Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-03
srArn OF THE ooukFRx.

The ADDRESS Of Che People of South Carolina, Assem-
bed in C0ncstion to the People Of the SiacehotdHs
States Of the Uni,ed States. Printed by order o
the Convention Charleston: Evans Cogswell
Printers to the Convention; PIP. l6 1860
Report on The ADDRESS of portion Of The Members Q
The General Asse1aby of Georgia. Printed by order
OF the Convention. Charleston: Evans d COgs
well, Printers to the Convention; PIP. 6. 1860.
1t is now universally known that, on the twentietl
day of last December. the people CT South Carolina
in Convention assembled, solemnly annuled the or
dinance by which they became members D
the Federal Union, entitled the United States o
America, and resumed to themselves the exercise
of all the powers which they had delegated to tht
Federal Congress. South Carolina has now become
separate and Independent State She takes hel
place as an equal among the other nations of tho
earth This y certainly one Of the most grave ant
important events of medern times. 1t involves the
destiny OF continent, and through that continent
the fortunes of the human race. As it is matter
OF the utmost moment that the rest of the world
and especially that the people Of the United States
should understand the causes which have brought
about this astounding result we propose, in shori
article and in candid and dspassonate spirit, tc
explain them. and to make an appeal. both to the
slaveholdIng and non-slayeholdiag States touching
their duty in the new AMI extraordinary aspecl
which affairs have assumed.
That there was a cause, and an adequate cause
might be presumed from the character of the Con
~OSSooASHf
the perfect unanmity with which it was done. That
convention was not collection of demagogues and
politicians 1t was not q concave of defeated place
hunters who sought to avenge their disappointment
by the ruin of their country. II was a body OF
sober grave and venerable men, selected from every
pursuit in life and distinguished, most of them, in
their respeetective spheres by every quality which
can command admiration and respect. 1t embraced
the wisdom, moderation and integrity of the bench
the learning and prudence of the bar and the elo-
quence and piety of the pulpit 1t contained retired
planters scholars and gentlemen. who had stood
aloof from the turmoil and ambition Of public life
and were deVoting and elegant leisure-0thun cum
diqntdte-to the culture of their minds and to quiet
and unobtrusiye schemes Of Christian philanthro
ply. There were men in that convention who were
utterly incapable of low and selfish schemes who
in the calm serenity of their Judgments, were as
unmoyed by the waves of popular passion and ex-
citement as the everlasting granite by the pillows
that roll against it. There were men there who
would have listened to no voice but what they be-
lieved to be the voice of reason, and would have
bowed to no authority but what they believed to be
the authority of God There were men there who
would not have been controlled by uncertain opln
ion," nor betrayed into Sudden counses;' men who
could act from nothing, in the noble language OF
Milton, 'but from mature WISDOM deliberate virtue
and dear affection to the public good" That con
vention, in the character of its members deserves
every syllable of the glowing panegyric which Mil
of England, which taught the nations OF the earth
that resistance to syrants is obedience to God.
We're it not invidious, we might single out names
which, wherever they are known. are regarded as
Synonymous with purity, probity, magnanimlty and
honor, Is was q noble body aud all their pro
ceeding were in harmony with ther high chsrac
ter. In the midst of intense agitation and excite
ment. they were calm, cool, collected and selfpos
sessed. They deliberated without passion, and CON-
cluded without Pashness, They sat with closed
doors that the tumRlt of tie Popplace might not in
wade the sObriety of their minds. 1t stranger
could have passed from the stirring scenes with
which the streets of Charleston were alive into the
calm and quiet Sanctuary Of this venerable council
he would have been impressed with the awe
and veneration which subdued the rude Gaul
when he first beheld in Senatorial dignity the Con-
script Fathers of Rome. That, in such body,
there was not single voice against the Ordinance
of Secession that there was not only no dissent bHt
that the assent was cordial and thoropgh-gong, is
strong presumption that the measure was justified
by the clearest and sternest necessities Of justice
and of right. That such an assembly should have
inaugurated and competed q radical revolution IN
all the external relations of the State in the face Of
acknowledged dangers, and at the risk of enormous
sacrifices and should have done II grayely, sobeEy
dispassionately, deliberately, and yet have done II
without cause, transcends all the measures of prob
ability. Whatever else may be said of it. it GER
anly must be admitted that this solemn act of South
Carolina was well considered.
