Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-02-04

ioyai, ana would rush to their flag, and that a
serrile war would ensue. Wctherefore believe
that this was aserious matter aud it is thought
that you have been firm in your purpose, and
| taken the forfeited lives of these felons, that
staid It,. But these forfeit lives do not suf-
iice for the lives of your citizens who fell
But II is farther than this that we must look,
and 1T is III this view that we ask to make
common cause with you against these inroads
on onr, institutions. In taking this course,
we do not assume to dictate to you your ac-
tion, nor do We suppose that we can enlighten
you in the matter of your own defence You
asked no aid from any quarter, and we should
fall far short of cur purpose had we so inten-
Eded. But re believed we shoald conc for
ward in the matter, and declare all have said
We are urged by still higher considerations.
on remembered us in our hour of difficulty;
tor we, too, have hid our trials. Many here
are old enough to remember the occasion.--
We had opened a difficulty with the Federal
Government in 1882, and you sent distin-
guished gentleman from your midst and made
proposals which were similar to those we now
make to you; and to show this Assembly how
deeply we are indebted to Virginia, / will
| take leave to read to you the objects and re-
suits of that commission. .
,, Here the Clork read the action of Virgin
ia in sending Benz. Watkins Leigh to South
Carolina, at the time of her Impending diff
Guilty with the Federal Governmentl
You will sec that Virginia undertook We
ry kindly Office for South Carolina, in case
III which there was great diversity of opin-
| ion among her own citizens. She had pro-
| ceeded to nullify a federal article of law, and
was about to support it by an appeal to arms,
when Virginia sent her Commissioner to de-
fer this nullifcation. Upon arriving there
he wrote to the Governor to ask the re-assem-
bling of the Convention which had adopted
the qualification resolutions, in order that the
Nirginin resolutions he brought might be sub
mitted toit TheGovernor replied, that there
was no body then in existance that could con
slider the Virginia resolutions, and recon-
mcndcd that they should be submitted to
the President of the Convention 1t is done;
the President writing that he would do great
injustice to Virginia and South Carolina,
he failed to comply, and authorizing the Gov
ernor to say to Mr.. Leigh that The Convention
would be re-assembled The Convention met
deliberated on the subject, aud the result of
their action was an ordinance declaring that
as Congress had provided for a reduction of
tho duty, &c., that the notification ordinance
should have no force. The mediation of Vir-
| gina had a do''hle effect both on Congress
| aud ON South Carolina, and the South Carroll
ma Convention adopted resolution thanking
| Virginia for her friendly act, and expressing
TO the Governor of Virginia the satisfaction
with which it regarded the action of Mr.
Leigh. Such was the effect of this mission,
and such was the spirit in which South Ctrcli-
ma received it.
It's necessary to review some of your ac-
tions to show that our course now is the same
as pursued by you towards MS; and now in
the day of trouble of the whole South, we
take the course initiated by you in the trou-
bles of that day. We are all aware that South
Carolina, with other States, decided that if
the Wilmot Proviso was adopted she would
seeede. She supposed that she was following
IN the dircotion of the whole of the Southern
States, and called Convention again, and
was prepared alone to so out of the Unioo,
though there was large minority in the
State opposed to this action. She was again
met by resolutions from the State of Virginia,
that State accepting the compromise of 1850
MS an adjustment while South Carolina re-
garded them IS an aggravotion. Virginia
passed resolutions declaring that, regarding
the said acts of Congress as an adjustment,
she deemed it unwise to send delegates to a
Southern Convention, and earnestly appealed
W HcT SiSlet lntateS 10 ueSlSt nom tnler move
Iment Our State took different view vet,
when your resolutions came, when your re-
quest to South Carolina to desist came, what
tookplaee2 The secession Convention met
two-thirds Of the memhers of which favored
disunion, yot these t@o,thirds delivered over
| their power to the minority Our prominent
men had canvassed the State, ;nforming the
people of Virginia's course, and when the.
Convention met it deemed it inexpedient to
Esecede. Now, gentlemen of the Assembly,
we have waited for you seyen years. We
Efelt assured that che wave Of fanaticisn, surg-
ing against our battlements, would not be
turned back but would sweep over our tuTets;.
md the next change in tue drama .wos the,
scene at IIarper's Ferry It tald as that we
must come back TO Virginia. 1t told us that
the wsye hpd swept over the summit, and we
have come toask youif you will meet us in
|eonference. Can you resist i'll We do not
press orr opinions on yous except as a matter
for conference 1t is right that all parties
should have their opinions. We ask for q
conference Of she Southern States, aud what.
| ever tl;ey determine an, we win abide Now.
geptlemens while we present this Fcquestwe
dc.pot wish yop to DO what your judgment
does mot approve af1and proceed to try to.
convince you that the course we urge is what
your judgment win opprove. a,s S. .s q
a The narper's Ferry affair now risesinto inl