Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-03-10
LETTER FROM SENATOR PERRY.
To the Editors of the National Mteliiyenccr


cd the other day, to the Senate, by the Hon.
Revcrdy johnson, of Maryland, and laid on
the table. 1t is not likely that any Represen-
tative from South Carolina will be heard in
either House for some time to come. In the
meantime, questions of vital Importance to her
interests, honor and welfare will be before the
Senate. therefore ask permission of you to
say n word through your paper, in behalf OF
But, first, Messrs. Editors, let nc say a word
in reference to myself, SO that my true position
toward.the State may be known, and what l.
say in my behalf properly Judged of: My
whole political life, for more than the third Of
century past, has been spent in defence Of
the maintenance Of the Federal Union, and III
opposing the popular doctrines Of notification,
secession and disunion in my native State. No
man in America regretted more deeply than
did the fatal secession of South Carolina, in
1860. had been brought up, from my child
Lood," Pin the school Of Washington's Farewell
Address, and believed, most religiously, all
the great truths therein set forth The terri
bic consequences Of dsunion were ever pres
ent in my mind, and | never ceased to warn
my fellow. citizens of them | remember tell
ing them that their secession would prove the
death -kncll Of slavery, the establishment of
military dcspotism in the Southern States.--
Both events have occurred, but hope the
latter is only temporary.
Much is to be said in cxtcnuation of the
course pursued by South Carolina. The peo.
plc had been taught by their greatest states
men, and educated in the bc|ef, that sove-
reign State had the right peaccnbly to sccodc
from the Federal Union. However grossly
mistaken, they were sincere in this belief, as
sincere as they were in their belief OF the
Christian religion. None can doubt it who
knows, as I do, their honest devotion to prin-
ciplc on all occasions and under all crcum-
stances. 1t does sometimes happen III politics,
rs in religion, that tho more absurd and para
,loxical the proposition, the stronger becomes
the faith of the believer. In illustration of
this question, might refer to the present be-
lief of the Republican party, as to the equality
of the uugro and white race.
The people Of South Carolina thought, too,
that there was determination on the part of
the Northern States to. Interfere, with their
domestic institutions, and abolish slavery By
Congressional legislation They saw in the
election of President Lincoln the example of
sectional majority over the South. did
all that cnuld to disabuse the public mind Of
these apprehcnsions. I reminded them that
a large majority of the Republican members
of Cohgrcss had declared by resolution that
they had no Constitutional right to interfere
with slavery in the States and no disposition
to do SO if they had. said that President
Lincoln had been elected by minority of the
votes .policd in the United States; that there
was majority Of tbe members in both Houses
of Congress opposed to him, with majority
of the Supreme Court, and he was, therefore,
powerless in the administration of the Nov.
crnment. But when the Southern members
withdrew, they placed hin and his party in
power.
The people of South Carolina further be-
licvcd that it was the interest Of the North
and the South, as they could not live har'no-
niously together, to separate, and form two
independent nations They had been wrang-
ling and stirring up sectional strife ever since
the formation Of their, Government. They
did believe that the two sections. could live
peaceably and happily, as neighbors, under
different Governments, whilst they could not,
MS one people, under the same Government.
For this opinion. which was sincerely enter
tained by them. thought and told them that
they ignored all history, MS we'll as tie charac-
tor and circumstances of the American people.
: They tluuyht, too, that they were justified
II, taking this step by that great principle en-
bndied in the American Declaration Of lnde-
pendcnco, deemed sacred to the cause OF lib
srtv and Republican Government, which de-