The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1861-03-13
From the Southern Presbyterian Review
STATE OF THE COUNTRY.


the Convention; PIP. 1S, 1850.
The address Of the People Of South Caroline
Assembled in Convention, to he people Of III
ISlaveholding States of the United Stotes.-
Printed By order Of he Convention Charleston
Euans d CogsaoeR, Printers to the Conven
tion; PIP, 16. 1860.
Report on the address Of a portion Of the Member
Of he General Assembly Of Georgia. Printe
bg order of The Convention. Charleston' E0an
d Cogstoeu, Printers to the Conuentjon; PIP. 6
1860.
1t is now universally known that, on the TWEEN
tieth dav of last December, the people of Soutt
Carolina in convention assemhled sole unly an
nulled the ordinance by which they became mem
bers of the Federal Union, entitled the United
States OF America; and resumed to themselves tn,
exercise of all the powers which they had delega
ted to the federal congress South Carolina has
now become a separate and independent State. Sht
takes her place as equal am ,ng the other nations
of the earth This Is certainly one of the mos,
grave and important events of m Ddern times.
involves the destiny of continent and through
that continent, the fortunes of the human race
AS II is matter OF the utmost moment that tn,
rest nj the world, and especially that the people OF
the Uni ed States, should understand the causes
which have brought about this astounding result
we propose; In short article, and In candid and
dispassionate spirit, to explain them and to max,
an appeal, both to the slayeholding and non slave
holding States, ton ching their duty in the ant
extraordinary aspect which affairs have assumed.
hat there was a cause, and an adequate cause
might be presume from the character of the conven
tion which passed the Ordinance Of Secession, anC
TIE perfect unanimity with wh IN it WIS dome
That convention was not a collection of demagog-
ues and politicians 1t was not conclave OF de-
feated place. hunters, who sought to avenge theil
disappointment by the ruin of the ir country. It, wa:
body OF soher, grave and venerable men, sele tee
from every pursuit in life, and distinguished most
them in their respec tive spheres by every quality
which can command confidence and respect. 1t EN-
braced the wisdom, moderation and integrity of the
bench, the learning and prudence Of the bal, and
the eloquence and pie,y OF the pulpit. 1t contain
ed retired planters, scholars and gentlemen, who
who had stood aloot from the turmoil md ambition
of public lie, and were devoting elegant leis.
ute--otum cum dignltaie -- 10 the culture OF then
minds, and to quiet and unobtrusive schemes ol
christian philanthropy There were men IN INA,
convention who were utterly incapable OF low ana
selfish schemes who, in the calm serenity o. their
judgments were as unmoved by the waves OF pop
ular passion and excitement as the everlasting
granite by the billows thatro against It, lhere
were meu there who would have listened 10 no
voice but what they believed to be the voice OF
reason, and would have bowed to no authority
but what they believed to be the authority OF God
There were no men, there who wod not have been
controlled hy uncertain opinion nor betrayed IN
to .sndden eoun elsin. n1-:r who could act from
nothing, in the uohle Language OF Milton, 'hut rom
mature wisdom deliberate virtue, and dear afiec-
ton TO the public good =" That convention in the
character ofits members, deserves every syllable
of the glowing panegyric which Milton has pro-
nounced upon the immortal Parliament Of Eng
land, which taught the atoms OF the earth that
resistance to tyrants is obedience TO God. Were
it not invidious might single out names, which
W wherever they are known, ure regarded as synon-
ymous with purity. probity, magnanimity and
honor. ltwas noble body and all their proceed
ings were in harmony with their high character -
In the midst of intense agitat ion and excitement,
they were calm, cool, collected and self possessed,
They deIiberated without passion, and concluded
without rashness They sat with closed doors.
