New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-02-25
SOUTH CAROLINA BOLTS.
I II
From The Chariestoa Mercury FEB 10
THE CoNSTITIrCIpN-ITS IMPERfECIlONS-fOh

From The Chariestos Mercury, Feb. 20
THE CoNsTITUTION-ITs NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
SUMTER.
MONTGOMERY, Feb. Ii, 1861.
Upon one point there appears TO be n hked oe'eIil
nation and straightforward action mere hecons,ruS
ton ia dead Southern Confederatlonls estaDhsheoi
what sort of a Confederaoy Here the Convention II
a, sea- and vague breads of the future and terrors OF
the people and in some degree want OF statesman,
ship paralyze all useful and essential reform, ana
weaken men into inaction' Lei your PeoPe P,ep".
their minds for a failure In the future Permanent
Southern Constitution For Sonth Carolina is about
be ssde led with almost every grievance except Adolf
ton for which she has long struggled, and Just VIII
drawn from the late United states government. sur
ly McDufie lived in vain, and Calhoun taught for
pought, il again 10 be plundered, and our co
merce crippled destroyed by tariseven discrlminat-
ing TARIFF Yet this is the almost inevitable prospect
The fruit OF the abors of thirty odd long years III
strife and bitterness 10 about to slip through our I'M
but is this all we are about to be called to enact
and bear 1t is only the beginning.
The threefths rule Of representation Tor slaves was
one Of the many Yankee swndies put upon Ms In the
formation of the old Constitution. II is radical
wrong. 1t most unfairly dwarfs the power OF some OF
the States in any Federal representation. The pro-
portion Of her black TO the white population, ID very
much larger than that of any other Slave State. 10y
the old swindle her fair proportion OF representation
was cut down upon all her slaves IN proportion 40
three TO FIVE. The black population, being IN MAJOR
ity in our State, twofths Of more than one-haii OF
the people of the State are entirely unrepresented
And in inst the degree that the proprtion OF the bs,k
population in South Carolina pfedominates over the
proportion of the blacks to the whites III any other
State is the swindle augmented aud aggravated nouth
Carolina is small enough without again fnging away
what legitimate power she possesses That power Is
in her slaveS-sOcally, politically, economically Inc
proposition of the threei fths rule calls upon her not
only to ttultfy herself, but to dwarf her powers
IL this all II is not. She is probably TO be called
uDon n brand herself and her Institutions.
The old Constitution of the United States merely
grants TO the Congress the Porer 10 prohibit by law
the further introduction Of slaves from Africa or ee-
where outside of the United States Terrorism here
about TO make its perpetual prohibition fundamental
provision of the Constitution itsef stigma If thus
broadly stamped upon the whole institution before the
whole world, and sealed by ourselves That Congress
should have rover to prohibit the trade If legitimate
provision. | should not object TO such u pro-
vision II is a matter Of trade, business, and gen.
eral economy. There may, or may not, be siheient
supply OF African labor now IN America. VI ths II it
for The peoples of the several States TO decide through
their REPRESENTATIVES in the General Congress. But 10
brand 4 by fundamental articeoi the Constitution
itself is to cast an infamous sd upon the whole in-
stitutionthe live. and the properties OF every slave
holder In the land.
For what have we cast off the North "A q rotten in
cubrs if we are thus re6nact all OF their swindss
outrages, and insoences upon Ourselves To be plum
deyed and manscled with discriminating tarifs-to
stulty ourselves with halfway represontation-and
ern States
An Ills Ia not encouraging to our hopes. But there
remains two methods Of retrieving Ourselves. The
first is in our Convention We may have 10 follow
the example Of 1888. The second Is, by providing in
the Constitution, for the present, an easy way OF
amendment, and South Carolina may insist upon
amendments upon these points being made. Doubtless
public spirit will advance. Many men here want H.
formation. They ignorant and unprcti Cd Ia thi .
matter There is still room for much hope IN the ef
with the exercise on our part Of much frmness.
IL ia greatly be regretted that the debates upon the
Constitution will probably not be public. seems 10
me that they will be very important guides in the
future whereby we may be enabled to comprehend
its meanng-the proper Interpretation OF lls hhgate
To change the subJect--a nice pickle South Caro-
lima has been placed in with regard TO Fort Sumter
Three weeks ago il was feared by many that any az
sault upon that fort 10 be postponed until the in
OF February ana then ~ tie tufed over 10 tho action
of the Southern Congress Such has proved the tact
Eba; haa been gained President Davis will not be
inaugural cd until Saturday evening the 10th OF Feb
rnary This IL the earliest period possible. Crcum-
stances will still further delay it, Ihe Monday two
weeks following Lincoln il 10 be inauguraed at Wasl
inoton What opportunity IL there between these two
dates for Mr.. Davis 20 make preparations for attack
10 make his demand upon Mr. Buchanan for s surren-
der and receive answer before the 18th Of march,
None whatever. We viii have 10 fight and will
have TO fight Lincoln instead Of Buchanan. And who
are TO do the fighting South Csrolin4ns, and none
but South CarOlinans. The fort will, Of be
enforced if it s in the power Of man TO doi. VIII no
body tell me how lives have been saved by thir policy
The attitude Of our State has been In large mca,ure
demoraized-I will not say disgraced-by the course
pursued the political attitude OF the whole Southern
Confederation has been embarrassed and complicated
and what is gained Nothing that can zee, but the
splitting OF much valuable blood than was at all
necessary.
However. people look at matters in very different
ways. Ny views may be all quite incorrect:
SOUTH CAROLINA.