The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, August 30, 1848, Image 2
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MESSRS. BUTLER AND CALHOUN.
We copy from ihe Mercury, the following
sketches of the remarks of these gentlemen a?
the Charleston meeting:
Mr. Butler commenced bis remarks by contrastiog]his
present position with that occuDied
by hfm at Washington for the last ten days of
Ihe session of Congress. There he occupied
the position that every Representative of the
South did who fearlessly and honestly attempted
to do his duty, the object of odium and dislike
4 ? wn-o Anlmota/{ kirflio r a P If 1P ? K SOifit
iu uiwar %?|iw hcic miiiiiai&u ut miv -j
of sectional ambition; here he was sustained
nnd cheered by the approving plaudits of a gene,
rous constituency. He alluded to the proceedings
of the session, many of which were important
in their character, and some of its mea*
sures of momentous consequence, not only as
affecting the honor and interest of the South,
but as dangerous to the harmony, uav, to the
very existence of the Union. The Mexican
war, in which the skill and courage of the
American arms had been so signally displayed,
had unfortunately brought in its train questions
fraught with perplexitv and danger, among
which was the issue made between the North
and the South upon the subject of slavery. That
institution was never assailed while the Union
consisted of the original thirteen States. The
compromise of the Constitution was faithfully
observed alike by the North and the South; but.
with the acquisitions of new territories, new
questions were introduced destructive of the
harmony of the confederacy; and, as our territories
have increased, these difficulties and dangers
have increased with them. The territories
of new Mexico and California had been
acquired by the common blood and treasure of
the North, East, West and South, under the requisition
of a common Covernmenf. The
West has been enriched by the war in furnishing
an immense market for their products.?
The North and the East have derived great
benefits from furnishing the munitions of war.
ana tne, employment or men* snips as iran*pons.
What has been left for the South? We are 'oi l
there are your conquests, the glory in the ac.
quisition you have richly shared, and the laurels
you have won are free'y mingled with the cypress;
but you shall not enter upon the territory*
you have so dearly purchased, and you and
your institutions are forever prohibited therein.
If our forefathers could have anticipated that
such a restriction would have been imposed
upon their descendants as to the common pro
perty of the Union, is it supposed they would
ever have consented to it? The Southern States
were equal when they entered into the Confederacy,
and they never would have joined it had
fhey anticipated the attempts made to degrade j
them whenever the North acquired the power
of doin<i so. When the Union was formed the j
South was the strongest portion of it, but its
compacts were held inviolable; and he had
challenged on the floor of Congress the production
of a single instance where a Southern
State had violated the compact of the Union.?
He adduced several instances in which New
York. Pennsylvania, and other Northern States
had proved faithless to their constitutional obligations.
A rapid sketch was given of the proceedings
in Congress in connection with the two propositions
for Compromise, with which our readers
are familiar. They had been both voted down
by the North. It was palpably the determinatk..?
a is. i i^ *L_
iwn ui mat. m'ciioii not oniy 10 pxchiur i
South from ail the territories of the Union, but t
to make ihese territories hereafter the instru- |
ments of further oppression. When settled (
and formed into States, with the present Anti- <
Slavery States, they would have a suffieont 1
power to amend the Constitution, and deprive \
us of the letter of its protection as they had i
long since of its spirit. The South had failed t
to arrest this invasion upon its rights, but the t
spirit of determination and unanimity with which i
it was resisted was most gratifying. He would t
never forget the iast night of the session, when f
the Southern men presented a united and deter- i
mined front. Party bonds were repudiated, f
and party ties were broken. He would say t
that the South need place no reliance on either i
party. If they put themselves in thn keeping .
of party?if they trusted to the honor or good {
faith of the North?they would be deceived, ?
and they would find themselves enslaved?the <
mere vassals of the rest of the G'onferacy. The 11
time had passed when any hope ofjustire could j i
reasonably be entertained from that quarter; t
and if the South thinks the ins'itution of slave- t
ry worth preserving, they must prepare to do I
it in some other way than by party.
