The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1861-05-09

by repeated efforts to usurp powers not del
egated by the Constitution, for the purpose
Of impairing the security of property in
slav ., and reducing those States which
held slaves to condition Of iDteriority.
Finally great party was Organized for
the purpose of obtaining the administra-
tion Of the government, with the avowcd
object Of using its power fer the total ex-
clusion Of the slave States from all partici,
patton in the benefits Of the public domain,
acquired by all the States in common,
whether by conquest or purchase of SUR
rounding them entirely by States in which
slavery should be prohibited; Of thus rem
dering the property in slaves so insecure
as to be comparatively worthless, and there
by annihilating in effect property worth
thousands of millions of dollars. This
party, thus organized, succeeded in the
month of November last, in the election Of
its candidate for the Presidency Of the
United Suites.
| In the meantime, under the mild and
genial climate OF the Southern States, and
the increasing care aud attention for the
well being and comfort of the laboring class,
dictated alike by interest aud humanity, the
African slaves had augmented in number
from about 600 600, at the date of the
| adoption OF the constitutional compact, 10
upwards of 100000. In moral and So
cial condition they had been elevated from
| brutal savages Into docile, intelligent and
civilized agricultural aborres and supplied
not only with bodily comforts, but with
careful religious instruction.
Under the supervision of superior race,
their labor had been so directed as not
only to allow a gradual and marked ameli-
Grafton of their own condition, but TO con-
| vert hundreds OF thousands of square miles
OF the wilderness into cultivated lands,
covered witE 3 prosperous people; towns
and CIT es had sprung into existence, and
had rapidly increased in wealth and pepu-
lation under the social system of the South;
the white population of the Southern slave
holding States had augmented from about
l,25O,00O at the date Of the Constitution
to more than 100000 in 1860; and the
! productions Of the South in Cotton, Rice,
Sugar and Tobacco, for the full develop
mcnt and continuance of which the labor
OF African slaves Was, and is, indispensa.
4 bic, bad swol en- to an amount which formed
nearly three fourths OF the exports of the
whole United States, and had become abso
lutely necessary to the wants of civilized
men.
With interests Of such overwhelming
magnitude imperi.led, the people of the
Southern States were driven, by the con
d-' o. E.t -torth,'to ahe asIpiiou C.Sso..it
c u'sa OF action to oav, rt the danger with
wnlch they %erc openly menaced. With
tbs view, the Legislatures of the severa
States invited the people to select Dele
gates to Conventions to be held for pur
pose of determining for themselves wha
measures were best adapted TO meet sc
alarming crisis in their history.
Here it may be proper to observe that
from period as early ms 1903 there had
existed in aH Of the Ststes of the Unior
party, almost uninterruptedly in tn,
majority, based upon the creed that each
State was, IL the last resort, the sole judge
as well of its wrongs, as of the mode ano
measure OF redress. Indeed, it is obvious
that under the law Of nations, this prin
cple is pnd axiom as applied to the rela
4 tions ct independent. sovereign States such
as those which had united themselve.
under the constitutional compact. The
Democratic party OF the United States re
peated in its successful canvass in 1856, tn,
deciarati n made iu numerous prcviou.
political contests, that it would "faitbful
! iy abide by aud uphold the principle.
'aid down in the Kentucky and Yirgini,
resolutions of l10S, and the report of Mr.
Madison to the Virginia Legislature il
1893; and that it adopts those principle,
as constituting one OF the main foundation:
OF Its political creed"
The principles thus emphatically an
nounced, embrace that tc which | huv,
already adverted, the right OF each Stat,
70 judge of and redress the wrongs o.
which it complains. These principle.
were maintained by overwhelming maiori
ties Of the people Of all the States of th,
! Union at different elections of Mr.. JEFF
ferson in 1905, Mr.. Madison in 1909
aud MIR. Pierce in 1882.
In the exercise of right so ancient
so well established, aud so necessary foi
selfpreservation, the people of the Conied
crate -tates in their Conventions determin
cd that the wrongs which they were men
aced, required that they should revoke the
delegation of po3 ers to the Federal Gov
er"ment which they had ratified in their
several Conventions. They consequently
passed Ordinances, rcsuming all their
rights as sovereign aud independent States
aud dissolved their connection with the
other States o. the Union.
Having doae this, they proceeded tc
tprm new compact amongst themselves
Roy new Articles OF Confederation, of the
which an approach to unaimity far exceed.
'ns that of the convention which adopted
the new government in all its departments
the functions al the Executive, Legislative,
and Judic al Magistrates are performed In
accordance with the will OF the people as
displayed, not merely IL a cheerful ac-
Iucscence, but III the enthusiastic support
oi the government thus established by
themselves; and but Tor the interference
OF the Government Of the United States