Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-01-04
Gl)c National Crisis.
ADDRESS


ADDRESS
OF the People Of South Carolina, as
sembled in Convention, TO the Peo-
pie of the SlayehOlding states of the
United states.
1t is now seventy-three years since the
Union between the United States was
made by the Constitution of the United
States. During this period, their ad-
vance in wealth, prosperity, and power,
has been with scarcely parallel in the
history IF the world. The great object
Of their Union was external defence from
the aggressions of more powerful nations;
now attained. from their mere progress
in power. Thirty-one millions of people,
with commerce and navigation which
explores every sea, and agricultural pro-
ductions which are necessary TO every
civilized people, command the friendship
of the world. But, unfortunately, our
internal peace has not grown with our
external prosperity. Discomfort and con-
tention have moved in the bosom of the
Confederacy for the last thirty five years
During this time South Carolina has
twice called her people together in So
lemn convention, to take into considera-
ton the aggressions and unconstitutional
wrongs perpetrated by the people Of the
North on the people of the South
These wrongs were submitted to by the
people Of the South, under the hope and
expectation that they would be final. -
But these hopes and expectations have
proved to be void Instead of being in
centives to forbearance, our acquiescence
has only instigated to new forms of ag-
gressions and outrage; aud South Caro-
lima, again assembling her people in con-
vention, has this day dissolved her con-
nection with the States constituting the
United States.
The one great evil from which all 9TH
err evils have flowed is the overthrow of
the Constitution of the United States.
The Government of the United States is
no longer the government of confederat-
ed republics, but of consolidated demo-
cracy. 1t is no longer free govern
ment, but despotism. 1t is, in fact,
such government as Great Britain at
tempted to set over our fathers, and
which was resisted and defeated by a
seven-years' struggle for independence.
The Revolution of 1776 turned upon
one great principle, selfgovernment, and
self-taxation, the criterion of self govern
ment Where the interests Of two peo-
&c ll;! a9 q tefgIllss ST. gcder one govern
power to protect it, interests by he or
ganization Of the government, or they
csgnot be free The interests Of Great
Britain and q the colonies were differ
ent and antagonistic. Great Britain was
desirons IF carrying out the policy Of all
uaiions towards their colonies, of making
then tributary to her wealth and power.
She had vast and complicated relations
with the whole world. Her policy to-
wards her North American Colonies was
to identify them with her 10 all these
complicated relations, and to make them
bear, in common with the rest of the
Empire, the full burden of her obliga-
tons and necessities. She had vast
public debt; she had European policy
and an Asiatic policy, which had occa-
stoned the accumulation of her public
debt and which kept her in continual
wars. The North American Colonies
saw their interests, political and COM
mercial, sacrificed by such policy -
Their interests required that they should
not be identified with the burdens and
wars Of the mother country. They had
been settled under charters which gave
them self-government at least, so far
as their property was concerned. They
had taxed themselves, and had never
been taxed by the government Of Great
Britain. To make them apart Of con
solidated empire, the Parliament of Great
Britain determined to assume the power
of lcgislating for the Colonies in all cases
whatsoever. Our ancestors resisted the
pretension. They refused to be a part Of
the consolidated government of Great
Britain
The Southern States now stand exact.
ly in the same position towards the
Northern States that our ancestors in tho
colonies did towards Great Britain. The
Northern States, having the majority in
Congress, Claim the same power of ON
impotence in legislation as the British
Parliament. 1.-THE general welfare il
the only limit to the Legislation of either
and the majority in Congress, as in the
British Parliament, are the sole Judges
of the expectancy of the legislation this
general welfare requires. Thus, the
government Of the United States has be-
come consolidated government; and
the people Of the Southern States are
compelled to meet the very despotism
their fathers threw off IN the revolution
Of 1776.
The consolidation Of the government
of Great Britain over the colonies was
attempted to be carried out by the taxes.
The British Parliament undertook TO tax
the colonies, to promote British interests.
Our fathers resisted this pretension -
They claimed the right Of self-taxation
through their colonial legislatures. They
were not represented in the British Par
Lament. and, therefore, could not right
ly DO taxed by the legislature. The
British government, however, offered
them a representation in Parliament ;
but j. was not sufficient to enable them
to protect themselves from the majority,
and they refused il. Between taxation
without any representation, and taxation
without representation adequate to pro-
lection, there was no difference. In mel
Their case would the colonies tax them