Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-03-01
From the Charleston .Afee,r,
The Southern Cenfederaey as giewsa
By South Car0IiniaR.
MONT0oMFRY. Eeh h

T.
Upon one point there appears to ba e,
determination and straightforward sct;o, -As'
/ Reconstruction is dead A Southerr c. ~
Grafton is established, and the Sopfbo.. .
federacy Is a fixed thing. But what aort ~
CcnfederacY? Here the Convention i -
aud vague breads Of the future, aud tsrroys e
tue people, aud, in some degree, wan, of
craftsmanship, paralyze all useful aud es.er,;'l
/ reform, and weskeu men into inaetiop.
/ Letthe people prepare their minds fare IN,
| nre IN the future permanent Soatheyn Consg
tataon, for South Carolina is bout to be sst
Gled with almost every grievance, excegt Abo.
| iition, for which she has long struggled. ana
Just Withdrawn from The late United Sta,..
'1evernment. Surely McDufi4 lived IL vain
and Calhoun taught for nought if we ere sp.in
TO oe plpndered and our commerce crippled
oestte5ed by iarfs--eVen DISCRIMINATING ts,.
ifs. But tits is the almost inevitable p-osrert
Tie truit Of the labors Of thirty odd long yes.,
IN strife and bitterness, is about to slip throuob
our fingers.
But is this all we are about TO be called On
to enact aud bears It is only the beeinnipo
The three. .6fths rule OF Representation 3.
slaves vas one of the many Yankee swindle,
pnt upon us in the formation of the old o.
sii.ufion. Il is radical wrong. Il most NJ.
IaiIiy dwaris the power Of some Of the State,
IN any federal representation. The proportion
OF her black 10 the white population is ystv
much larger than that Of any other slave State
BY the old swiudle, Der fair proportion of rsp.
reseatatlon YES cut down upon all her slaves IN
proportion. as three 10 FIVE. The black popu.
latIon being in a majority ia our State two.
htths OF more ihau one.haif oil the people Of
the State are entirely unTopresented And IN
Jnst the degree that the proportion of the BLACK
population in South Carolina predominates over
tie proportion of the blacks to tho whites in
apy other State, is the sBiadle augmented ana
aggravated. South Carolina is small enoupb
without again hingiug away Ehat legitimate
power sie possesses. That power is IN her
slayss-s soeislly, politically, eoouomcally.--
Tho proposition Of the three ifths rule calls
opon her not only to stuitify herself, but to
dwarf her powers.
Is this al? 1t is not. She il probablv 70
be called upon to brand herself and her iD.,i.
tations.
The old Constitution of the United State,
merely grants to the Congress the mower I,
prohibit by law tue further introduction Of
slaves from Africa or elsewhere, outside Of tbs
United States. Terrorism hero il about to
make its perpetual prohibition a Fundamental
provision Of ths Constitution ITSELF. A stigma
10 tAua broadly stamped upon the whole ins.i-
tuition before the whole world, AMI sealed By
ourselves
IL Is greatly to be regretted thatthe debates
upon tho Constitution viii probably net be pub
ilc. Il seems to me that they will be very i'm
Portant as guides in the future, whereby we
mag DC enabled TO comprehend its meaning
the proper Interpretation of It's laugaage.
TO change the subject: nics pickle South
Carolina has BEEN placed ia with regard to
Fort Sumter. Three weeks ago it was feared
by many that any assault upon that fort was to
be postponed 70 the Alb Of February, and theu
to DO tuEned over to the action of the Southern
Congress. Such has proved tho tact. Wha.
has been gained7 President Davis will DOT be
lnangurated until Saturday evening, the 16.h
of February This is the earliest period pos.
siols. circumstances may stll further delay
it,
Toe Monday tso weeks following Lincoln il
10 30 inaugnrated at Washington. What op-
portuuity is there between these two dates for
nr. DAVIS to make preparations for attack-to
maSe his demsnd upon Mr. Buchanan for its
surrender, aud to receive an answer before the
fourth ct March? Mono whatever. We will
have to fight, and We will have to fight Lincoln
instead Of Buchanan. AMI who are to do the
lighting! South Caroliuians, and none but
south Carolinlans. The fort will, of course,
be reinforced if it is in the power of man 10 do
i Will anybody tell me bow lives have been
saved by this policyl The attitude ef our State
las been, IN large measure, demcralized-I
will not say disgraced-by the course pursued
.hs political attitude OF the whole Southern
Confederation has been embarrassed and COM
plioatod, aud what is gaiaedl Nothing, that
sau see, but the splIing Of much more valus-
ola blood than was at all necessary.