He was no advocate of disunion. The man 1
rli/l not 11 i/o iuKa aauI/I !a#.I? /-?
uiu .!*/? n?v "m?/ vwjuj iwwn vii^Jiii'iu m uir in?;r: i
without an awfui shuddering at its consequences, i
But if the Union is to he made a bond to fettpr I
one portion of the Confederacy for the ngjran- i t
dizempnt of the other, he would not worship it <
as an idol, upon whose altar was to he sacrifi- <
red the prosperity, the equality, and the honor I
of the South. The spirits of Laurens, of (Jadv t
den, of Rutledge and of Pinckney. would spurn <
from their companionship that Southerner who j
would he so recreant to his duty, as to consent I
to wear the hadge of degradation and inferior- 1
;
The North, it was evident, had determined 1
upon their poiicy of arresting any further ac- <
cession of political power to the slave States, <
and nothing could counteract this policy hut the i
determined and united action of the entire
South. If the Southern States were united, i
they could dictate tlieir own terms. Thev I
would not obtain thpir rights by President ma- I
king. General Cass, if elected, would not veto
the Mrilmot Proviso, and he was equally sure i
that General Taylor would not veto it. All I
hopes of that kind were utterly fallacious. Pre- I
sident Polk had administered the internal affairs
of the Government in a manner which deserved
the highest approbation, and he most willingly
accorded him his thanks; but even he would
hare been consumed with the fires of indigna- i
lion if he had vetoed the Oregon bill containing
the YVilmot Proviso. It would have been
absolutely dangerous for him to meet on the
street some of those who had assisted to place
him in power had he. done go. The pressure
upon any President would have been too strong
for resistance. Of General Taylor as a gentleman
and a soldier he had the highest opinion.
He believed if he had been left to the original
simplicity and purity of his character he
would have been willing to have entrusted him
with the Government, in the hone that he would
have effected its reform, and no govprnrrpnt on
earth nepdpd it more. But the great danger
was that, beset as he was by politicians, he
would obey the fjehests of party, and not the
honest promptings of his own hpart. He had
placed himself under the control and dominion
of a party, and that party would givp direction
to his administration, fie says and no doubt
honestly believes, if elected, he will come into
power as the people's .candidate; but since the*
nomination at Philadelphia, it is well known he
has been appropriated by party. Oen. Cas?
Is a man of various expedient?, of considerable
lierary attainments, not unacquainted with the
* - ' ?-?* 4 workings
of the government, or the movements
of political parties. So far as he is the expo*
nent of a party, said Mr. Butler, he is the eiponent
of the party with which I co-operate, and
I cannot co-operate with any other.
He held that the State was bound to cast her
vote for one or the other candidates. For thirty
years the State had nerer cast her vote against
democratic principles, and had never vo.
ted for a whig; but when she had made her decision
he would bow with the most implicit deference.
He would say for himself that he would
1 * ? * ~ - J
not change nis pany reunion* uuu im mpm *-??
hut would cheerfully acquiesce in the decision
of the State. But there should he no excitement,
no exacerbation. There never was an
occasion in which excitement upon such a subject
was more to he deprecated. He alluded
to the manner in which candidates were selected
by proceedings in caucus, where trickery
and management, not merit, secured the nomination.
If the selection of a candidate had
heen left to the people, the choice would not
have fallen on Gen. T. and Gen. Cass. There
was therefore no necessity or propriety in getting
up any excitement, and if a heated political
canvass was to ensue, for himself he would
take no part in such a scramble.
Mr. Calhoun said that his colleagues had so
fully detailed the proceedings in Congress upon
the questions invoking the rights of the South,
that he would confine himself to what he conceived
to be the more immediate object ol lho
meeting?the question of the Presidency. His
attention had been early and earnestly directed
to this matter, and the conclusion he had arrived
at was,that the proper poliryof the Slate was
to stand aloof from the contest, and in this sentimpnf
he had the concurrence of all his colleagues
of the South Carolina Delegation in
Congress, with perhaps but one exception.
There wpre several reasons for this determination?among
them may he mentioned that nei
therof the candidates comes to our requirements
of principle or policy; and by entering into an
active and lipated political contpst, each party
abusing the candidates of their opponents nnd
praising iheir own as exemplars of perfection,! he
State would he degraded to the Ipvel which they
occupied. He had never doubted but that when
the time came the Staie would ca?t her vol";
hut let us cast it without heat, without pxeitemenf,
and in the direction which the safety and
dignity of the State requires that it should be
cast. As to the respective candidates, many
lave the preference to Gen. Taylor because he
was a Planter and a Southern man; others
again preferred Gen. Cass because he was a
member of the party with which they usually
ict. These preferences were natural and alowable,
if the division to which they led were
Tonrlucted without asperity or bitterness; but
hey would be most mischievous if their effect
was to divide us at this crisis, when harmony
ind union among ourselves was more than ever
lesirable. Since I addressed you last in this
dace a great change has taken place in the poiition
of nartieR at the North. The Abolition
arty, which was then a mere handltl, has now
jrown to he a mighty party that has cast aside
oth the candidates of the old parties and nomi.
tated as the representative of their f ee soil
*?- XT O ..... C.H.?np|,.
inuuipjes iiir. ? an miren, mm noi
he President of the Unite 1 States. Such a
nan would never have consented to he placed
n that position unless he was convinced there
vas a firm foundation for the movement, and
law that the North had determined to lallyon
his great question of sectional supremacy.
