The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04

was over, would havo been glad 10 see the South
crn States unto and scccde is, In the authors
opinion, q matter of some doubt, In 1880
lie thought that II the Union OF tho Southern
States was effected. secession would not
he necessary, because tho demands OF tho
South would DO conceded. Whatever may
have been the truth with regard to Cheoves,
there certainly wero men In South Caro-
linn who were openly In favor Of secession
Ms carly ms 1892. Phillips of Chesterfield county
told the Convention of that year that there wero
honest men In his neiHhborhood standing
aloof from both tho Unionists and the NULL.
fers, waiting for tho formation OF n party
which would ego boldly and openly !r
disunion.' There were many moro who
believed that tho nttompt to seccdo would
havcto BE- made ut no distant day. Judge Har-
per cautioned tho Convention which rcscindcd
tho Notification Ordinance that they were ut
tho beginning, not at tho ond, o: the contests:
" In less than another year We may lie called to
arms. All men agree that wo cannot safely In.
tormit our military preparations. myself bc-
licve that a contest will como Mt no distant
day" Robert Barnwcll Smith represented tho
extremists. lie could scarce contain himself
when he hoard the sentiment expressed in 0re-
port submitted to tho Convention OF 1888,
that ardcntly attached to tho Union
OF these States, tho people OF South Carolina
WUTC bll1i lNI uGNblth IL llb IlgulS VI WV
States" Ho could not play tho hypocrite, no
said. lie beloved that ho expressed The feelings
OF his constituents when no declared that, undor
the Government ms administered. thoro was no
ardent attachment on their part to the Union;
South Carolina had no rights under the Union
but such rs she was prepared to maintain by
force, and South Carolina, therefore, must he
an armed camp. McDnflo. On his part, dc.
clared that there was in tho Federal Gov
crnmont a proclivity to consolidation. He
affirmed that the Southern States were, BY their
peculiar interests and institutions, the s%cntinels
Of liberty. He would bid them with his last
breath ito act as IL the day were at hand when
they must defond their freedom" Tho vigil
lance OF the people OF South Carolina must not
be abatcd: Il tell them we have greater
need to DO prepared to defend ourselves
against these people than against a foreign
enemy. I have heard them even in Congress
talk openly OF attacking us; and that In u man.
ncr. with oNultation, that would render fends
themselves rs 1T confeieratos for us ~ these
men. Without such preparations. and n
strong military spirit, no people ever yet main
tanned its liberty. All our peculiar ciraum-
stances, all our institutions. rcnde:a thorough
system OF defence absolutely Indispensable to
our safety rs well as freedom. Our militia
should be as well trained rs the armies OF Sapo-
leon" All his, rs Prof. Houston reminds
us. was far from being mere talk. We must,
as he says. bear in mind tho attention that
was bestowed upon the South Carolina militia
after 1882; and we should not lose sight Of tho
abolition movement which had begun to make
itself felt in u very disagrecab!e manner. This
movement. coming just when 1t did. when tho
people OF South Carolina were already uneasy
and irritatcd. prevented any considerable abate-
mcnt OF particularist feeling. and added vol
ume to the current that was to sweep the State
out Of the Union in 1880. The i:ist, in fine. of
the present volume is that the secession move
mcnt was well defined in South Carolina rs early
as 1880.