that the tumult ofthe pnpulace might not invade
the sobriety of their minds. Ii stranger could
have passed from the stirring scenes with which
the sueets OF Charleston were alive into the calm
and gnet sanctuary oI this venerable council, he
would have been impressed with the awe and ven
Grafton which subdued the rude Gau when he first
beheld in senatorial dignity The conscrpt fathers
at Rome That. in such a body there was not
single voice ag"inst the ordinance OF secession
that there not only no dissent, but that the as
sent was cordial and thorough h-going, is strong
presumption that the measure was justified by the
ctearest and sel nest necessities of Justice and o
right That such an assembly should have inaug-
urated aud completed a radical revolution in all
the external relations OF the State, III the face o
acknowledged dangers, and at the risk of ofenormous
sacrifices and sh rud have done it gravey, sober
ly, dspassonateiy deliberately, and yet have done
it without cause. tan scends all the measures OF
probability. Whatever else may be said of it, it
certainly must be admitted that this solemn act Of
South Carolina was well considered.
In her estimate of the magnitude OF the danger,
she has been seconded by every other slaveholding
State. While we are writing the teiegraPhc wires
announce what the previous elections had prepa-
red us to expect-lhat Florida, Alabama and Mis-
sssippi have followed her example, They also
have sbecome separate and Independent States
Three other States have taken incipient steps for
the consuma ton of the same result. And the rest
of the savehoding States are hanging BY single
thread of hope that euurnetees may be devised
W hich shall vet secure 10 them their rights. But e.
ven they proclaim that without such guarantees
their wrongs are iutolerabe and they will not Ion
5er endure them. Can any man believe that the Sc
cesson four sovereign States under the most SOL
emn circumstances, the determination ot others to
fol 'ow as SOON the constituted authorities can be
cal d togethe and the universal sentiment OF all,
that the constitution OF the United States has been
virtIaly repealed, andthat every slavehod al lg ate
has Just ground tor secess on-can any man believe
that this is acitous condition of the public mind
of the south, pIod uced by brawling politicians and
demagogues and not the calm delb,
crate. profound utterance of q peoplewho ieel
in their inmo't souls, that they have been deep
ly and hagrantly wrongedi The presumption
clearly is, that there is sonnet hin in the attitude OF
the Government which por tends danger and de-
mands resistance. There must, be a cause tor this
intense and pervading sens OF injustice and lnJu-
ry
1t has been suggested, by those who knows as
little Of the people at the South as they do OF the
constitution OF their country, that all this termeut
is nothing but the result OF ercenary spirit, on
the part of the cotton growing States fed by Utop-
an dreams OF aggrandizement and wealthy, to be
rea lzed under the auspices OF free trade in sepa-
r. te confederacy OF their own 1t has been grave
Iy insinuatcd that they are willing to sell their
faith for gold - that they lave only made pretext
of recent events to accomplish foregone scheme
of deliberule reachery and fraud. That there is
not the slightest ground II any thing these States
have ever said or done for this extraordinary SLAM
der it is of course, superfuous to sdd. The South
has, indeed, complained OF the uneq lal admins ira
ton OF the government. Her best and pures states.
meu have openly avowed the opinion, that in con-
sequence oil the partial legislation of congress she
has borne burdens, and experienced inc ,nvences,
which have retarded her own prosperity, while
thev have largely contributed to develop the re-
sources OF the MOI rth. But grievances OF this kind,
unless greatly exagq Grated, never would have led
to The dissolution Of the Union. They would have
been resisted within it, or patiently borne until
they tou'd be lawfully redressed So far from con-
tending for an arbitrary right to dissolve the Union
or thu right to dissolve it on merely technical
grounds, the South sets so high a value on good
faith, that she wond never have dissolved it tor
slight and temporary wrongs, even though they
might involve such a violation, on the part OF her
conieaernes, of the terms Of the compact relsls
ed her from any further obligation Of honor. II is,
therefore preposterous to say, that am dreahs,
however dazzling, oil ambilion and avarice, could
have induced her to disregard her oIemn engage
ments to her sister States while they were faith
tuIly inlhlling the conditions oI the contract We
k1Jw the people of tho South; and we can conf
IDENTIFY affirm that II hey had been completely re-
alzed by setting up tor themselves, as long as the
C constitution OF the United states continued to be
sincerely observed, they would have spulned the