He referred to the action of the Senate on lh?
Dregnn hill, and lamentable ns was the defeat
>f the South on that question, it was still more
amentahle that it was accomplished by the
rotes of two Southern Senators. He would
lame them. They shoul I he known and delerved
to he held in reprobation hy every South;rn
man. They were Col. Benton, of Missouri,
ind Gen. Houston, of Texas. Had they stood
rue to the South, the hill would have hern debated.
With these exceptions, the Southern
nen had stood side by side and shoulder to
shoulder. And in this a most gratifying contrast
ivas presented with the condition of things exsting
at the commjncpmnnt of the session.
At that lime not a corporal's guard could he
jot together to act harmoniously. He had nev.
?r witnessed so mu *h distraction. But at the
:lose of an arduous session, and afier one of the
xblest debates which he had ever witnessed and
in whieh the South was completely victorious,
be entire South, with the exceptions above
lamed, stood shoulder to shoulder, manfully
tattling lor their rights.
The net of the North in inserting the Wilmot
Proviso into the Oregon hill was a mere wanon
assertion of power. It was universally adTiitted
that the climate and soil of Oregon unitted
it for a slave population, hut the Nor'h de.
ermiued upon the assertion of the right to exdude
slavery from the Territories ot the Union
without conditions or restrictions. It \va? the
irst time it was so applied, and the. determinaion
is manifested so to apply it hereafter in all
vises, pven in Cuba, should that Island ever lie
innexed to our Union. In the old Confederaion
the Ordinance for the government of the
Northwestern Territory was proposed for three
rears, and was only adopted then when the res.
t it lit ion of fugitive slaves to their owners was
coupled with it as a condition. The Missouri
compromise was proposed by the North who
urged it on Congress, and sacrificed every
Northern man who voted against it. Hut a
change has been ertected in theiNorth sino.p
lhat period. As they have grown in power
ihey have increased in their exactions and at
'a-t hav? Imldly avowd their determination to
arrest the further progsess of the Slave States,
by excluding them unconditionally hereafter
from all the Territories of the Union.
With such a struggle at hand, how important
is it that the South should be prepared to meet
it with a united front. Diversities of opinion
are entertained upon the subject of the Presidency.
(Jen. Taylor is prefered by Rome; G?*n.
Gass by others. All are equally sincere, and
all, in his opinion, were equally Republicans.
He did not ask that they Rhould throw away
their vote, or arrest the canvass. Things had
gone too far for that. Rut he implored them,
as Carolinians, to conduct the canvass with
I _ I *,L !_ 1 ! 1 * 1 I
motif1 nil ion, ano wnn Kinu leeimg toward eacn
other. Do not permit the discussion so to divide
or enstrarige you from each other as that
yoti cannot he reconciled immediately after its
termination. Th? time is coming when your
united energies will he demanded for the slrtig
gle. At the next session < f Congress thp contest
will he renewed for California, New Mexico,
and the territory between the Nueces nnd
and the Rio Grande; for the Norlh claims all
that. If worsted in that struggle, as there is
groat probability we will be, we have nothing
to hope or expect from the Federal Government.
He had watched this question of Abolition for
years, and from the begining bad predicted the
result. There are iothe body politic, as in the
human system, disease* which, if not promptly
arrested, become incurable nnd'eventually fatal
and it was hi* opinion from the fir.-.t that Abolition,
ifstrong and decided measures were not
" ' 04 ' "0P m - 0 Op 0
taken to check it, would run its course, and in
its progress destroy the Union and the institutions
of the country. In his opinion, whichever party
at the North was defeated in the- Presidential
election would go over to the Barnburners.
With such and addition to their forces, the party
will he .tost powerful. For defence against
its policy and purposes we must rely upon ourselves
alone. Hence the necessity of union,
of harmony. Do not permit any more temporary
questions to enstrange or divide you.?
n tl. rVienlinian irlin ic farthest
ixruirmui;i liiai nic vmwnma.1 ? uv in
Iroin you in opinion is nearer to you than any
Northern man of either party. If the South is
united, there is yet hope of saving the Union.
We can rally a great Southern Republican party,
based on principles above the mere making
I of Presidents; and with such a pa *ty we can
command our terms arid control the North.?
So long as the South permits any candidate who
j claims her support to tamper with the Abolition
ist for their votes, her influence will be lost,
j and her rights disregarded. By rallying a
: great Southern party that will support no man
not pledged to the maintenance of the rights of
the South and the guarantees of the Constitulion,
a party will be formed in the North who
will co operate with us. But if this lails to ar.
