The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-12-21
the GREAT AGITATION
SOUTH CAROLINA
GE2CEELs sD5
FROM THE UNION,
GREAT UNANIMTTY.
PROCEEDINGS or THE CONVENTION.
PERPLEXITY IN THE COUNCILS.
Tho Authority of the Unitod
States Defied.
REJOICING OF THE PEOPLE.
THE CONSERVATIVE RESOLUTIONS OF GEORGIA,
THE CONSERVATIVE RESOLUTIONS OF GEORGI.
BY TELEGRAPH.1
THE SOUTH CAROLINA SOVEREIGN
GtfE Z IEHrE,IIaN

Icy TELEGRAPH.l
! THE SOUTH CAROLINA SOVEREIGN
con VESTICN.
THIRD DAYS PRocEEDrYGs-CoyrfNurp
9 CHARLESTON, SC, Dec. l9-Mr. Menni,gar r
fered the following:
HeSotred That commmssion of three persons be eIe
TED by ballot of this Convention to proceed to Wasbin
ton to negotiate with the United States az o tha nro
measures and arrangements to be made adopted in ii
existing relations of parties and the continuance
peace and amity between them
RsSolred, That five persons be elected bv tho ro,o
ton, who shall be authorized meet such deputies
may be appointed by any other slaveholdng State f
thepurpose OF organizing forming Southern Confef
eracy with power to discuss and settle the Consnto
or plan OF union to be reported to the slave States f.
Ier rathcaton amendment rejection; and that sal
uepuues snail invite meeting at Columbia at sue
other place as may be agreed upon among the deputies
the several States, and shall report the Conyeuo
such constitution or articles may be agreed on by sal
deputies. y ''
The first resolution was referred to the Committe
On Foreign Relations, aud the second to the Com
mittee on Relations with the Slaveholding State
of North America.
On motion, it was also resolved that committe
OF - members be appointed whose duty it shall b
to inquire and report TO this Convention how muc
OF the legislation of Congress would be ipso fact
aorogated so far as this State is concerned by tn
secession of this State from the National Union
and how much of its force might remain notwith
standing.
The Act of Secession was made the special orde
for tomorrow.
Mr.. Orr moved to adjourn, and at $40 the Con
vention adjourned till Thursday.
FOURTH DAYS PROCEEDINGS
| CHARLESTON, Dec. 20.-The Convention met Al
eleven O'Clock, and as usual was opened witt
| prayer.
The journal having been read, 4 resolution wa,
offered to invite the Mayor of Charleston to a seat
on the toor After being amended, so as to include
the Governor of the State, President of the Senate
| and Speaker of the House, it was passed
| The Chair announced the appointment Of the
committee to draft summary of the causes which
induced the secession of South Carolina, and also
| the four standing committees.
Mr.. Rhett moved a resolution to apnoint a :co,n-
mittee OF thirteen for the purpose of providing for
| the assemhage of a convention of the seeding
States, and to form Constituti n. Adopted.
THE ORDINANCE OF SECESSION.
Mr.. ingiis made report from the committee to
prepare and draft ordinance proper to be adopted
by the convention, as follows:
An Ordinance to disso'ce The Union Jetreen the
State Of South Carolina and other States united
1c'th her 'tder the compact entitled hc Constiiu-
ton of the United States Of America
We, the people of the State Of South Carolina,
in Convention assembled, do declare and ordain,
and is hereby declared and ordained that theOrdi
day of May, in the year of Our Lord one thousand
seven hundred and eighty-eight, whereby the Con
stitution of the United States of America was rati
fled; and, also, all acts, and parts of acts Of the
General Assembly of this State ratifyiDg the
amendments Of the said Constitution, are hereby
repealed. And, that the Union now subsisting be
tween South Carolina and other States, under the
name of the United States Of America, is hereby
dissolved"
The ordinance having been read, was taken IN
and passed by unanimous vote Of one hundred
and siXty-nine members.
The vote was taken at fifteen minutes past one
O'Clock. As soon as its passage was known with
out the doors of the Convention il rapidIv snraad
in the streets, and the large crowd there collected
evidenced their approval with immense cheering
Mr.. Miles moved that the Clerk telegraph the
members OF Congress representing the State at
W Washington, which carried unanimouslv
Mr.De Sansseur moved that the ordinance be en-
crossed on parchment, under the direction of the
Attorney General be signed by the President and
Members this evening at Institute Hall and that it
be placed among the archives of the State
The hour Of hai-Dast six o'clock was agreed upon
as the hour to proceed to Institute Hall for the
purpose of signing the ordinance.
DEBATE on THE PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE.
