Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-03-08

declared thav tho tnstitution, of slavery, % Il
exis,s in the Southern Staies 10 an offence to
God. and theiore they ara boand. by Tho most
sacred duty Of man. 10 exterminste that in.
stitutiou. They have declared and acted up.
on the declaration that the exia,encs OF slavery
10 the Southern States 10 an offence and dan.
ger to the social institutions of, .be Northern
States, and therefore they are bound. by the
instinct Of moral right and Of seif:preservs-
tioD, to ext.r inmate slavery.
Impelled by there sacred duties to God and
their conscences. and by the scarcely less
binding impulses Of elfprotection-sfter year.
Of earnest labor and devotion 70 the purpose
they sve succeeded. by large mniorities ~ all
the non-slsvehoiding States. in plseing the
entire Executive power of the Federal Gov.
ernment in the hands Of those who are pledged
by their obligations to God-by their obliga-
tious to the social institutions of mau-bv
their obligations Of self fpreservation--to place
the ins'i.. ton Of slavery in sourse Of Ger
tain and final extinction. That ia, twenty mil
lions Of people. holding one Of the strongest
Governments on earth. are imPeiled by per-
feet recognition Of the most sacred and power
ful- obligations which fall upon man. to ex.
terminate tho vital interests Of eight millions
Of people, bound to them by cont guilty of
territory and the olosest political relation. In
other words, the decree iuaugurated on the
9Th of November. was the snnihilation Of the
people Of the Southern States. Now, gentle.
men. the people of South Carolina, being a
portion Of those who come within the ban Of
this decree, had only to ask tbemselv els ex-
istencs worth . strugglei Their answer is
given in the ordinance have had the horror to
submit to you.
see before me wise und learned men, WHO
have observed aud sounded the ways of hu.
man life in oil its records, and many who have
been chief actors in some Of ito greatest scenes.
ark them il. in sll the love of human soeie-
ty, they 6ud case parallel to thisf South
Carolina has aOO,oo whites, and 400, 900
slavea The whites depend en- their slaves for
their order Of civilization and their existence.
10000. 900 Of people, with powerfully organ
ICED Government. and impelled by the most
sacred duties, decree that this slavery mnst be
extermins.ed. l ask you, Virgini.na. is right.
isjustice. is existence worth ssrugglei
.
Now. gentlemen. notwithsta nding these facts
have endesvored to group be fore you, not
withstanding this labor, this long suffering.
this patience have endeavored to show you
she has practiced, throughout this whole land,
over all Chrstendom. ny State hss been ac-
cussd Of rash precipitancy." Is it rash pro.
cipitsucy 70 step out of tho pathway when
you hesr the thunder.crash of the falling
avaianchea Is it rash prsceipitsncy 70 seek for
slslter. when you hear the hissing Of the com.
ing tempest, and see the stora, cloud close
down upon youi 10 it rash precipitsney 10
raise your hands to protect your hsarti
venture to assert that never, since liberty
came into the institutions Of man. have q peo-
pie borne with more patience, or forborne with
moro fortitude, than have the people of these
Southern States. in their relations with their
conssderates. As long - It was merely silly
fanaticism or prurient philanthropy which pro-
posed our destruction, We did nothing. scarce.
ly complained. Even when partial aud most
oppressive taxstions, continued for years,
ground US into the dust Of poverty, save for .
moment Of convulsive struggle. We bore it
patiently; even when msny of onr con fede-
rates. hy State and municipal regulations viola
ted provisions Of our compact vitsl to us. hor
dersof their people. under the sanction of
these regulations robbed our property and
nurd. red our citizens; even when.. under the
same sanction, bands Of wild fanatics invaded
slave States snd proclaimed tho destruction of
slavery, BY the snnihiistion Of the s,aye,,older.
and Ststrs and cities crested sivises to the me.
mory Of the felons; when one confederate de-
msnded that we must be driven from The
civilization Of tho sge in which We live, ard
another sent its chief Representative to dsfame
rs before tho civilized worid-beneath all
these euormities We continued 10 give our blood
our gold and our sweat, to build up the gran.
deur snd maintain the rewer of the Republic
aud vhsn there rss added 70 This. all that
bafled sysrice, malignant fana.isisl. and NOR
Al turpitude could devise, 70 vilify, wrong and
isfisate us. we still gave anr blood and treasure
and offered our hands, and called them b.sth-
rem. I draw, no. fancy picture, I use no de-
eiamstory assertion, There is not = man in
this Convention who msy not cite tsspty cases
to meet every item Of this catalogue. But
when at Isst thi, fsnssieisn ana eager haste
for rspins--ninsling their foul purposes, en-
geAdered stsess fstmenting millions xbSs have
seized the CoussitutioS and disturbed II. most
sacred form into an Iestsuuspt for, our. ruin.
Why then. longer snbmissioa ssamed to M not
only base eqwardise, hat ahsoipts fstuiy. n
South c.roliaa g fsls tb.. y remain one hsour
~ a.+~5 s-S g.ss..