The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1865-12-09
Fur THE NEMS. |

h.a#.|.
In taking leave of political life, thrust
II may not br considered inappropriate
fnr me TO address few parting words
To you, having been for for so many
years associated with yon in the init
mate relation Of representative. In
1851 | took an active part in opposition
to secession. When l first took nv
seat in Washington we had friend in
the presidency. a majority in the House
of Representatives, and i'll Che Senate
there were only four membcrs.of the
frecsoil party. The first great error
we committed was in repeating the Mis-.
souri, compromise. | shared in that
error and may the more freely refer 10
it. THIS unfortunate step opened anew
the slavery agitation. l became salts.
fed before the Kansas controversy ha d
come to an end, lnat we of the South
had made mistake in going into the
struggle for Kansas | saw that Kan.
sas was obliged to be free State
When therefore Kansas applied, or up.
peared to apply for admission under the
Lpcompton constitution, sought an in.
terview with Senator Hunter of Vir.
glnia, for whose judgement had the
highest respect, and proposed to hi m,
that we should reject Kansas, and thus
take the wind ont of the sails of the
Republican party. took ground
against the annexation Of Cuba, mainly
because did not wish to add any more
fuel to the antislavery agitation |
agitated The subject Of free trade, in
order o organize parties upon less
dangerous issue than slavery, and to
cement an alliance between the South
and great North West. ] took ground
against the proposition to revive the
African slave trade, because / thought It
impossible, lnexpedient and calculated
only to act as tirebrand 1855, being
deeply impressed with the danger of
the Federal Government passing INTO
the hands of the Republican party, and
anxious to avert this calamity, wrote
a letter and published speech delivered
near Rock Hill, in York District, to a
portion Of my constituents. In those
publications undertook to inaugnate
new line of policy for our State, |
said our great object then, was to do
everything possible to prevent the cleo
tion Of Republican President, that to
accomplish this, our policy was, "mode.
ration, moderation, moderation" 1
said "our policy consists in lie greatest
| possible degree Of moderation in the po.
litical movements of the South" j
then advanced "A doctrine on the subject
of slavery in the Territories, which no
public man in, this State had before ven.
tured to put forth On this point said,
"As regards the Territorial question. 1
thinkit at thistime speculative question:,
because the Territories of the United
States open to settlement are impossible
to slavery" 1t is unnecessary for me
to say that l deeply deplored the dis.
ruption OF the Democratic party at
Ch. rleston and Baltimore. l Thought
that the South in pushing the Territor.
ial question as far as they did, in these
conventions committed the greatest pos
sible blunder. If they succeeded on
the Territorial question, they gained
nothing, because there were no Terri.
tories possible to slavery. lfthey broke
down the Democratic party, they ran
the risk of a ;onvulsion from which they
might lose everything. In the summer
of 1906 in reply to a call for my opin-
ION, i advocated secession in case Of Mr.
Lincoln's election. Those who can re-.
fer to that letter will see that l stated
secession wonld lead to one of three re-.
suits, a satisfactory adjustment, a peace.
fnl separation, or war was perfectly
certain it would lead to q satisfactory
adjustment. ] believed there was suf.
ticient conservatism and prudence out.
side of the State, both North and South
to settle the question at issue. was
confident that Georgia, Alabama and
Louisiana would exhaust all efforts for
a peaceful settlement, before breaking up
the Union. Some persons have asked
me, why opposing secession SO warmly
| in 1852 I vet IN yorsd III in I 86O NV