The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1861-01-30

-dsseWoted IN C0Neentt0n, 10 the People Of
ne sIaoehoidiny States Of the Uaited
States.
Ir is scventy-three years since the union
between the United States was made by the
Constitution of the United States. During
this time, their advance in wealth, prosperity
and power, has been with scarcely parallel
in the history of the world. The great OBJ
ject of their union was external defence from
the aggressions of more powerful nations !;
which object is now attained, from their
mere progress in power. Thity-one millions
Of people with a commerce and navigation
which explore every sea, and with agricul-
tural productions which are necessary to
every civilized people, command the friend
ship of the world. But unfortunately, our
internal peace has not grown with our exter-
nal prosperity. Discomfort and contention
have moved in the bosom of the Confcderacy
for The last thiry-fvc years. During this
time, South Carolina has twice called her.
people together in solemn Convention, to
take into consideration the aggressions and
unconstitutional wrongs perpetrsted by the
people of the North on the people Of the
South. These wrongs were submitted to by
the people of the South, under the hope aud
expectation that they would be final. But
such hope and expectation have proved to be
vain. Instead of producing forbcarance, our
aequiescence has only instigated to new
forms Of aggression and outrage; and South
Carolina, again assembling her people in Con
vention, has this day dissolved her connection
with the States constituting the United
States.
The one great evil, from which all other
evils have flowed, is the overthrow of the
Constitution of the United States. The
Government of the United States is no
longer the Government of Confederated Re-
publics, but of a consolidated Democracy.
1t is no longer free Government, but des-
potism. 1t is, in fact, such a Government as
Great Britain attempted to set over our
fathers, and which was resisted and defeated
BY seven years struggle for independence.
The Revolution of 1776 turned upon one
great principle, selfgovernment-and self
taxation, the criterion of self government.
Where the interests of two people united to-
getber under one government are different,
each must have the power to protect its in
terests by the organization Of the Govern
ment, or they cannot be free. The interests
of Great Britain aud the Colonies were diff
ferent aud antagonistc. Great Britain was
DESTROYS of carrying out the policy of all
nations towards their Colonies, of making
them tributary to her wealth and power
She had vast and complicated relations with
the whole world. Her policy towards her
/ North American Colonies was to identify
them with her in all these complicated rela-
tions, and to make them bear in common
with the rest of the Empire, the full burden
of her obligations and necessities. She had
a vast public debt; she had an European
policy and an Asiatic policy, which had oc-
casioned the accumulation of her public
debt, and which kept her in continual wars
The North American Colonies saw their
interests, political and commercial sacrificed
by such a policy. Their interests required
that they should not be identified with the
burdens of the mother country. They had
been settled under charters which gave them
selfgovcrnment, at least so far as their pro-
perty was concerned. They had taxed them
selves, and had never been taxed by the
Government of Great Britain. To make
them part of consolidated empire, the
Parliament of Great Britain determined to
assume the power of legislating for the
Colonies in all cases whatsoever. Our an.
cestors resisted the pretension. They re-
fused to be apart ofthe consolidated Govern
ment of Great Britain.
The Southern States now stand exactly in
the same position towards the Northern
States that our ancestors in the Colonies did
towards Great Britain. The Northern States
having the majority in Congress, claim the
same power of omnipotence in legislation as
the British Parliament. "TheGeneral Wei
fare is the only limit to the legislation Of
ether and the majority in Congress, as in
the British Parliament, are the sole Judges
of the expediency of the legislation this
General Welfare" requires. Thus, the
Government of the United States has become
a consolidated Government; and the people
of the Southern States are compelled to meet
the very despotism their fathers threw off in
the Revolution of l776.
The consolidation of the Government O
Great Britain over the Colonies was attempt
ed to be carried out by the taxes. Tho
British Parliament undertook to tax tn,
Colonies to promote British interests. Oul
fathers resisted this pretension They ciaimet
the right of selftnation through thei
Colonial Legislatures. They were not. re
presented in the British Parliament and
: therefore, could not rightly be taxed by it
legislation. The British Government, how