Year: 1861

face of the worst possible peril. Though
war be the aggregation of all evils, yet,
should the madness of the hour appeal to
the arbitration Of the swords, we will not
shrink even from the baptism of fire. If
modern crusaders stand in serried ranks
upon some plain of Esdralon, there shall
VIC be in defence of our trust. Not till
the last man has fallen behind the last
rampant, shall it drop from our hands
and then only in surrender to the God
who gave it.





As it appears 10 me, the course 10 te
pursued in this emergency is that which
has already been inaugurated. Let the
people IN all the Southern States, in SCI
emn counsel assemble, reclaim the powers
they have delegated. Let those convcn
tions be composed of men whose fidelity
has been approved men who bring the
wisdom, experience and firnness of the age
to support and announce principles which
have long been matured. Let these con.
ventions decide firmly and solcmnly what
they will do with this great trust commit
ted to their hands. Let them pledge
each other in solemn covenant, to uphold
and perpetuate what they cannot resign
without dishonor and palpable ruin. Let
them further, take all the steps looking to
seperate an Independent existence and
initiate measures for a new and homogen
eous confedcracy. Thus, prepared for
every contingency, let the crisis come
Paradoxical as it may seem, if there be
any way to save, or rather reconstruct, the
Union of our forefathers, it is this.


Perhaps, at the last moment, the con-
servative portion of the North may awake
to see the abyss into which they are about
to plunge Perchance they may arise and
crush out forever the Abolition hydra,
and cast it into a grave from which there
shall never be a resurrection


Thus, with restored confidence, we may
be rojoined united and happy people
But before God, l believe that nothing will
effect this but the line of policy which the
South has been compelled in self. preser-
vation to adopt. I confess frankly l am
not sanguinc that such an auspioious result
will be reached. Partly because 1 do not
SEQ how new guarantees are to be grated
upon the Constitution, nor how, if grated
they can be more binding than those which
have already been trampled under foot
but chief because do not see how such
guarantees can be elicted from the people
at the North. 1t cannot be disguised that
almost to a man, they are anti-slavery
where thev are, not ahnlti"n Who'll"
generation has been educated to look upor
the system with adherence as a national
blot, They hope, and look, and pray for
its extinction within reasonable time


and cannot be satisfied unless things are


seen drawing to that conclusion. We, on


the contrary, as its constituted guardian


can demand nothing less than that it shoulc


be left open to expansion subject TO hc


limitations save those imposed by God ane
nature. l fear the antagonism is to great


and the conscience of both parties to'


deeply implicated to allow such a oompo
sition of the strife. Nevertheless, since
is within the range of possibility in th
: Providence of God, l would not shut ou


the alternative.


, Should it fail, what remains but that W
1 say to each other, calmly and kindly ,wha
Abraham said to Lot :-"l.e there be n
= strife, pray thee, between me and thee
) and between my herdmen and thy herd
y men for we be brethren. Is not the whol
: land before thee Separate thyself,
S pray thee, from me-if thou wilt take tn
h left hand then will go to the right" "or
S thou depart to the right hand, then / WI
@ 20 to the left" Thus if we cannot save tt
}. Union, VIC may save the inestlmable ble
If sings it enshrines; il We cannot posse
st theyase, we will preserve the precious
y auor it contains.


= Iu all shis I speak for the North no LEI
S, than for the South; for on our united al
lie determined resistance at this moment d
le pends the salvation of the whole country
st in saving ourselves we shall save the Nor
N, from the ruin she is madly drawing doV
of upon her head.


ii. The position of the South is at this N
,le nent sublime. If sho has grace Civ
her to know her hour she will save hers
er the country and the world. 1t will invo
les indeed temporary prostration and distre
r. the dykes of Holland must be cut to 81
10 her from tho troops of PHILLIP, But
ire warn my couutrymen, the historic nom
to once passed never returns. If she
N, arise in her majesty and speak now
m with the voice ot one man, she Will