The Van Buren press., 1861-02-01

E. i'i tiio AfAii HiioSS O;piloiio COiTS5-
pond with your Own-do not suffer
yourself TO be in the least degree in-
fluenced by Old party-views or pre-
! jujices, and look upon that man as
an enemy, who will refer to such
things for the purpose of influencing
your vote for Or against any man
but 90 to the polls with a deep sense
of the responsibility which rests up
on you, and there deposit that vote,
upon which may rest the destiny OF
millions vet unborn.
BU L MARK RE, VOTE Fo:,
10 IiN WHO DOES NOT PUBLICLY
Az d soLEISLY PLEDGE HIMSELF. that
whatever may BE- the decision Of that
Colsen'iol, no action shall De taken
until ti8 decision has been SUBMIT
TED To THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR AP-
PaovkL, AT TIE DATLOr BOX
whether tno decision b. TO remain
in the Union in cooperative action
with those siave-holding States which
remiiD III the Ul:Ol-or whether il
be toscca,;a from the Union-f1r Just
here nv friends is involved princ;-
pie, which underiios the wiole theo-
~, nol only Of tic Fo ieral Govern
lnJit, bu' oftha government of every
State In the Union. 4 principle,
which underiie; every FREE Gov
ERyHi:sr on earth. This principle
is the People are Soycraign," in
other words, the People are supreme
IN all power. Notwithstanding that
this is tIio theory of or Goyorn:n nj
Vet it is on all occasions Of minor
importance practically ignored for
the convenience Of the people, who
prefer 10 trust such matters 10 the
lnagcmc1t of their servantst (he
officers whom they elect to perform
the,n) but on occasions like the
present, when the great question is ID
b decided. whether Your allegiance
s'iaii b. Withdrawn from the t'3iicr-
al Govornment which We have been
accustomed 10 recognize Us he Su-
prema GoTernm mt, Or whether it
shall rem ain unaitsred it can Only
BE- decided by yoursolf-and for
yourself aiona-no delegated body
nor any other body of men, under
h-aTan, can DECIDE that question
for you Or ne. No man can re-
nosince ms allegiance to any govern
fn2at BY FroXy- no man can ac-
knowledge allegiance to any govern
q. il; by proxy-:his is a principle,
*hich is recogn;zsd IN Ill cn'iohton-
od nations of TIC world. They may
III you. t,llt .l8 Convention repre-
so.i.s ii people in a manner 50 dif-
f're.I: from an ori.nary ASSEMBLY,.
dat IT IS presumed in law, to hc tae
People Themselves, and that consc-
gu MY the decision Of Il Convention
IS tn: supreme law Of the land.
iiii; is raT!'y true, inas'nuch as 1t IS
sup:a:nt, III e!ary i.oE-,r which the
poopic can da'eg.te-aut the people
CAySor delegate powers winch tlcy
do no; possess themselves. !cannot
doleg:;o % anybody the power 10 re-
noulcc your aiie.g ancc TO any gov
ornncn:-lor can You delegate the
power ID another 10 transfer M al
ieeiancc. On extraordinary ocras-
ions Convention Or govern non:
may, as an act of grace, admit for
oigners 10 the rights of citizenship, il
they desire to be citizens yet such
an ACT dos not transfer their a:iegi-
anco, un'ssS they choose to claim tie
privileges of citizen. They will
tell YOU that il oiIr foreiat':ars in ii"
revolution had waited TO get the
vote; Of the paopic on :lo questions
OF that day, they and t.,eir descend
ants would have boon under the do
minicn OF Great Britain to jhis hour
this Is true, and 1 viii tel YOU
why they did not wait-it was moi
because they did not recognize the
importance of the vote, but it was
because the rulers were the enemies
of the people, and il was utterly i'm.
po:sibie TO pu! such a question to
vote, and our f3Tef,hers with ali
their Ealor could not accomplish inn
possibilities.
have deemed it my duty follow
citizens, to direct your attention to
;ai, pT:nri pie in Our government, no.
because l thought you ignorant Of
it, bu: because our Legislature, hav.
ing ignored it entirely III the convcn.
;ion bill, and [ feared you, ike the
citizens oi South Carolina ald al
the other States wiich have soced.
cd, nay not have thought of the i'm.
Poriancc OF the right which you
alIG II abandon, and WOULD abandon
if you permitted It's exercise by an,
body but yourselves. Obscure
citizen, as l am, have deemed it te
be nay duty to warn tae people tha
.h1ir dearest rigats are in danger
w tp1 IN, 0- yy,,tf nm ~ 4, r,,ot