The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-05-25
e II II. Z NDEP ENDENT PRESS. :
SENATOR HAMMoNp5s SPEECH.

4 EitlG Gs.n.- -. -
r. SENATOR HAmmoND's spEEcH... <
1 SS5 -. {, WAsuiNoyoN. 5th May, 1860.
lEsDEAn SIN: have received the polite q iiwita,
1tion ofYoGr Committee TO attend a3public meet,
ing fl Chatl eston n,ihe51sth Instant Sand TO
address ait.a 1tc@ould be very spleasnnt toy me
10 bs.with you. Blu. while sosfatguiDg trip
would Fbe a, severe tax on my hot vigorous
health. should neglect my duties here, alta;
time when they are,hecomiiig very inportan l.:
| % ana can, ina very. few 3ihese say to you all
@Ieh wouldsss iosfav sg itS siSe huudrsd "siSsd
miles and lose -tendays from the SenatesSal7R
prastleal statesman ship consists i'm taking, the
best neat step: H6nor,sf Honesty aud plril6so-
pb,ss tstatesmanshiP require that step should be
taken op q broad line of policy based upon
sound and eomprehensixe principles. In my
opinion The next step which little States whose
delegatesssceded from the late Convention IL
your city should take,c andfare In fact bound
IN honorsto take istol appoint, delegates to
| meet in Conventionat Echmond.' on the day
appoint ed by the ecccdpg delegatiopsrs
Atlthiscritical time, witli4evtnt 8 dcep1y af
fecting nny opinions any one may entertain as
to what that Convention should do crowdng
rapidly upon, us,l think that those delegates
should he chosen IRON among the ahlest and
most reliable men of each State, and that they
should be clothed. with ample and almost um
| limited DISCRETIONARY powers. The only in
structionI would give them would be- that
| they should take care that these States should
receive no detriment. 1t mi ght not be mprop
er to commission them as delegates to any other
Convention wrich these times inny bring forth
and which in their judgment, they might see
fit to unite with. -
WILTSHIRE 'broadcst and perhaps trucst poll
cy of the whole country. is to- maintain tho
union ofall the States. under the Federal Con.
vention it is undoubtedly Il wise policy to
maintain. such union 5of the slaveholdng
States and other mmedata hcghbors: but it
is esscatiaLthat the eiglitsecc,ling Cotou States
should be kept together in the closes, bonds Of
UNI. and good feeling. With their large
| territorial nrea,E their present and growing
population, and their surplus t}roduct IONS
eagerly sought after in nearly tevery marked
in the world, and commanding annually Two
hundred millions of dollars in spccie,' they
would, if organized by themselves under our
present Federal Constitution, constitute Re.
public that would at once command the re-.
srect Of every civilized power.s They huye q
substantiaFSbass on, wlicti they may stand,
whoever might foll.ZS. .sffa. tt5,
1t ie. therefore. their policy and any other,
would be suicidal to mnilt in with eacliaotber
at aiFt lines and in every crisis, the most inti-
mate ndftaternal association. They sebould
sten, ms have said, meet according to an.
poimtment. OF Richmond, represented by their
best men, invested with almost,a power.
Such n meeting, do not think, would have
tsah0 IoWuIhS uTIUSlliH npOuG-In6 QlS
union of the United Stntcs.ysl believe its ef-
feet would be precisely the reverse. A large
bmajority Of lhe,pcople OF the non .slav cholding
Estates, misguided by &nmbitious and fanatical
leaders, seem bent on our destruction. ignorant
that it involvesstheir own That it does it is
in.yain toargueto them. They nre told and
helieye that we. are weak; and in the fac, of
the fnctsthat weshavr been strong enough to.
cont tEol this, Government ever sincei it was es-
tab!islied, and to make the Country all that it
IS, thaygshave been made to believe that the
Southsdare not face the Norsh any decisive
feld-iG short on the issue .of 'lisunion. And
that sue is, what, itseems to me- they arc
I'row pressing keeniy5on us, in Congress and
everywhere. We must meet it. and ihcet it'
know:: And in my opinion, the way to meet it
IL, not by wild resolves Of Legislatures or Con.
ventions, by absurd ,brayad6s of newspaper
editors, or blythe reckless defamation Of tra-
Yelling orators. Iut hy the calm. noisccss, Yet.
of tile ceding States-better, perhaps Of all
the States-who silalfsnying little, threatening
nothing, exaciipg less even tllnr our rights aud
only what wenlust demand for The pres, mt,
without, of course, sacrificing the future, lcan.
ing always. without pnl,ering. with principle,
towards. the conservation Of tliis Unoh-sohct
as to show thatwe ask nothing nnd fear Meth.
ing. What that precise action should Ge do
not now pretend to say,
- II. depends on the developments Of the ..next
few weeks No one, aid least Of: all, our dele
gates TO Richf!'onl. shouidsbe tramneIied by
being required ato |ptoph cy. What. .th stjme
d.n,ands Of. The whole country of tie Den0k
cratic party of the South; above all, ofstfe
eight sece ing Cotton Stntes-is representative
men, invested with fyl authority to m act the
crisis. ~ ays''S ~s$ 2
In ,eonclusion.iper me to. SOY that I pot
only de not, despair. but Iscntertsin not feel
etc. and oir auperstruature of black slaves, ,ce
are saf against an the Hfnchnati6ns of politi.
CAL intrigu ;rs from abEeaa and our emag gQgass
at homes S!.asss y ses S4.sss eai5s.
1have the; honor tdsbe,s q, 81
With the respects: =,
l., = yone e5isnt!s ssivait. =
/ Hon. II. D. LEsTsNE, Chairman etc. Charles.