The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-09-07
CoMMUNIcATED.
To the Greenwood Meeting.

~ tue STeeuWOcu p1e6tlnR.
1 hnd in the District papers Of the 23d aud
24th inst, the following interrogatories propoun
ded to the candidates for the Legislature. NV
absence from home has prevented reply in the
following ISSUE
Ist. Are you prepared to cast your vote for
the nominees Of tho Richmond aud Baltimore
oecedIng Constitutional Conventional"
answer unequivocally in the affi firmatve."
I'd In the event Of the election Of the Blacl,
Republican candidate to the Presidency. will
you decide at once for Southern Confrirracv
Or Will you submit to the victorious domination r.
For fifteen years have INCREASINGLY arpre-
hended that dissolution of this Union was i'll
eVltable; that it was but question Of time
Looking back to the past History of parties, the
powerful growth and present strength of fanati
cisri, aud the present political divisions which
distract the country, can see no reason 10 ell
courage better hope
In 1851 and 80 we were told that the great
National Democracy would save the country
that through lis instrumentality the North would
he reformed, and brought back to constitutional
Pf'nc'pes-our equality recognized, and the
Union saved. We were told then, that the
Democratic party, North was sound on the SUBJ
ject Of siavery-'hat the great body of North
ern people, outside of the Democratic rnrtv.
was so"nd-that it was but a few hair Drained
Elha'ics' composing the mcrest fraction of the
Nofth' that excited aud kept up the agitation
against our institutions How stands tn. uroof
in the srquela In 1856, a lapse OF four years
Fremont rolcd popular vote of l,34l,5l4,orl14
Electoral votes, against popular vote for Bu.
chanan Of l,sas,232, or l74 Electoral votes :.
the American candidate, Mr. Fillmore, boiling n
popular vote of SSI,7G7, or an Electoral vote Of
lS.
lhe rapid growth of Abnitionism, as cviuced
| by these facts, astoundcd the country when nm
| nounccd. and will enable us to calculate with
what certainty their candidate in ls6A-rup
hihg under vastly more favorable circumstances,
including their constantly increasing strength
will rise into power. How can we check this
rapid progress of fanaticism3 What hope hive
we now of reforming the North, aud bringing
her TO sense of Justice and the Constitution :
l"e Democratic party. that seemingly last hone,
has been split hy the same agitation tina, has Sep
arated other organizations, political and religious.
and must eventually separate every organization
Of national character. Th. grealea advocate
of the Democratic party, Mr.. Orr, who has
probably done more than any other man 10 IN.
iinence The State TO adhere to that party ms the
political saviour OF the SoulL, now al,andons it
rs 'fnP"tcnt t." effect any good. and announces
himself III favor OF u dissolution of the Union in
The event Of l.ncolns election, if three or mo re-
States will unite in the movement.
The most conservative men Of tho country
have now concluded that there is no arres,ing
the progress of Abolitonism in fheEJ',iion Fa.
natic'sIn takes no step backwards" The icon.
fi'ct' is onward, the watchwor6 is "irrepressi.
bic" aud 1t bchooves us o face the question.
i'nt 1t is said that the legitimate election Of the
Chief Mag Of the United Suites can give
no cause for resistance. We do not propose to
seI the example OF resisting Legitimate election.
We propose TO resist threatened hosiiIny. If
Mr. Lincoln is elected it will be upon principles
OF openly avowed hostility 20 US aud ours He
will come into power pledged to an "irrerressi.
ble' warfare upon the rights a:d property of The
Southern section of the Union. Aud we would
be dupes indeed to permit an enemy to mount
his guns. knowing his intention to turn loose his
battery upon us.
Mr.. Lincoln has given the following declara.
tion OF opinion upon the subject:
" In my opinion the slavery agitation in the
United States ,ci1e not cedse unii a crisis shall
have been redched and passed. y house divided
against itself cannot stand. believe this gov
ernment cannot endure permanently half elave
and half free do not expect the house to fall
but do expect II wi H. cease 10 be divided
1t will become all one thing or all the other
Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the
further spread of it. aud place it where the 1u6-
i,c mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the
course Of ultimate trfinction. or its advocates
will push it forward till it shall becom. alike
lawful in all ihe States-old as well Is new,
North well South"
Territorial exclusion does not give latitude
enough for Mr. Lincons abolition prooivities
he aspres 10 the "ultimate extinction" Of .lavcry
Should he be elected the question for the con.
sidrration Of the South will he the Union or
Slavery. II we choose the Union we give up
our slaves. and vice versa.
Believing. then. in the event of Lincoln's elec.
ton our every hope of equality in III. Union will
be lost, am in favor OF the immediate formation
of Southern Cnnfederncy"
"3d. In case the formal union and confederacy
OF Two or more OF The cotton States should prove
impracticable, will you or will you not espouse,
in Gods strength the secession of South Caro-
lima, separate and aIone7"
In the following extract from an edhoriul of
the Charleston Mercury. my opinions are more
fOrciby expressed than can find language to do
it myself:
I" But the remedy is not how before lis for con-
sideration, because the evil is not yet upon us.
When We fail III the Presidential election. and
the Black Republican party IL TO be Installed
into power at Washington, then will arise The
question Of remediea We pressure all states
men Of the South will 60 for a union Of the
Sonth as our first beat ren,edy-uni,ed southern
action for the vndcaiion Of Southern rights.--
Even at this farther stnge Of our contet for our
rights, itfnay notrbe polite 10 thrust forwards
a remedy, the separate and ndsP ndeut action Of
South Carolina. We should 60 FLOR the to-action
Of all the Southern Ststcs IL this cahuot be
obtained, then we should support the eo-action
of The cotton States. II this fails then should
strive TO get the CO action Of four, three ortwo |
Of the cotton Statea ShnuId all theae nediapfa