The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-04
Election Of COmmiss toner's to Settl
With the United states.
The Oath Of Office Under the New
Government.
DECLARATION CAUSES.
CHARLESTON, Dec. 81.

Tse ae CHARLESTON, Dec. 81.
Hon. r. W. Barnwel, Ex>Gov. James
H. Adams, and Hon. James L. Orr, were
elected Commissioners to-day, to treat with
the government at Washington.
The committee appointed to prepare an
oath of Office for the fourth article of the
South Carolina constitution, reported as
follows: All persons who shall be elected
or appointed to any Office of profit Or trust,
before entering into the execution thereof,
shall take, besides the special oaths not re-
pugnant to this constitution prescribed by
the General Assembly, the following oath:
81 do solemnly swear (or affirm) that will
bear faithful and true allegiance to South Car
DINA, so long as may continue citizen there
of, and that am duly qualified, according to
the Constitution of this State to exercise the
office to which have been appointed, and
will, to the best of my ability, discharge the
duties of the office, and preserve, protect, and
defend the Constitution of this State. So help
me God.
The ordinance was adopted.
The following is the declaration of causes
which justify the secession of South Caro-
lima from the Federal Union, as reported by
the Committee to prepare an address to the
people of the Southern States
The State of South Carolina having
determined to resume separate and equal
rank among nations, deems it due to herself
and the remaining United States of Ameri-
ca and the nations of the world, that she
should declare the causes which led to the
act. In l765 that purtion of the British
empire, embracing Great Britain, undertook
to make laws for the government of the
American colonies. A struggle for the right
OF selt-government ensued, which resulted on
the 4th of July, l776, in declaration by
the Colonies, that they are, and of right
ought to be, free and independent states,
and that as free and Independent states they
have full power to levy war, conclude peace,
contract alliances, establish commerce, and
to do such things as independent states have
right to do. They further solemnly de.
clared that whenever any form OF Govern
ment becomes destructive of these ends, it
is the established right of the people to alter
and abolish it, and institute new Govern
ment. Deeming that the government of
Great Britain had become destructive of
these ends, they declared the colonies free
and absolved from allegiance to the British
crown, and the political connection between
them and Great Britain was totally dssolv-
ed. The Committee say the right of
state to govern ITSELF and the right of the
people to abolish government when it be-
comes destructive of the ends for which it
was instituted were expressed when the col
onies separated from the mother country and
became free and independent States. The
parties amending the Constitution on the
18th OF September, 1857, were the several
sovereign States.
On the 23d Of May, 1888, South Caro-.
lima, by convention of her people, as
sented to the amended Constitution of the
United States. The failure of one Of the
contracting parties to maintain cOnsttu-
tiOnal obligations released the other Fiji
teen of the Northern States have deIbe-
ratey refused for years to fulfil their consti-
tutional obligations. We would refer to
those States for proof of this. When
the Fourth Article OF the Constitution was
adopted, the greater number of the con-
tracing parties held slaves. The hostility
of the n Northern States to the institution of
slavery had led them to disregard their
constitutional obligations. The laws OF the
general government have ceased to effect
the objects of the constitution. Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York,
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Mich
igan, Wisconsin and Iowa have enacted
laws either nullifying the constitution, or
rendering useless all attempts to execute the
acts OF Congress. In many of these States
fugitives held to service and to labor"
have been claimed, but in none of them has
the state government complied with the
stipulation on this subject made in the
constitution.
In the formation OF the Federal govern
ment each state was recognized as an equal;
the right of property in slaves was recog-
nized by giving all free persons distinct
political rights; by giving them the right to
represent, and burdeDing them with direct
taxes for three-fifths of their slaves; by au.
th0rizing the importation OF slaves for TWEEN.
ty years, and by stipulatiDg for tie rendi-
ton of fugitives from labor. The ends for
which this government was instituted have
been defeated, and the government itself
made destructive by the action OF the nom
slaveholding states. Those states assumed
the right OF deciding upon the propriety Of
our domestic institutions. They denied the
rights of property established in fifteen
states and recognised by the Constitution.
They have denounced sinful the Institution
of slavery; have permitted an open estab-
lishment of societies whose avowal and
object are to disturb the peace and pros
perity OF the citizens of other states; they
have encouraged and assisted thousands of
cur slaves to leave their homes, and those
who remain have been melted by emissaries,
by books and pictures to servile insurrection.
Twenty-Five years this agitation has been
steadily increasing, until they have secured
the power OF the common government.
Observing the forms Of the Constitution, a
sectional party has found within tbatarticle,
establishing an executive department, means
of subverting the Constitution itself. A
geographical line has been drawn across the |