' rest the spirit of aggression now so manifest,
and the alternative is forced upon us of resist,
ance or submission, who can doubt the result.
Though the Union is dear to us, our honor'and
i our liberty are dearer. And we would be
i abundantly able to maintain ourselves. The
11 No?-th is rich and powerful, hut she has many
I elements of division and weakness?Fourieri
ites?the vote yourself a farm men?the strife of
labor with capital?a spirit nfanarchy and misrule
already developed, which sooner or later
i will end in her overthrow. The South, on the
contrary, has a homogeneous population, and a
common bond of union, which would render us
powerful and united. Wherever southern men
i have been placed upon the battle field, from the
closing event of our Revolutionary war down
to the entrance of our army into the city of MpxI
ico, they have shown themselves in generalship
! and soldiership at least equal to those of any
*? '? i I. *. sxicfrtm luni.
i outer section tii tin- umwu. \.<.i ..ses
would aflord us revenue ample for every
purpose, almost as great in amount as now col
ji'Cted by the Federal Government. The South
now pjeports to the Northern States more than
j all the exports of the North to foreign countries,
and it is a well established principle that thp
imports of a community are based upon its ex.
ports, and that they nearly equal each other.?
In whatever aspect then we consider it, we will
i be as well prepared for the struggle as the
| North He did not court it. nor would he shun
it; and old as he was he was willing to go
j through his share of the contest.
From the Temperance Advocate.
PUBLIC RECEPTION OF THE RE
TURNED LANCASTER VOLUNTEERS.
Agreeable to previous appointment, an immense
concourse of citizens of Lancaster Pis.
J triet, assembled at Lancasterville. on the tenth
inst., to pay a proper tribute of respect to their
returned volunteers from the Mexican war.
At half past 11 o'clock, A. M., tfie procession
was formed in front of the Court House, on
Main street, under the direction of Col. T. W.
Huey, Marshal of the day, aided by Col. I).
Barns; Lieut. Col. T. P. Ballard, and Maj.
H. R. Pricp. as assi?tnnt Marshals. The pro.
cession of citizens received the Mexican volunleers,
and gave them nine hearty cheers, and
moved down Main street, accompanied hy two
hands of mu?ic, (the Waxhaw hand and the
Salem hand.) to a beautiful groveat tlie snhnrhs
of the village, in the following order: The Jn.
venile Band of the Cold Water Armr, Citizens
generally, Florida Volunteers of 183G. Volunteers
of 1315, Volunteers of 177G, Mexican
Volunteers, the Rev. Clergv and Orator of the
day. When the head ol the procession arrived
at the stand, in the grove, erected for the occasion,
it halted, opened ranks, fornted two
lines and marched between the lines, hy inverted
order from the rear to the stand, where comforlahie
seals were prepared for the occasion. The
exercises of the day were opened hy the Rev.
Mr. Rohinson, of the Associate Reformed Seceder
Church, after which an apnrnpriate address
w-- .vered hy Maj. T. J. Wright, to the
retur .anca?ter volunteers and in the name,
and ? alfofihe people of Lancaster Pis.
trier, th.i orator hade them welcome! welcome!
welcome! to their families, to their friends, and
their homes. The orator in a very eloquent
and loreible manner descanted at large upon
the various scenes of privation, suffering, dis
ease and death which hefel company (I.) from
the lime ofiheir Wing mustered into the service
of the United States, up to the time of their His.
bandment at Puebla; and also to the services*
they had rendered their country, whilst attached
to other companies in the Palmetto Regiment
in nohly fighting the battles of their country,
at Churuhusco, Contreras, Chnpultepec,
and the (5hrita?in which battles Rome of their
number were killed and others wounded. Those
who were killed in battle as well as those who
fell by sickness and disease, and whose bones
now bleach a foreign soil, the orntor did not
pass by unnoticed, but paid that we would erect
a monument to their memories, a monument
the most durable ofall others, a monument in
our hearts.
After the oration was over the following Reg.
I ular Toasts were read at the Rtand by J ho
| Williams, Esq., and after the reading of eaeh
I toast, an appropriate air was played by the
! bands of music.
1. The Palmetto Regiment, its Officers and
i Soldiers.?May the genius of liberty with her
j graphic pen inscribe their names on the tablet
oi immnnauiy.
2d. The memory of Col. Butler and Lieut.
Col. Dickinson ?History will nssign them in
the picture conspicuous places among the
brave.
3. Col. Gladden.?IIis heroic conduct in the
battles of Mexico commands our highest praise
and admiration.
