The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-01-01

Carolina, to build ships to carry on our direct
trade with Europe. Between l740 and 1779
there were built in these yards twenty-five square
rugged vessels, besides great number of sloops
and schooRers, to carry on our coast and West
India trade. In the half century Immediately
preceding the Revolution. from 1925 to 1775, the
population of South Carolina increased sevenfold.
No man can for moment believe that our an
cestors intended to establish over their posterty
exactly the same sort of government they had
overthrow. The great object of the Constitution
Of the United States in its internal operation, was
doubtless to secure the great end of the Revou-
ton-a limited free governments government
limited to those matters on y which were general
and common to all portions of the United States.
All sectional local interests to be left to
the States. By no other arrangement would they
obtain free government, by Constitution common
to so vast Confederacy. Yet, by gradual and
steady encroachments on the part of the people
of the North, and acquiescence the part of the
South; the limitations in the Constitution have
been swept away, and the Government OF the
United States have become consolidated, with a
claim Of limitless powers in its operations.
1t is not at all surprising, whilst such is the
character of the Government of the United States,
that 1t should assume to possess power over all the
institutions of the country. The agtations on the
subject of slavery the natural result of the con-
follows power; and if the people ofthe North have
the power by Congress ''to promote the general
welfare Of the United States" by any means they
may deem expedient-why should they not assall
and overthrow the institutions of slavery In the
South? They are responsible for its continuance
or existence, in proportion to their power. ma
iorty in Congress- according to their interest and
perverted views, is omnpotent. The inducements
to act upon the subject OF slavery, under such cir
cumstances were so lmperlous as to amount almost
to a moral necessity. 10 make however their nu-
merica power available to rule the Union, the
North must consolidate their power 1t would
not be united on any matter common to the whole
Union-in other words, on any constitutional SUBJ
iect-for on such objects divisions are as likely
to exist In the North as in the South. Slavery
was strictly sectional interest. Ii this could be
made the criterion of the parties at the North the
North could be united in its power and thus carry
out its measures of sectional ambition, encroach-
ment & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. To build up her sectional
predominance in the Union, the Constitution must
first be abolished by constructions but that being
DONE the consolidation of the n orth, to rule the
South, by the tariff and slavery issues, in the
obvious course OF things.
The Constitution OF the United States was
an experiment The experiment consisted in
uniting under one government different peoples,
living IN different climates, and having different
pursuits of industry aud institutions. 1t matters
not how carefully the limitations of such Govern
ment be laid down in the Constitution-its success
must at least depend upon the good faith OF the
parties to the constitutional compact, in enforcing
them. 1t is not in the power of human language
to exclude false differences, constructions and per-
versions in any Constitutions; and when vast sec
tiona interes are to be observed, involving the
appropriation Of countless millions of money, it
has not been the usual experience Of mankind that
words parchment can arrest power. The Constitu-
ton Of the United States irrespective of the intepos
ton of the States rested the assumption that power
would yield to lith-that integrity would be stronger
than interest-and that thus the limitations of the
Constitution would be observed. The experiment has
been fairly made The Southern States; from the COM
encement of the Government has sriven to keep it
within the orbit prescribed by the Constitution. The
experiment has failed The whole constitution, by the
constructions of the Northern people, has been absorb
ed by its preamble. In their reckless lust for power,
they unable to comprehend that seeming paradox
that the power is given the General Govern
ment the weaker becomes Its strength consists in
limitation of its agency objects of inter-
all sections. To extend the scope of its power
over sectional and local interest raise up against
opposition and resistance. In all such matters the
General Government must necessarily be despot-
ISM because all sectional local interest must
be represented by minority in the councils of the Cen
eral Gorernment-having no power to protect itself
against the rule of the iority The ma ority
stued from those who do represent these section
al local interests, will control and govern them. A
free people cannot submit such government. And
the it enarges the sphere of its power the great
must be the dissatisfaction it must produce, and the
weaker it become. On the contrary the more it
abstans from usurped powers and the faithfully
adhcrcs to the limitations of the Constitution the
stronger it is made. The Northern people have had
neither the wisdom the faith to perceive, that to
observe the limitations of the Constitution the
only way to its perpetuity.
Under such a government there must of course be
many and endless irrcpressbe Conflicts between the
two great sections Of the Union. The same fahess-
ness which has abolished the Constitution of the
United States will not fail to carry out the sectional
purposes for which it has been abolished. There
be conflict and the weaker section Of the Union can
only find peace and liberty in independence of the
North. The repeated efforts made by South Carolina
in wise conservatism, arrest the progress of the
General Government in its fatal progress to
consolidation, have been unsupported and she has
been denounced fathess the obligations of the
Constitution, by the very men and States who were
destroying it by their usurpaons 1t is too late
to reform restore the Government Of the United
States. All confidence in the North is lost by the
South The aihlessness of the North for half century
has opened gulf of separation between the North and
fill. -#
1t cannot be believed that ancestors would have
assented any Union whatever with the people of the
North if the feelings and opinions existing among
them had existed when the Constitution was framed
There then Tarf-uo fanaticism concerning me-
groes. 1t was the delegates from New England who
proposed, in the Convention which framed the Consti
tuition, to the delegates from South Carolina and Geor-
gia that if they would agree give Congress the
err OF regulating commerce by majority, that they
would support the extension of the African Slave Trade
for twenty years. The idea that the Southern States
would have pay that tribute to their Northern con-
ederates. which they had refused pay to Great Brit
81, Il H. e