The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1860-05-22

+: r. Is. Rhett, has been 'hnded to us for pub
LEGATION. We obey the reqacst, and lay it be
fore our readers -
CfIAh:.EsroS, May 10th, 1860.
Ny DEAR SIR
You ask me, in the first place, whether
"will support the pe;icy Of the State Right
party going into the Columbia and Richmond
Conventions;" and, in the second place, ''npol
what grounds think such policy may b.
Supported"
| ! think that the Whole State ought, to g
into these Conventions and will assign Very
briefly the reasons which it appears to mc sup
port such policy.
We stard now very much in the same posi-
ton we stood in 1850. The contest then wa
! concerning the, rights of the South i'll one Ter
/ rritory-Cafornia. The contest now is con
ccrnins tile rights of tie South in all cur Ter
ritories, owned or to be owncdi in all time tt
come. A Convention-the Nashville Convcn
tion-was recommended by the Democratic
| party of one Southern State -Alississippi-tol
|. tic vindication Of the rights otthc South in +;
Territory. The Richmond Convention is re-
commended by the Democratic parry of cigh'
Southern States for thevindication OF ournght:
in dH orr Territories. II we weEt into tlic
former, why not go into the latter! As / did
all in my power 10 bring the Southern States
together at Nashville, and to INDUCE them to
act together for the vindication of their rights
consistency requires OF me the same course
now. waive-I abandon no right of tile State,
by this policy. Tie extreme remedy OF State
is rot inconsistent with efforts to
obtain the co-act;on of the Southern States to
lnaintain their rights. am in the old path, it
seems 10 me; and mean 10 continue to tread
it.
But Won say, "Havc we not heretofore op.
posed National Party Conventions, and is not
the Richmond Convention a National Party
Convention 81 i answer. No "a National
Party Convention is the Convention Of a party
which is based onmuLonat vi"ciples; that is,
.p.inr,picx ynmon moH porij""s "f ihp Uni
It'd .Siutrx. The Richmond Convention is not
such Convention. Its declared principles are
not na Gouoi, for not asinglc Northern State
has dared to avow them. 1t is a sectional Con
yenton, called by one section OF the Union, to
support rights and interests belonging to one
section OF the Union, and acknowledged but
by one section of the Union. 1t arises ont of
the oeb,is Of the que great national party in
the Union-thc Democratic party and is
intended to countcract- its policy: 1t is trHc,
that all those Of the Democratic party IN the
United States, who agree with tile platform
the eight Southern States lay dcwn, as their
criterion Of party alhiation, are invited to at
tend the Richmond Convention. This is GER
tainy an Objectionable ren the Conven-
ton; but it does not alter its character, as a
Southern Convention, to support Southern
rights and interests. The Black Republicans,
invite aliu the United States, who agree with
them iurtheir abolition designs, to join with.
them in their Convention at Chicago. Sup
0s f0s t:5ssaE should go into Nat CoentioH,
as s;:;,s tsy h;:;j 4 y sss::7l -s
tsinIy not. Nor will the fact, that from few
.or-nlallv States in the North delegates may at
tend. the Richmond Convention, change its
character as sectional Convention. Nor.
does that other fact, that we claim that our
rights are supported Sby3the Constitution, alter
the matter, for this is:deHied by a sectional
North.
But again you say, that ave Of the Souths
might be overwhelmed by our. Northern asso- So
,ciates in tbea Richmond Convention, ,wlio may
spali.lyzc our action, or dictate acourse injnri-
oiis to on: rights and principles" This may
he douc; but it will be tiaudulcnty done.
Northern delegates will come into inc Itch
5mond Convention >tosupport the rights of the
South, previously laid down. If, instead of
aOing this. they Use their power to thrust them
aside, or to noniiaatc candidates for the Presi-
dency and Vice Presidency who do not repre-
sent them, :lley act part OF dishoncsty-they
ptgpctrate fraud. Such apprehensions, might
be i, good causAtor caution. in selecting prop
er men to represent MS at Richmond, but they
afford no good cause for not going into the
Couycntion. The fear Of being cheated, docs
not deter me from cndcaror!ng to enforce
tier rights. Because there isa ucver-cnding
.proncness 10 evil, that is no reason We should
not strive to prol+otc good.
Again, you say, that at will be useless-it
will come to nothing" Here again You may
be right. The Nashville Convention failed i'll
the object it contemplated but were we not
right in going Into it9 l. ztLil!k we were, l
would have gone into.it, i'll lad. foresecn the
whole sequel Of its termination And so now,
/ support tic Richmond Convention, having
no splrt of prephesy to forcte its issues; but
being prepared to meet them, whatever they
may bc. Yon should remember, that out Of
failures, arise that final success, which crowns
nations with deIivelancc and liberty;
Whether you will agree with me in the COLI
clusous TO Which have arrived, | do not know;
but trust you will do me the justice to at:-
knowledge that, wise or unwise, Lam not wall
dering .rom the path Of consistency, aud g
Remain, my dear sir, yours most truly,
r. b. RHE1T.