Year: 1861

and there found an advocate for the measure as there
may in every community be found individual advocates
of any heresy but people, with almost entire
nimty, would reject the proposition offensive to their
sense OF proprety and adverse to their interests They
eel no desire to deprecate the value of their own pro-
perty to demoraze their slaves by throwing among
them savages and cannibas They win look, here
ofore to the redundant slave population of the
northern oil their associated sister States of the south for
such additions to their negroes as their wants may re-
quire


The state of opinion and of conduct in the nonslave
holding States, finds justification or apology in any
general or special direction of federal legislation to their
INJURY On the contrary such legislation has been great
y to their advantage and prosperity The benefits that
nave heen conferred upon them in the shape of tariff
laws navigation laws, fishing bounties land laws and
internal Improvement laws, have been important aids to
their material prosperitya prosperity which Is in fact
to great extent the result of burdens upon the aorcu
ltural interests of the South.


The apoogsts of the present state of public mind at
the North sometimes maintain that it finds paiation at
least in the repeal of the act of 1920 known as the
Missouri Compromise, which in other words is a COM
plant that the North no longer keep in force law
which the Supreme Court of the United States have de-
clared to be unconstitutional. But the welremembered
history OF recent events teaches that it the South
who but few years since endeavored In spirit of con-
cession to extend the line of thirty six degrees thirty
minutes to the Pacific Ocean, and the North who reus
| cd the offer.


The sectional strife has now been conducted with in
ceaslng rancor Or more than twenty years. until every
question of government furnishes theme for its dis
cusson The halls of Congress have ceased to be places
for statesmen and have degenerated into for strife
Our people have grown tired Of the controversy and
see no good in prolopging the quarrel and way to
end it in the Union. Submission would but invite new
and greater aggressons, until Alabama would become
despised and degraded province Our people little
hope for the adjustment within the Union of questions
upon which the public mind Of the sections has been
driven so wide apart and discern in the present temper
and conduct OF the nonsaveholding States, spirit of
aonement for their wrongs which could offer peace to
the country. Indeed when the plain letter of the law
has been long and persisteny violated, they would
not rely upon any adjustment short of farther constitu
| tional guarantees.


Alabama hopes that among other evils which public
affairs have brought and bringing upon her, there
may not be added that of divided Sonth. She sets
up rule of action for her sister States but hopes to
obtain their consultation advice and assistance and she
repeats through u.s. her Commissioners, the expression
of her terVid desire that North Carolina may be with
her in counsel and in action, and with her u attempt
ing to uphold the principles ofberty which engrat-
ed into the Constitution of the United States and in the
hearts of her people, and that the States of the South
may be enabled to snatch that Constitution and those
principles from the desecratng touch of fanatcal high
er law


l. w. GARROTT.
| RGR'T IT SMITH