, 1860-12-27

Union.
Tho following Is the declaration OF causes
which Justify the secession Of South Carolina
from the Fedc.l Union, rs reported by the
committee to proparc IN address T., the people
Of the Southern States:
"The State Of South Carolina having deter
mined to resume separate and equal pos:tion
among nations. deems it due to berseL' ant
the remaining. United States Of Amer and
the nations Of the world that she should de-
clare the causes which led TO the act. IN It's
that portion Of the British empire embracing
Great Britain undertook to make laws for the
government Of the American colonies. A
struggle for the right of seltgoyernment en-
sued which resulted, on July 4tb, l776, In -dcc-
laEation by the colonies that they are, md of
right ought to be, free and Independent States,
aud that Us free and independent States, they
have full power to levy war, conclude peace
contract alliances, establish commerce, and to
do such things which independent Stntes have
the riaht to do. They further solcmnly de-
clared }hat Whenever any forul Of government
becomes destructive Of these ends, it Is the
established right Of the people to alter and
abolish it. and institute d new government
Dceming that the government OF Great Brit
ain had bccome destructive OF these ends, they
declared themselves free aud absolred from
allegiance 10 the British cruwn aud the pollti-
cal connection between them aud Great Brit
ain was totally dissolved.
The committee Eay the right Of State to
govern itself, and the right u the people to
abolish government when it becomes destrnc-
tive OF the ends for which it was instituted,
were expressed when the colonies separated
from the mother country, and became frrc md
iudcprndcntState The clsrtics aneading the
Constitution, on the It'll Of September, 1851,
were the scyesal sovereign Statrs.
On May Is, 1763. South Carolina by COLI
yention oil her people asseuted to the amended
Constitution OF the United States. Tue fail
ure Of one OF the contracting parties to MAIN
tain constitutional obligations releases the 9TH
Ct. Fifteen Of tue Northern States have dellb-
erately refused for years to fulfil their copsti-
tutional obligations. lie would refer to these
States for proof ofthis- When the fourth arti-
Gle Of the Constitution Was adopted the great
CT number Of the contracting parties lad slas cs.
The hostility Of the Northern States to the in
stitution5 Of slavery had led them to disregard
their constitutional obligations. The laws Of
the general government hayc ceased to effect
the objects 0t the Constitution. Maine, New
liamp.lirc, Vermont, Massachusetts,, Connec-
ticut, Rhode le1aad, New York, Pennsylvania,
lillnnls, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin,
aud 1owa, have enacted laws, either nuIlifyIug
the Constitution CT to render usetcs all at-
tcmpts to execute the acts OF Congress. In
nlauy rl these States 1ugitiyes "held TO service
aud to .abor," have been claimed, but in none
VI AucM Aas auc 0Lalc government COnplltQ
with the stipulation on this subject made in
the Constitution.
III the formation Of the Fcderal Government,
each State wus recognized as an equal; the
right Of property iu slaves WIS recognised By
giving them thu right to represent, and bur
1henilg them with direct taxes for thrcefllths
ofthclr slaves; By authorizing the importation
Of slaves for twenty years, and BY slipulating
for the rendition OF tuyitives from labor. The
ends for which this government Was Instituted
have bcen defeated, md the government itself
made destructive BY the action Of the non-
slayeholding StAtes. These States assumed
the right OF deeiaipg on the propriety Of our
rights Of property established In flftrta States,
and recognized By the Constitution. They
have denounced as sinful the Institution tf
slavery; have permitted IN open establish.
mcnt Of societies, whose arowal and object are
to disturb the peace and prosperity Of citizens
Of other States they have encouraged and
ASSISTED thousands Of our Slaves to leave their
homes, and those who remain have been in
cited By emissaries, by books aud pictures, to
servile insurrcction. Twenty-Five years the
agitation has been t.cadi]y Increasing until
they have secured the power of the common
government Observing the forms of the Con-
stitution, sectional party Inns found within
that article, establishing an Executive Depart
ment, mean3 Of subyertinT the Constitution
ITSELF. a geographical ine has been drawn
across the Union, md al States north Of TINT
line have united in the election Of q m1a to the
high office of President Of the UnitetI States,
whose opinions and purposes are: b ,sule to
slavery.
He i to BE- entrusted with the almiuistra-
ton Of the coming Government because it Is
declared that government cannot endure per
manently half slave and half free, and that the
public mfud must believe TINT shvcy is in
the course Of ultimate extinction. This sec
tional combination for the snbvertion Of the
Constitution has been aided In tie States BY
eleyating to. citizenship perso1s who, by the
superior Laws Of the land, are incapable Of be-
coming citizens, and their votes hare been
the South, and destructive to 1t. pence and
safety. On the 18th Of March next this party
will take possession Of the Government It
has been announced that the South shall be
excluded from the common terTitotJ-that the
Judicial tribunal shall be made sectional-that
war mnst be waged against slavery until 1t |
shall cease throughout the United States. The
guarantees Of the Constitution will no longer
cxlst-eQual rights Of the States will be LOST
the slareholding States will no longer hare
tnc power Of self government or self protec- |
ton, and the federal government will hare BE-
luminosity will deepen the irritation, and nll |
hope OF remedy IL rendered win by the fact |
that the public opinion of the North has in |
vested the great political error with the sanc-
ton Of d mure erroneous religious belief
We, therefore, the people OF South Carolina,
by our delegates in convention assembled, ap-
ptz>'ing to the Supreme Judge Of the world for
the rectitudc Of our Intentions, have solemnly |
declared the union heretofore existing be-
tween this Statean the other States Of North |
America il dissolved, aud that the State Of
South Carolina resume her position among
the nations Of the world rs free, sovereign, |
Independent S&ate, with lull power to leyy
war, conclude pence, contract alliances, esta!-
lfsh commerce, and do all other acts and |
things which Independent States may OF right
do; and for the support Of this declaration,
with y firm reliance for protection on Divine
Providence, we mutually pledge ench other
our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor
Hon. Bcllamy sto-er, Hon. George Hoad-
ley, Hon. Wm- II. Dickson, Hon D. P. Lowe,
8. s. L'Eommcdieu Of Ohio; A. Cummings,
Esq, Of covington, KY; hon. caleb B. Smith,
Of Indiana, aud many other distinguished citl.
xens Of the three States, haye commissioned
7. D. Jones, the celebrated sculptor, 10 tAks .
bust o1 President LtncolH