Judge Magrath-I think the special matter of
this ordinance should be Immediately considered
10 my understanding, there is no collector of the
o
South Carolina. What Won have done to-day has
eXtingushed the authority of every man in South
Carolina deriving his authority from the General
Government ! am in favor of this body making
such provisional arrangements as NAV be necessary
in the interval which may exist between this mo-
ment and the time the Legislature NAV act am
not, however, to be implicated as sanctioning the
idea that there is no lawful authority within the
limits ofthe State except the General Government
Mr. Gregg-After South Carolina has abrogated
the Constitution of the United States are its laws
still in force? | think not. All the laws of Congress
fall instantly to the ground in the passage of the
act of secession.
Mr.. Cheves-An immense chasm has been made
in law. 1t is necessary that, to avoid inconyen-
lence to the people, we must make temporary ar
rangements to carry on the government.
Mr. Gregg-Ihere is now no law the subject
of the collection of duties in South Carolina, now
that we have accomplished the WORK for forty
years.
Mr.. Haynes-The Congress of the United States
Is no longer our Government. 1t will be for our
Legislature to say what laws of the United States
shall be continued and what not. The simple act
of secession does not abrogate all laws. We have
great many laws ON the statute book, which were
passed by the Governor and privy council.
Mr.. Gregg-The Congressional laws for the col
lection OF the revenue are for the support of the
Federal Government at Washi ington. All the post
office laws fall on our dissolution from that Gov
ernment.
Mr.. Miles-We have now to deal with stern facts
and realities We must prevent confusion and an
archy IN the arrangement Of our government aE-
falrs Things must for the present remain in statu
quo, or confusion will arise.
Mr.. Hayne-Sudden action is Injurious
Mr. Cnesnut-Two questions are involved-pow-
er and duty. We must prevent our people not only
from inconvenience, but from chaotic condition.
We must revivify such laws as are best ADAPTED to
preserve us from calamities. As to our duty-witl
you turn the ship of State adrift? What becomes
of her officers?
Mr.. Mazzick.-There is no duty collector now
Tor the porte. So, too, with the Postofice. All
are swept off by this act. NY opinion is that the
present system of postal arrangements is a nui-
sance The public would be better served by pri-
yate parties between the cities-like the system in
Philadelphia and New Y ork. Have postage of
one cent instead of three cents, and to less i'm
portant places make it ten cents or more.
Mr.. Cahoun.-We have pulled the temple down
that has been built for three quarters of century
We must now clear the rubbish away and recon
struct another. We are houseless and home
less: We must secure ourselves from storms.
Mr.. Dunkin-If that ordinance of secession be
passed, things will still go on in the Custom House
ana Postotllce exactly as until other arranre-
ments are made by this Convention There is
nothing in the ordinance to affect the dignity hon
or, or welfare of the State of South Carolina We
must keep the wheels of government ooing Tho
abrogated by the ordinance. What is the legal
tender for the payment of debts il is not the gold
and silver cf the United States?
Mr.. Carol said the present officers of revenue
would be continued till the Act of the lie risature
authorized otherwise.
Mr.. Brown-There is no longer any communica-
tion with the Government, from which We are Just
separated.
Mr.. Duncan-The spirit of the ordinance Is tenn
porarily suspended till we treat with the General
Government.
Mr.. Gregg-The President of the United States
has thrown down the gauntlet in his Messare-he
has said that it is his duty to collect the revenue
and that be will do it. On one side the Federal
Government claims the right and declares its in
tentlon to execute the power of collecting the re-
venue in our ports. On the other side we have
declared that we are free. desire no COMPROMISE
1t is necessary, | maintain, that from fifteen to
thirty per cent. of duties imposed by the Congress
OF the United States should continue to be levied,
otherwise our people will suffer terrible calamity
As to the carrying of the mails, let the present
contracts be assumed by South Carolina instead
of the United States.
Mr.. Rhett-This great revolution must go on
with as little damage as possible to the country
BY making the Federal agents ours, the machine
ry will move on. The Federal laws of taxation
must not exist over us. We are now contending for
the great principles of taxation. l trust the pres
ent system Of taxation has fallen forever.
Mr.. Barnwell-We have seeded from the United
States and established our independence. We can't
allow the United States to exercise authority over
us any more. Let the postal convenience be sacri-
iced II necessary. There never was anything pur-
chased worth having unless at the cost of sacri-
fee.
Mr.. Mayzek-In regard to the mail, all restric-
tlons must be removed. Let us appoint our own
officers. Let the collector of the port battle with
the difficulties as they come.
AT $40 L. NJ, the convention took a recess to
meet at Institute Hall at $50, for the purpose of
signing the ordinance.
AS the convention were leaving st, Andrews