4. Lieut. Col. Dunnovant, Maj. Moffat, and
Cnpt. Cantey.?Brave in the field, humane in
j the camp, generous, chivalric, high-minded in
their natures, South Carolina delights to do
them honor.
5. The. Memory of Cnpt. Se.cre.tt and those
of the. Lancaster Volunteers irhn fell and died
in the. Mexican War.?Rest in in peace ye
brave spirits?the patriotism which animated
you will long be cherished by nil who knew
you.
0. Lieuts. Billings, Cnwsarl and Sccrcst.?
Although Company (I) was disban'ed, the
bloody fields of Contrcras, Churubusco, Chapultepec
nnd the Garita, tell their bravery and
nnhln rftirincr.
7. The. Rank and File, of the. Lancaster Volunteers.?Welcome!
thrice welcome! to your
home* nnd families?you went?you Rfiw?you
suffered?you fought?you conquered?may
your-pro*perity in p"ace, equnl your achievement*
in -wnr.
8. Th" Memory of Corporal Marion G. Coston
and Private William. R. Hilton of the Lan
caster Volunteers.?Theirs is a grand and noble
epitaph?they bravely fell on the sanguinary
and deadly battle-field of Churubusco.
9. Gen. WinJield Scott, the Hero of Chippewa
and Lvndy's Lane.?The conqueror of
Mexico?the Captain General of the age.
10. Gen. Taylor.?He fights the enemy
wherever and in whatever numbers ho may
find him?the words retreat and surrender are
not to be fiiund in his book.
11 n..-., KMnlJ,?The skill
f 1//w# c iu/ttu.11 uai? n/owvwvv fill
officers?the gallant commanders?worthy
leaders of the Palmetto hoys.
12. Gov. Johnson and Adjutant General Cantey.?Their
deep solicitude and interest for the
South Carolina Volunteers, entitle them to the
appellation of Grand Father and Uncle of the
Palmetto Regiment.
13. The Fair.?Their smiling presence and
open hearts, welcome home the gallant Volunteer.
When the fourth Regular Toast, was read,
j Maj. Moffiit, who was present, responded in a
! brief and happy manner to the sentiment o.TerI
ed, and likewise stated thnt the most of the Lanj
cancaster Volunteers were attached to his com|
mand, and fought liravely in the ha'tles of Mexj
ico. Capt. Cautey also responded at some
; length; in very feeling and-eloquent term', riv.
eting the attention of the audience hy reciting
j the privations they suffered, the dangers they
encountered, the risks they run, and the hatties
they had fought and won in the enemy's
country?and that the Lancaster Volunteers
were also under his command a part of the time
in Mexico. Rut before he took command of
thprn, and whilst thev were under the command
of his predecessor in office, Maj. Mofltif, he
, watched their conduct in the camp and their aci
lions in the battle fields?that they did their doi
ty nobly?that there were not a braver spt of
men in the Palmetto Regimpnt than they were,
i Lieut. Billings also responded in a Jbrief and
j effective manner to the sixth Regular Toast,
complimentary of himself for his gallant conrtuct
in the battles of Mexico. Aftpr the exercises
i of the day were over at the stand, the ladies
! were formed in'o a procession and escorted to
to the Academy Grovp, and the male procession
were re formed and marched to the same plnce,
where a sumptuous Barbecue was prepared for
| the occasion by Mr. A. Mayer. The whole
i company, ladies and gentlemen, estimated about
three thousand in number, partook of the Bar.
becue. and left the tables, their appetites being
perfectly satisfied. There xvas nothing occurI
red during the day to mar the harmony of the
, occasion?not an intoxicated man was seen in
, the streets, or in the village, every tiling went
! off quietly and peaceably. At night a splendid '
. affair came off, being a public Ball given in;
honor of the brave Volunteers, which was nil- j
meroiisly attended by both sexes?the beauty i
of the District was there assembled, and their
smiling presence welcomed home the Volunteer.
SUMTER CELEBRATION'.
The 17th, the day fixed for the Festival in
honor of Company A., ''The Sumters," of
The Palmetto Regiment, was celebrated at
Sumtervillc with ull the honorable fepling and
appropriateness, which characterizes the peo
pienfSumter District. The greater part of
the day was threatening, and the sky exhibited
a lowering appearance. With the slight inenn.
vcnicnce, however, of a shower immediately
preceding the ceremonies, the clouds served
to no temper the heat of the day.
During the evening previous, and on the
; morning of the celebration, visiters poured into
| the village in great number", and it seemed as ,
iflhc whole district had come tonn in emigre- i
gated masses to do honor to "The Sumlers." !
Many, loo, were present from Kershaw and I
Richland, and took their full part in the festiv.
ilies of the day.
