Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-04-03
south.Carolina Dissatisfied, and Preparing 10
Secede again

they desire the change to be made
South. Carolina Dissatisfied, ana preparing ~
Secede again!
The South. Carolina Convention IS again III session
the business before it being the Constitution Of the
"Confederate States" The Mercury of Thursday says
"In the State Convention, yesterday, motion
was made providing that the discussion OF the FER,
manen. Constitution Of the Confederate States sna
take place in secret session. The debate upon inns
resolution elected quite spirited discussion OF tne
merits of the Constitution ITSELF which was partici-
pated in by Messrs. Adams, Spratt Withers, Gregg
Rhett. Middleton and others. The motion was nm
ay carried; Twenty-Five votes being cast against IT,
So the Constitution will be debated with closed
doors. ,,
Mr. Rhett offered an Ordinance, which was refer.
red providing that in the event OF the ADMISSION OF
anv free State into the Southern Confederacy, the
Governor shall call another Convention to decide
upon the course of South Carolina" I
The same paper adds:
"For ourselves, we can see no prospect Of such a
change as would warrant the saveholding States in
AGAIN placing themselves under the damaging intu
ences of the Northern States. 1t is policy nvolv
inc little less than the destinies of the South. To
us indicates the part of its advocates, failure
to comprehend the requirements of our position and
A disposition to trife with the securities we now
have Tor safety, independence and prosperity. We
trust the public of this section will scrutinise the
matter closely leaving behind them all sentimental
ty and unreasoning timidity. Then Will they rise
place their eel sternly upon the scheme of reorgan
izng the Union of the irrepressb'e conflict
The Constitution of the United States provides
that the Congress may admit new States into the
Union but the Constitution of the Confederate
States" provides that "other States may be admit
ted into this Confederacy by vote of two-thirds of
the whole House of Representatives and two-thirds
of the Senate, the Senate voting by States" The
leading disunionists of South Carolina fear that un
der this provision free States may be admitted; and
the consequence is, that while they are debating the
new Constitution in secret session. they are also pro-
viding for another secession sin the event of the
admission of any free State into the Southern Con-
federacy." Mr. Rhett leads in this, as he led in the
first secession. The Mercury thinks the policy of
admitting free States involves little less than the
destlnies of the South"
Such is the wild dance of secession The people
Of this State urged to reverse their action on the
2sth of February, and to join Carolina as soon
as possible. Well, suppose they should do so, and
by the time they had gotten fairly within the new
Confederacy South Carolina should secede again p
Who could say nay to her? No one The new
government is based the right secession at wiU
COL Jefferson Davis, the President of the new, as he
could not be of the old Confederacy would be bound
to hearken to the voice of South. Carolina. Itwould
be his duty to give her certificate under the broad
seal of his agency of the Confederate States" to
the effect that she had joined his agency Of her own
accord-that she had gone out Of it Of her own &C.
cord taking with her all the valuabes she could lay
her hands on, Florida, Louisiana and Texas have
recently done; and that, in consideration of the
premises, and looking to the rights and the happi-
ness of the people of South Carolina well as of
the Confederate States" it would be the duty of
all corners to treat South Carolina as of the pow
ers of the EARTH But suppose Mr. President Davis,
with his standing army of twenty thousand men,
should not do that-suppose he should say it was
his duty to enforce the laws in all the States what
then? Abe Lincoln said that, whereupon divers
persons "cussed powerful" as they say in Georgia.
But suppose President Davis should proceed to en-
force the laws and to hold on to the forts in South
Carolina, and should send troops to overawe the peo
pe-would not that be coercion? What then p
Why North Carolina, having joined South-C carolina,
would be called upon to aid the latter in fighting
Davis, she is called upon to aid her in fight
ing Lincoln. But if North Carolina should refuse
to Do that and should remain in the new Confeder
acy she would be cut off from her sister States by
the secession Of South Carolina for the latter would
then be a foreign State. What then? We are free
to say We do not know.
Such is the wild dance of secession!
The Constitution of the Confederate States is
to be debated by the Convention and adopted "with
closed DOORS" We expected that The people in
the seeded States amount to little. They con-
reniences now and then, to give the oligarchs a
start in the schemes they have set on foot; but
once started the machinery of revolution must not
be touched by them. 1t is their business to
prowl around the closed DOORS" and beg to be in
formed as to the progress of events 1t is their bust
ness y pay taxes-to send their sons to serve on
foot in the army while the lazy oligarchs ride on
horseback, with boots and spurs, and ribbons aid
feathers, and commissions and high salaries and il
they complain they are denounced as traitors and
threatened with "swift attention by vigilance com.
mttees appointed by secret organizations. That is
what the people are expected to do in the seeded
States Will they endure it! We think not And
this what the leading dsunionists in this State
want to do with the people. They have already as
good as told them that they are fools for having
voted down Convention. Mr. Branch thought they
would ruin themselves if they did as they pleas.
lea, and behold they went and did as they pleased!
Mein Got" as the Dutchman said, "vot a pee
ples' Mr. Samuel j. Person and his brother dis.
un'on'sts in the Legislature wanted to deprive the
people OF the right to vote on the action of the Con-
'entlon' should one be called; and we verify believe,
and we charitaby believe, that il Convention had
N called in the way in which the oligarchs in
Its State desired to call it. and had been composed
''jority of dsunionists, that Convention would
nave ~'oated with closed doors, and would have
II 'aAeh tie State out of the Union nv the stro,o