New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-07

In the better days of South Carolina, before
she was wholly given over to madness and rebel
lion, she numbered among the ablest and wisest
of her citizens, Thomas S. Grimke, He died in
1884, and at meeting Of the bar of Charleston
called to pay honor to his memory, the Attorney
General of the State, who was no less per-
soDage than the present leader of secession,
Robert Barnwe Rhett though he then bore the
less aristOcratic name of Smith, made on address
in which he stated that Mr.. Grimke stood at tho
head Of his profession in South Carolina, aud "as
ga statesman his views we're comprehensive, his
knowledge extensive aud accurate, and his
motives above suspicion or imputation.
"purer and more devoted spirit never spoke Or
{" felt for the interests of his country"
During the Notification excitement in South
Carolina, Mr.. Grimke then a member Of the
State Senate, made most able and elaborate
speech in favor of the Union, in which he thus
conclusvely disposed of the question of State
Sovereignty and of the constitutional right If Q
State to secede from the COnfederacy:
"There never was time when the States were re-
garded as separate nations by other nations. The
ton were one nation as to the rest of the world. The
colonies appeared before the world thirteen separate
independent States by the Declaration of Indepcn-
denee but no international act of any consequence by
virtue Of the Foreign sovereignty, was ever done by
any State asto European nations by these to
that Practically, Europe knew nothing of the several
States. She only knew the Confedeacy Of States
This was still more manifest after the Confederation;
for then all the branches of the foreign sovereignty
were vested in Congress- the international represen-
tative as indeed they had been in all material re-
sIects, before. But when the National Constitution Of
1859 was adopted beyond all question: under that erey
atom of foreign Sovereignty is stripped from the States
and vested in the new Government. Every attribute
of international existence is parted with and no State
can be repossessed Of any one of them, but by
successful civil war; by the consent Of the rest to
dissolution of the Union, and the restoration Of the
ceded authority to the States.
South Carolina, practically, never was known a.
nation. The very idea would excite smile in every
Cabinet of Europe. Theoretically, as wen as prsca-
cally, she is now, beyond all doubt utterly unknown
by her own act, under the Constitution OF HoS. IL
would be idle to talk to European nations about re-
served rights The answer would be, we know you
not. We know the Government Of the United States;
the President Ms the head Of the Diplomatic depart
ment; the President and the Senate az the treaty
making authority the President, Senate and House os
Reprts. natives us the wardeclaring power. Ihese
we know, and, rs represented by them, we know the
United States as one nation. But who are youf Your
own act usfes and requires us to regard you az noe
nation, IA only part OF one
"If the State had yielded nothing but the jsrsdn-
ton over international subjects, it obvoas thss sne
will have Loot the most prominent and important a1r
butes of sovereignty because she ceased 70 DC
under the law Of nations But she yielded large ana
most important portion of the highest attributes Of
mestic sovereignty. She gave up the power TO CON
moLey to emit bills Of credit, to authorize any 'enoe.
bu, in gold and silver pass bills Of aa'nder OK pos
fscto laws or those which impair the oogsoa Of con-
tracts or to grant any title of nobility aAe agreed
lay no duties or imposts. Dm Sah tie e>nse" q '"''