The Hon. F. J. Moses, our Senator from 1
Claremonf, presided with his accustomed efli- i
ciency and dignity and welcomed the Palmet- |
toes in a short and fervent address. The Ora- ;
tion was delivered by Samuel Mayrant, Esq., j
who portrayed to the assembled Sumters and
members ofthe Palmetto Regiment preacn'. in
vivid and eloquent language, their career and
the honors which they had gained. The small
remnant ofthe de\*oted band stood before him
nnd listened with the dignity of citizen soldiery
to the honorable testimonials of their brave
conduct and the plaudits of a grateful and admiring
republic.
The fair daughters ofSumler, too, were pres. j
ent, and graced the honors to stern, manly, j
valor, with the approving smiles of beauty.
Alter the close of the oration, the company
assembled around the festive board, at the head
of which sal the Hon. Senator Moses. President j
of the day. Abundance weighed down the ta- !
hies, nnd the loud cheering, given to the toasts,
testified the spirit, interest, and enthusiasm of
the people in the occasion. Upwards of three
thousand persons were present, of whom five
hundred were ladies.
Tli? Pnciivnl throughout, was conducted in a
.... c* * *
manner worthy of the occasion, and, after
a day ol great and uninterrupted enjoyment, the
ppople quietly dispersed to their several homes.
Praise is due to the committee for their management,
and to Mr. John China, who was employed
l?y them to superintend the immediate
preparations for the dinner.?Sumter Banner.
Ball to "Tiik Si mtf.rs."?The Ball on
the 16th, to "The Siiiniers.'' was given in the
new house cfMr. A. J. Moses, whieh was
generously loaned to the Committee fir that
purpose, and whieh was thus ushered into inhabitancy
by a bail "in Honor to the return of
the "Sumters."
Nearly fifty ladies were present, and many
gentlemen from the District, and the Sumters.
Every thing went as merrily as a marriage,
and all were highly pleased.
To the Committee, to their employee, Mr.
Myers, and to Mr. A. J. Moses, the liberal loan- i
er of his new house, are the thanks of the com |
munity justly due and awarded, for the amuse- J
meut of the evening.?lb.
The Cannon taken from the British in the j
battle of Bennington. August 10, 1777, were '
delivered to the authorities of Vermont on the I
11th in?t., in nccordnnce with n resolution passed
last month by Congress. The rannnn have
lain in the United States Arsenal as trophies
for forty-one years. They were to be received
at Bennington on the 16 inst., the anniversary
of the battle, by a military and civic procession.
The Covernor of that State to be present on
the occasian.
Tiie Bor.i. Worm.?The Milledgeville Journal
of the 22d inst: "The boll worm has commenced
its ravages upon the Cotton in onr vi.
cinily. A neighbor brought to our office yesterday
about a half peck cotton bolls, some partly
open and others n every stage of growth, !
completely destfo eri. These were stated to
have been taken fro--* **nly two or three stalks.
Ft remains Co he seen to what extent further
damage may l>e done.
THE CAMDEN JOURNAL,!
Wednesday Morning, August 30, 1848. ,
WILLIAM B. JOHNSTON. EDITOR. 1
A Southern Convention.
It is well known to the readers of this paper that
during the past twelve months we have frequently
urged upon the southern people the necessity of i
some mode of united and concerted action with re- i
gard to the protection of their interests; the mode
we advocated, and which we still believe to be the
most effectual, is a Southern Convention, we
were then solitary and alone in endeavoring to arouse
our citizens to the necessity of such a plep?
although we were consoled with the knowledge
that our position was sustained by our most eminent
statesmen. The bonds of party union were too
strong then, for the members of either party to ,
make the effort to unite all on this subject, but we
are rejoiced to perceive that now, th" southern
press are awaki..g to a sense of our danger, and
calling for such a Convention. Where we had
not a paper to unite with us in urging the propriety
of such a course, we now find numbers who,
whilst they may give due weight to all minor issues,
are setting aside mere party feelings and are
earnest for a union of all parties upon this important
question.
We can conceive of no good reason why Whigs
and Democrats should not unite, and unite heartily,
and cordially upon some measure forthemaintainance
of our rightp. Every man may, and will
have his personal preference for one or other of the
presidential candidates and this preference when not
inconsistent with his duty as a southerner, we feel
and acknowledge to be the inherent right of every
citizen; but can we not support our favorite without
being so much estranged Irom our political opponents,
that we cannot unite our energies on a subject
far above the mere effort to elevate this or
that man to the Presidency? South Carolina is
democratic, Georgia and North Carolina may be
, whig, and every other Southern State will cast
| her vote as her people may direct, but there <"an
be no diversity of opinion on the question of a firm
imaintenar.ee of our rights, and the defence of our
ins'itutions. We would set down that man as insane
or a traitorous miscreant, who would sarri
fire the beRt interests or bis fellow citizens at tne
Fhrine of party or personal ambition, or who, for
some paltry personal aggrandizement, would barter
his bir'hright of equality as a free citizen o^
this Union.