in her estimate Of the magnitude Of the danger,
she haq been seconded by every other saVeholding
State. While we are writing the telegraphic wires
announce what the previous elections had prepared
us 20 ezpept-that Florida, Alabama and Missis
sippi have followed her example. They also have
become separate and independent States. Three
other States have taken the incpent steps for the
contamination of the same result And the rest of
the lslavehol6ing States are hanging by single
thread to the Union-the slender thread of hope
bo1l
cure 10 them theip pights But even they proclaim.
that without such guarantees their wrongs are in
tolerable. and they viii not longer endure them.
Can any man believe that the secession of four soy
eregl States, under the most solemn circumstances,
the determination Of others to follow as soon
the constituted authorities can De called together,
and the universal sentiment of all, that the Consti
tuition of the United States has been virtually re-
peaed. and that every slaveholding State has just
ground for secession-can any man believe that
this is Fictitious condition of the public mind of
the South, produced by Drawing politicians and
disappointed deNagogHes, and not the CALM, Delhi
eratss, prof9End HttsEance of people who feel in
their inmost souls. that they have been deeply and
hagrently wronged The presumption clearly is,
that there is something in the attitude of the Gov
ePnm6nt whi0h portends danger and demands resist
ance. There must Dc cause fer this intense and
pervading sense of I'M Justice and Of injury.
1t has been suggested, by those who know as lit
tie of the people of the South they do of the Con-
sttution of their country, that all this ferment is
nothing but the result of mercenary spirit on the
part of the cotton-growing States, fed by Utopian
dreams of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and wealth, to be real
lied under the auspices of trade, IN separate
Confederacy of their own. 1t has been grayely in
snuated that they willing to sell their faith for
god-that they hare only made pretext eff recent
events TO accomplish faregane scheme OF deliberate
treaGherY and fraud. That there is not the slightest
ground in anything these States have ever said or
done for this extraordinary SANDER it is of COURSE
superAuous to add. The South has, indeed. COM
planned of the unequal administration OF the Gov
eminent Her best and purest statesmen have open
" avowed the opinion, that in consequence of the
partial legislation of Congress- she has borne bur-
dens, and experienced Inconvenience, which have
retarded her own prosperity while they have large
IL contributed 70 develop the resources of the
North. But grievances of this kind unless greatly
exaggerated. never would have led to the dissol-
ton of the Union. They would have been resisted
within II. or patiently borne until they could be
lawfully redressed, So far from oontending for an
arbitrary right to dissolve the Union the right
TO dissolve 1t on merely teehinal grounds the South
sets so high value on good faith, that she would
never have dissolved it for slight and temporary
WRONGS even though they might involve such q vic
lation, on the part of her confederates, of the
terms of the compact released her from any
further obligation of honor. 1t is, therefore,
prepOsterous 10 say, thai anF daeains, however
dazzling of ambition and aYarice, could have indgG
ed her to disregard her solemn engagements to
her sister States, while they we're faithfully fulfill
ing the conditions Of the conflict We know the
people of the South; ana we can confidently affirm,
that if they had not been assured that all these
golden visions could have been completely really
ed by setting up for themselves, long the Con-
stituap of the United States continued to be sim
cerely observed, they would have sp4rned the
temptation to purchase national greatness by percy
They would have preferred poverty, with honor, to
the gain of the whole world by the loss of their in
tegPity.
When it was perceived that the tendency ofevents
was inevitably driving the South to disunion,
dition from which she first recoiled with honor,
then she began to cast about for considerations to
reconcile her to her destiny. Then, for the first
time, was it maintained, that, instead of being
loser, she might be gamer by the measure which
the course OF ELECTROMAGNETIC forcing up on her.
1t was alleged that good would spring from evil;
that the prospect of independence was brighter and
more cheeringthan her present condition-that she
had much to anticipate and little to dread, from the
change. But these considerations
not invented to justify secesson-they were only adj
iuced as motives to reconcile the mind to its
ty. Apart from that necessity, they would have
had as little weight i'll determining public opinion,
as the small dust of the BALANCE. We do not believe,
when the present controversy began, that the adyo
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