denied that
there had been any disunion sentiment here
He thought the course proposed of disbanding
was singular one We were about separat-
ing without recommending or taking any &C.
ton with regard to the presidency. He there
fore moved that, should the Baltimore conven-
ton repudiate the resolutions passed here, a
committee be organized to call a national con.
vention.
Mr. jackson of Georgia. thought this was
no time to cry "union, nnon." There was no
man in Georgia who would shout for the Uni
on at the expense Of the rights of the south
(Shouts of applause.) When the rights of the
south are sacrificed to the north, am for lib
erty first and for the Union afterwards
(Cheers.) Ii there be nobody here to stand
by me, must quit the south.
Mr.. Whitley of Delaware, moved to lay tho
resolutions of Mr. Aleeks OF Alabama, on the
table and adjourn The delegation from each
state can give to their constituents their real
sons for the course pursued. He was opposed
to any general address. He therefore moved
that the convention now adjourn.
Mr.. Meeks OF Alabama, now appealed to
Mr.. Whitley to withdraw his motion, and said
that if any one supposed him to be devoted to
the Union at the expense of southern rights, he
is mistaken. Sever the constitution and the
Union is gone. He wished to vindcate before
the world, as well as the Union, their position.
He wanted this great movement 10 be proper
ly understood.
Mr.. Barry of Mississippi hoped that the
convention would separate in Union and hara
mony. Where is South Carolina, that she is
not ready to respond to the EXTREMIST doctrine
of state rights (Applause.) He deemed it
unnecessary to put these doctrines in resolves.
We are all united on them in some form or
other and it is unnecessary to express them
here. The other convention has not dlsband-
81 it has merely adjourned. Why, there
are, should we disband instead of adjourning
to meet elsewhere if we think proper!
Mr.. Barry continued, saying the platform
may be opened at Baltimore, or 1t may be
changed to meet our views l think we are
delegates to that convention and that we
ought to 20 to Baltimore. If our constituents
choose to fill our places with other delegates,
they can do So We are as yet, however,
members of that convention, and no one eX'
cept our constituents can take our credentials
from us. Therefore he hoped the course he
urged would be adopted.
The president-Oh no-that will not do.
Mr.. Hooker of Mississippi opposed the prop
ostion of Mr.. Barry. We are no longer dele
gates to the other convention. We separated
from them on principle, and he was willing
they should carry them to Baltimore as an
adjunct to that convention. Ii we ADJOURN
without doing or saying anything, we Will
etultify ourselves. Ii we were to follow them
to Baltimore, we would lose all the moral eff
feet of this movement. Make your nomina-
tons now, manfuly and boldly. He was for
action. We are here for an object and pur-
pose, and if we go home without action we
will merely be annuRciating a sentiment on
which there is no difference of opinion in all
the southern states. This is the time and
the place for acting promptly and boldly.
Mr.. Yancey of Alabama, approved OF the
proposition of Judge Meek for appointing a
committee to prepare an address. He did not
think it would either save or break the Union.
The delegate from Georgia, in predicting
disunion movement by disunion leader,
looked to the Georgia delegation, but declined
10 name who and what he meant
Mr.. jackson of Georgia. certainly never
intimated that the gentleman from Georgia
sang psalms to the Union. Certainly, no one
will ever charge him with such an offence.
My remarks were directed rather to my. col
league who thought was placing Georgia IN
a wrong position lie did not wish Georgia
to be in the position of singing psalms to the
Union
Mr.. Yancey would not misrepresent Geor-