The time lias come?that time so dreaded by
our earliest patriots?when fanaticism has gathered
sufficient strength of popular feeling to enlist the
majority of the people of one section of the country
in an altitude of most wanton aggression upon the
constitutional rights of their fellow citizenp, and
shall we fail to proclaim that we are prepared to
stand up in defence of these rightp? If we do,
then we have no claim to be called the sons of
freemen or of patriotic pires.
The time has come?the history of the session (
of Congress just closed, presents but an uninterrupted
series of wanton insults flung with an unsparing
hand against the South. The failn-eof
the Compromise bill?the refusal to adopt the Missouri
compromise; the refusal to recognize the principles
of that Compromise in the Oregon territorial
bill, and the engraftingof the ordinance of 1787
upon that measure?all give us warning that the
time has come, whpn the people of the South must
make a mighty effort to save the the Union and preserve
their rwn honor.
The time has come?the precedent hap gone
forth under legislative and executive sane'ion.
(tho* accompanied with a protest from the latter,)
that all future territory shall be closed against the
people of the South, their institutions mu^t be circumscribed,
and that their children and children's
children must forever be debarred from any share
in the hnnofit?j of new acouirements caincd bv their
own blood and treasure. Not only this, but they
must be surrounded by those who will never cease
in their efforts to rob them, and render valuclesp^
even that portion of the soil, to the occupation of |
which, with their property, they now reluctantly <
consent.
The time lias come?it is not a few foolish fa- 1
natics amongst whom were found old women and
runaway negroes, who some years since ranted '
against the South and her institutions. No-it is
the gathering of the hordes of the North, of every !
political hue and complexion, under the banner of
"Free Soil," and whose rallying-cry is "Break |
down the slave power." They have mustered j
strong; from ff-urfcen States their representation ,
alone at their late convention was numbered by ]
tens of thousands, and their "platform" is publish- i
ed to the world stripped of all equivocal phrases? i
plain and easily understood. It is a struggle for <
power they Are preparing for, that power they are 1
irpsdnitllvlint i<Arl<iinlv rrnininrr and it will lie lised '
.* fc, b' -
to rob the people of the South not only of political
rights and equality, but of our property.
The time has come?Southern men, this is no
exaggeration. Calm reflection upon the developments
of the last eight months must convince you
of its truth, and to hesitate now, to postpone the
issue to some indefinite point of endurance, will be
madness, and prove fatal to your interests. You
may adhere as strictly as you please to your political
principles, you maybe justifiable in your endeavours,
to elevrte the exponent of these principles,
but, Carolinians, let the words of Caliiot;n
sink deep into your hearts?"the Carolinian tcho is
farthest from yon in opinion is nearer to you than
any Northern man of either party." And here, as
the conductor of a S. Carolina press, we plant our
flag, and express our determination to adhere to
this patriotic sentiment. Whilst we will advocate,
with sincerity, and with all the ability we are possessed
of, the political principles to which we are
attached, they shall never prevent us from discharging
what we consider a more imperative duty
?the defence of our just rights against the aggressions
of Northern fanatics and demagogues of both
parties.
What now is our duty? It is to calmly contemplate
our position, and adopt the most prompt and
energetic means for our self preservation. The
? ? f 11 Avnieo !n n fottt monf lac on/1 ,
nfCCBNUI l^UllglWHicApiiv III U..U I
we must, if we are true to ourselves adopt some f
mode of so uniting our energies that our Senators t
and Representatives may go up to the next session
with hearts and hands prepared for the onslought
which will assuredly be made upon the t
South. They must go up with the full knowledge i
that the entire people which they represent, are t
ready to sustain them in any line of policy the ur- 1
gency of the crisis may require. They must be 1
assured?the presidential oontest being then over- \
that no party issues divide their constituency, and j
if they go up thus equipped to do bfcttJe for the a
South, we believe they may ncceed in Milling
Jiia queution forever and thus save the Union.
In conclusion, we repeat our oft declared conriction,
that a Southern Convention, i* the beat
mode of harmonizing pub ic opinion amongst us,
and the most efficient step we can take, to unite
the energies of the people.
The Wrongs of Ireland.
Thero are few American citizen*, who know to the
fullest extent, the injustice and wrong* which hove been
inflicted upon this unhappy country. The British
Press from which the greet majority of the people ol
lliis country derive their information upon Irish affairs,
ttikes great pains to impress upon the public mind that
the misery and wretchedness of the Irish people, pro*
cccd, not from misgovernment or injustice, bot from
improvidence, ignorance, laziness, and Priestcraft.?
