The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-18
THE BORDER STATE CONVENTION.

THE BORDER STATE CONVENTION.
We have frequently had occasion to say that
the liberty of the South is so infinitely con-
nected with that of the North that the loss OF
the one is but the antecedeut of the loss of the
other. United as we are by common origin,
common habits and common Constitution;
forming as we do parts of common country,
with mere imaginary lines in some instances
separating one State from another, we are OF
necessity members ofa common family. An
injury done to one State will of necessity be
felt by all.
The Constitution of the United States re-
ouires the President to take the following oath
or affirmation before entering on the duties OF
his Office: 81 do solemnly swear (or afirm)
that will faithfully execute the office of Pre-
sident of the United States, and will, to the
best of my ability, preserve, protect and de-
fend the Constitution of the United States" +"
Any President who should fail to do this,
though he might be a good Radical, would GER
tainly be q perjured man. The more truthful
because the less crafty members of the Radical
party, on account of the violent passions BY
which they are excited, openly declare that the
whole of the action of their party is out
side of the Constitution. THAD. STEVENS does
this because he is too venomous, too passionate
and Too much in earnest to conceal the truth,
but such men as SUMNER and WILSON, while
openly violating the Constitution, loudly pro-
claim their love for liberty and union. At the
Massachusetts, Convention, over which HENRY
WILSON presided, a few days sgo, and at which
he made an old speech of his, rehash of what
we have heard and read before about liberty,
Union, Republican principles, and the lash,
resolutions were passed endorsing Congress,
tavoring impeachment, and yet whining shout
the adoption of constitutional means to accom-
plish their ends That Convention was pre-
sided over and managed by HENRY WILSON,
and he is too shrewd politician, to have al
lowed anything to 60 forth from that body,
after the California defeat, which would
have appeared to be resistance to the Constitu-
tion He, it Is true, leaned decidedly towards
impeachment, and it is equally true that he
could find nothing to say about the President
having violated the oath of his Office, but only
that he resisted the will Of one of the three
branches of Government, which, in defiance Of
the Constitution, had attempted not only to
usurp all of the powers Of the Government, but
also more power than the Government pos
sessed, by imposing on the Southern States,
through legislation in Congress, qualifications
for voters Constitutions and laws not war
ranted by the Constitution of the United
States. Had Mr. WILSON confined himself to
this speech, made for an election, he might
have deceived many in the North as to the real
aims and objects of his party; but unfortu-
nately for him and his colleagues in Radical
ism, he and they are much too fond of being
before the public They love power far too
much to be able always when eager to attain
their purpoee to conceal their real intentions.
At the last session of Congress, Mr.. WILSON
introduced bill in which was contained the
followjn ng clause: ''There shall be no denial of
the elective franchise to any male citizen Of the
United States by any State on account of color
or race, or previous condition, anything in the
Constitution or laws OF any State to the con-
trary notwithstanding"
Mr.. SUMNER warmly, almost passionately,
and certainly dogmatiaally, advocated this Bill.
The people of the North, then, fer the first
time saw the aims of the party in power.
While the South alone was being punished, no.
thing was said Passion still ruled the hour,
and men did not stop to inquire-where will oil
this end When, however, blow was struck
at their own homes and fresides, they began,
but merely began, to awake from their lethar-
gy; they began to look at the Constitution, and
inquire whether Congress, or rump of Con-
gress could interfsrsrwith their rights as
States, they began to ask themselves whether
the aims of the party in power were not for
continuance Of power at any price, and the
crushing out of opposition ct eryssacrifce Of
faith and honor The Connecticut election was
lost to the Radicals, but they did not, nor will
they, abandon their schemes for the retention
Of power and the government Of this entire
country, purely and simply in the interest Of
party The Bill of Senator WILSON will be
pressed on Congress whether the bill
is to become law, is for the North alone
to decide. Forearmed is forewarned. The
North: has heard the grim sareasms Of THAD-
DEUS STEVENS against his own party. The
North knows that it is easier to repeat wrongs
han to 90 back to the right. The North is
aware that if legislation in the interest of party
can be imposed by force ON one set of States,
the day is not far distant when, if the in
.erest of party requires it, the remaining States
will be made to pass under the yoke. If it
does not guard its own liberty and ours, for
we can do nothing, American institutions will
soon become mockery, American freedom
myth, and the name of American q disgrace.
If any proof were wanted of tho fact that the
Radical party means :toioyerthrow the govern
mens of the States, and that it has not aban-
dOned any of its views or purposes, none better
could be found than in the proceedings of the
Radical Border State Convention which met at
Baltimore on Thursday last. To that Conven-
tlon Mr. Senator HEsRYi WILSON, the author of
the bill to interfere, in spite of the Constitu-
oon' with suffrage in all Of the States, and who
had declared in conversation in this eitv that
the Radical party would govern the country
Tor the next twenty years, wrote the following
letter:
NAT1cK, September Q, 1857.
MY DEAR CREswEIL: had hoped to be at your
Convention but the sickness Of my wife may pre-
vent it. L suggest that your Convention declare
for suffrage either by law or constitutional, snand.