The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1860-09-18
From the Richmond Enquirer.
A Protest

The undersigned, citizens Of the Southern
States, accidentally assembled at the White
Sulphur Springs, have read with much surprise
the speech Of Judge Douglas, recently deliver
ed at Norfolk, and being many of them too re-
mote from their homes TO take part in any
public expression Of opinion there, deem it due
to themselves to make known in this manner
their dissent from its doctrines.
In this address, Mr.. Douglas declares that
| if the Southern States mot part, but ally
shall seccde from the Union upon the inaugu-
ration of Abraham Lincoln, it will be the duty
of the President of the United States, who, in
the case supposed, will be Lincoln, by arms To-
punish or subdue them, and that be will coun-
sci him to do so, and aid him to do SO by all
the means in his power
Now, as there is Il large party at the North
avowlng the most implacable hostility to the
institutions of the South, whose candidate for
the Presidency is Mr.. Lincoln, this declaration
OF MIR. Douglas is in effect that the election
of man 10 the Presidency of the United
States, BY the votes alone of ono section, who
is pledged to use all the powers of the Govern.
ment for the destruction of the rights and
property of the other section, would not iust-
ty the weaker in resistance, but that if in such
an event, the fifteen Southern States should
assume to determine on the extent of their
danger and to quietly withdraw from it, hc
should regard their action rs revolt, and IS
such to be punished with oil the force of the
Government. Than this we can conceive Of
no doctrine more dangerous 10 the South. It..
contounds resistance to establish law, by ind-
viduals which it would be the duty Of the Chief.
Magistrate to punish, with the peaceaLe scces-.
sion OF States from a compact no longer con-
sistcnt with the interest or existence of its con-
sttucnts; but it treats the Union as a perpet-
ual bond, cxacting unconditional submission,
forever, from weaker to stronger scction-
1t strips the States Of the chcfattribnte of sove-
reienty, to-wit: the right to determine when
their existence is put to lazard, as to the
means necessary to their preservation, and
atiirms that, while it is legitimate in the peo-
pie of the North having control of the General
Government, through it, to inAict upon the
States OF the South whatever wrongs it may
be consistent with their interest or feelings to-
impose, it would be treason in the people of
the South to obey the orders of their States in.
opposition to Federal authority
Franght with error as this doctrine is, SUBJ
versive of that constitutional theory, in which
alone the rights of the States are to be found,
it has, at this moment, and under the circum- >
stances, bloody significance. The enemies
of the South, in the Northern States, have Sc
ccted Abraham Lincoln to lead them in the
"irreprcssible conflict" which he has proclaim
ell. Mr.. Seward, the most distinguished courr-
scor Of Mr.. Lincoln, declares at Boston that
the election of Lincoln is sure-that with it
the power of slavery will end, and that the
"irre prcssiblc condicw will be pressed to its
infamous and LIaeAG close.
At such q Y5mcnt the proclamation of such.
sentiri5H Judge Douglas, Coming immezrs
diatcly y wara's Boston, specify utters18
|ssEs az tsth, and agdrcsscl to the S S