The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1861-01-10
The Address to the south.

The Address Of the People Of South Carolina
,Asse,nbtsd as Convention, to the People of til
:Staretoid,ng States ofhe United States.
1t Is seventy three years since The Union be
tween the United States was made by the Con
stitution Of the United States. During thi
time, their advance in wealth, prosperity ant
veger has been with scarcely a parallel in tn,
i. 'ary of the world. The great object of thei,
ms -ss external defence from the aggres
Cnion S' powerful nations; which object i:
now attained, FRO. .n. r' nf aOsio pOsss IN pow
er. Thirty zone milh.. .;ch srnio,. -
commerce and navigation Wa. ,tiops xbieI
sea, and with agricultural produ> com.
are necessary to every civilized poop.
mand the friendship of the world. But, unl.r-
tunately, our internal peace has not grown with
our external prosperity. Discomfort and con
tention have moved in the bosom Of the Con-
federacy for the last thirty-fvc years. During
this time South Carolina has twice called her
people together in solemn Convention, 10 take
into consideration the aggres.ions and uncon-
stitutional wrongs perpHrated 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 and expectation that
they would be final. Bat such hope and cx
pectation have proved to be vain. Instead of
producing forbearance our acquie sccncc has on
ly instigated TO new forms OF aggression and
outrage; and South Carolina, again assembling
her people in Convention, has this diy.iissolved
her connection with The States constituting the
United States
Tho one great evil, from which all other evils
have howeI. is the overthrow of the COnStiiu-
tion of the United States. The Government of
the United States is no longer tie Government
of ofConfcdera,cd Republics, but OF a consolidated
Democracy. 1t is no longer Il free Government
but dcspotism. IL is, in fact, such a Govern
ment as Great Britain attempted TO set over our
farihcrs; and which was res sicd and defeated
by seven years struggle for independence
The Revolution Of lfI6 turned upon one great
principle, self goverHmcnt--and self-taxatian
the criterion of self government. Where the
interests Of TWO people united together under
one government, are different, each must have
the power TO protect its interests by the organi-
zation or the Government, or they cannot be
free. The Interests of Greu Britain AMI the
Colonies were different anu autag agolis;ic. Greai
Britain was desirouS of carrying out the ralicy
of all nations towards their olonics of making
them tributary TO her wealth and power She
had vast aud complicated relations with the
whole world Her policy towards her North
American Colonies was 10 identity them with
her In all these complica ci relations: and TO
make them bear In common with the rest of the
Empire the full burden OF her b. cations aud
necessities. She Lad vast public debt; she
had an European policy and an N>iltic policy
which had occasio c he accu,uu ION OF her
pubic debt; and which kept her in continual
wars. The North An c ,ican Colonies sa 4 lhei,.
interests, po!itica and commercial sacrificed
by such policy. Their Interests REQUIRED that
they should not be identified with the burden :
and wars of the mother country They had
been settled under Cha.tcrs winch paye lhcm
self-govcrnnent; at least so far rs their propcr-
ty was Concerned. They had taxed thcm selves
and had never been taxed by the Government
OF Great Britain. 10 make them "a part of a
consolidated zap q. tho Pa lament of Grca'
BriAain detcrnin ID TO a. -umc tn power of lcrj.
ilting Tor the Colonies i'll al cases whatsoever.
Our ancestors resisted the pretcntion. They
refused 10 be a pa of Ihg consolidated Govern
ment of Great Driiaiu.
The Southern States now stand exactly in
the same position iowar Is the Northern States
that our ancestors IN Tie colonies dill towards
Great Britain The Northern States. hoyirr
the majority in Congress, claim the same pow
er OF ohinipoicncc IN legislation as the British
Parliament. The General c.iarc' is The on
iy limit 10 the Lex Station of either and the ma
Jority IN Congress a. iH the Eritisl Parliament
are the sole judges OF the expcri1ncy OF The
legislation this 80 neral Welfare" reqnircs
Thus, the Government ot The United SIaics has
bscome consolidated Government; and the
people OF the Southern States are compelled to
meet the very dcspotism their fathers threw Oh
ln ihe Revolution of 776.
The consolidation OF the Government of q real
Britain over the Colonies, was attempted To he
carried out by the taxes. The British Parla
ment undertook TO tax the Colonies to prornote g
BRUSH interests. Our fathers resisted This pre-
tension. They claimed the right of self ,axn-
tion through their Colonial legislatures. TLev
were not represented III the British Parliament.
and, therefore, could not rightly be taxed b,.
its legislation. The british Government how
ever, offered them n representation in Paria
ment; but II was not sufficient to enable thcm
70 protect themselves from The majority. and
gp1 thn fI.,r l.,,
out any representation, and taxation without a
representation adequate to protection there
was no difference. In neither case would the
Colonies tax themselves. Hence, they refused
to pay the taxes laid by the British Parliament
And so with the Southern States towards the
Northern States, in the vital matter of taxation.
Tney are in minority in Congress Their
representation in Congress, is useless 10 pro
tect them against unjust taxation; and they
- arc taxed by the people of lie North for Mer
. beneu, exactly rs the people Of Great Britain
taxed our ancestors in the British Purl;ameu,
for then bepcit For the last forty years. the
taxes laid by the Congress of the United States
have been laid with view of subscribing the
Interests of the North Thcpeople of the South
have been taxed by duties or imports, moi for
revenue, but for an object inconsistent with
reyenue-to promote, by prohibitions, North
ern interest IN the productions Of their mines
and manufactures.
There is another evil, in the condition of the
Southern towards the Northern States, which
our ancestors refused TO bear towards Great
britain. Our ancestors not only taxed them
selves, hut all the taxes collected from them
were expended amongst them. Had they sub
mtied TO tho pretensions ofthe British Govern
ment the taxes collected from them wonll
have b On expended in other parts of the Brit
ish Empire They were fully aware of The ef
1ect OF such a policy in impovorishing the peo-
pie from whom taxes are collected and in en-
rlchlng those who receive the benefit of their
expenditure. To prevent the evils of such n
poiicy, was one OF the motives which drove
them on to Revolution. Yet this British poll
oy has been fully realized towards the Southern
states, by the Northern States. The people of
.he southern states are not only taxed for the
benefit OF the Northern States, bnt after tho
taxes are collected, three -fourths of them are