Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-01-04
sou,b Carolina Sovereign Convention.

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South Carolina Sovereign Convention.
CHARLESTON, Jan. 2.-Thc convention as
scmblcd at the usual hour. The President an
! nDunced the result Of the baoting for COM
m:ssoners to certain States. The convention
then wcnt into secret session. Commissioners
have been appointed to Georgia and Texas.
The convention adopted. as amended, the re-
port Of the committee. 1t recommends that
proper measures be adopted to ensure the con.
federation and the appointment OF commissions
crs to the States calling conventions, TO con-
slider and determine their future political rcla-
tons. This step arises by no means from
prrSiimptivc arrogance, but is in accordance
with the position Of circumstances given to
South Carolina in the line OF procedure Tor the
great design OF maintaining the rights, secu-
rity. and very existence Of the slarchoiI!ng
States Of the South. The instrument called
the Constitution Of the United States, Is
suggested as suitable and proper basis 10 be
offered for Il provisional government. The fol-
lowing arc the princi pal considerations which
! induce tie committee 10 give the report pre-.
ference: That the said instrument is 4 work
Of the first order; in strength and accomplish
mcnt; that it was most carefully constructed, by
conprchcnsivc views and q careful examination
Of details; that experience has proved 1t to be Il
good fo!m of government for these States !;
with sufficient virtues for the intelligent and
patriotic to cause il 10 be fairly and honestly
construed and iInpartially administered
That it is the settled opinion Of this State
that it has never been an adverse plan OF
government for the confcdcrated States, on
account Of anything in its structure; but the dis
satisfaction is attributable to the false sic:scS
dangerous miSntcrpretation and pcrvcrSion Of
Sundry Of its provisions, even to the cXtent,
IN one particular, Of SO covering up the rca!
purposes Of legislation Ito protect domestic
manufactures III one Scc.lon) As to cStop inc
Supreme Court in its opinion from injudicialsy
pcrcciving the real design that It's present
complete scheme Of confederation is capable ol
bcrs speedily operated The people of South
Carolina cherish and felt safe under it, in our
own hands for Interpretation and administration,
c>necllly a$ portions that had been, by pcrmls-
sion, made the parent Of mischief ard oppres.
sion, in hands adverse and inirnical TO onr inter-
est<, have received settled construction by the
South: that speedy confederation by the South
is desirable in the highest degree, which it is
supposed must be temporary at iirst-Ci ac-
complised as soon as it should be,) rs no bet
ter basis than the Constitution oi the United
States is likely to be suggested or adopted Tor
temporary purposes. That the opinions OF
those 20 whom il is deSi sned to oilcr it would
10 r0nciIiatcd by the testimony the very act
Itself would carry, that South Carolina meant
to seek no selfish advantage, re: 10 indulge III
the least spirit Of dictatiOn. That such 4 form
Of Government, more or less known to Europe,
if adopted, would indicate abroad that the Sc
ccuing Southern States had the forecast anG
energy to PIT in operation, forthwith and as
sumo a Government and Administration, com.
pc,cht TO produce a prompt organization tor
the internal necessities and sufficient protection
for the foreign commerce directed hither, rs
well As 10 it, and between them and other
united powers and foreign commercial nations,
and % combine without delay 4 power,
touching the purse and sword, that might bring
To q prudent issue the reflections Of those who,
pcrchancc. may be contemplating an INVASION,
or TO an issue disastrous to them, the attempt
or execution Of any unholy design.
II is contended that some Limitation OF pow
er to levy duties, TO regulate commerce, (&nd
perchance Other provisions Of the said Constr
tu,ion,) may be desirable; in fact, are so. y
modification is left to the period when articles
Of 4 permanent Government arc settled In the
meantime the Constitution referred 10 will
serve the purpose Of \ temporary confederation.
| If said Constitution be adopted, us proposed,
it will he subject to specific limitations, eNcep'
tons of ambiguous phrases, or notifications
The committee amend the second section o.
the resolutions tclegraphedC Christmas, as follows
"Prov!dcd, that the said providental Go
| ii tho nfn nll 0fiipprS
appointments to arrange under it, shall ccas
and determine in two years from July ilrS
next, or when permanent Government shal
have been organized.
The third resolution, as amended, reads
That the said commissioners be authorize,
to invite seccdius States to meet in convention
at such time and place rs may be agreed upor
for the purpose OF forming and putting in mo
ton such provisional government, so that saIc
provisional government be organized and &C
into effect at ihe earliest period previous to Tho
lth day of March, 1861, and that the same
convention of seeding States shall proceed
forthwith to consider and propose Const'tu'
ton ard plan Of pcrpancnt government ioI
such States, which proposed plan shall be re-
fcrrcd back to the special State conventions iol
adoption or rejection.
The fourth resolution reads:
That eight deputies, elected by ballot OF this
convention, be authorized to meet deputies o
other slavcholding States seeding from th'
Federal Union, for the purpose Of carrying ntt
effect the foregoing resolutions; and it is re
commended that each Of said States be entitled
to one VOTE in said convention, upon all ques
tons; that each State send so many deputle:
:s may be equal 10 the number Of Senators ant
Representatives to which they arc entitled il
the Congress CT the United States.
Several printed reports have been circulated
but none were sanctioned before last Mon
DAYS secret session.
The Columbia Artillery, fifty strong, arrTe'
here at o'clock to-day, and will proceed Il
the defence of the harbor Of Charleston, an'
will use the Charleston cannon. Two thou
sand pounds Of powder have been ordered iron
ona Of the forts
Fort Sumter.
Some eighty mechanics and laborcrs reaci'eo
the city from this fortifcation this morning