They labor to show that the Government, does oil that
it possibly can do, to ameliorate their condition, and
they, illustrate this particolnrly, by the appropriation of
r :-u* ?ili? nasi vi-ar af fa.
Bome nvc or ci?m imiuuiin uu....6 .... , t? ?
mine! f.ow we ant* any reasonable man, to reflect,
and we are sure lie cannot conscientiously say, that
the appropriation of a few milliona sterling, is all that
the Government of Kngland could do, to overt the horrors
of famine, and prevent the "death by stsrval on"
of hundreds of thousands of its subjects. 'J'he c:<u?c<
of Irish misery can be moro authentically traced, then
it even has been by the London Times, or its kindrej^^^^
monarchical papers whose greatest gratification
pcura would be, a wholesale slaughter, of tl?e Irisfi people,
by the guns nnd bayonets of British soldiery.
In a New York paper we find a synopsis of tire
wrongs and woes against which, a large portion of the
Irish pcoplo are now contending; the writer understands
his subject, the main portions of his statement being
substantiated by the history of the country, and ou.
thentic statistics, and we beg the calm and deliberate
ottention of our readers whilst we briefly recapitulate,
this list of grievances, as presented to us by this writor;
after they have read those recorded faels, we are much
mistaken if they will not agree with us, in saying that
there is no portion of the American people,?no people s
on the face of tho earth, but who would endeavor to.
better their condition, and overturn audi a system of
opprossion and wrong. From this writer we learn '
The British Government has confiscated from the
origininal owners, upwards of 14.000,000 acrea of land,
out of the 20,000,000 of which the Island Is composed.
This land was bestowed upon favorites mostly foreign,
crs, in portions of 113,000 ocrcs down to smaller ones,
so that now according to the London Times, of last
month, there are in all Ire'and, about 8 0> 0 proprietors
of the soil in fen simple.
These wealthy proprietors do not cultivate twothird*
of their vast domains, for in most instances the cultivation
of a small portion of them, bring* then* in a
princely revenue. The remainder i* preserved for - ^
plonsure grounds, hunting orpastnrage, for according to
a recont survey it appears there ore nearly^flOO.OOO
acres, of good land unimproved. _
The writer then states what is well known to be true
that tho system of tenantry csn never devdupe the
wealth and resources of any country, so it does not in
Ireland.
The depletion of that fertile country, is the large
amount of rent sent to absentee landlords. The total
rents ore about $G5 000,000 per annum, out of this.
forty millions, are sent lo tne landlords, never 10 return
to benefit the country in any form?this annual
exhaustion it is which keeps Ireland poor.
The established Church, is another of the groat evils,
which are accumulated upon the shoulders of the Irish.
()jt of a population of 8,000,000, there is not pcrhap* ^
600,000 who feel any interest in that church, ar d very
few of them hclong to the producing class. Yet it is
stated that the labor of that country is obligated to
support this church in tho enormous sum of thirty-five
millions of dollars per annum, and according to the debates
in Parliament, a merolv nominal but legal paiish,
is forced to pay from $3,000 to $20,000 to a nominal
but legal rector, for religious services, when in fact
there has not l>cen a rector, or a sermon from him in
somo of these parishos for twenty five year*.
The writer truly says:?" It is impious snd insulting
to Heaven, to ssy there has been a famine in Ireland,
for in tho very year in which wo were hurrying vessels to
her with provisions, she sont off lo England, the prodduce
of her own soil, and the labor in many instances
of the very hands of those that afterwards died of
starvation, more than twenty five millions o' dollars
worth of good and wholesome provisions."
Now let our rendora romeinbor that these accursed
evils are fastened upon Ireland, by the sword and bayonet
of a hired soldiery, and they will say with us. thnt
thoy would beggar the fairest portion of our own fair
country.
Another ovidene wc have, in a letter from Lord
Clonccrat, to Captain RosmsoN of tho Royal Navy.
He say, " that the existence of the present condition of
things depends upon two facts?
1st, Thnt Irishmen arc not permitted to legislate
rightly for themselves; and secondly, that they are legislated
for wrongly by others, ignorant alike of our wants
--j 1 ..r ,i :> ;
1iiu CajMUMilILn, UIIU Wl IIIC mCOIIB WJ *?hiv?I l? ?
ble to relievo the one or devclope the other. Thus, we
liave had experience during the last two years of a
fearth so grievious as to bo chnrncicrizcd by the present
Prime Minister as "a a famine of the thirteenth ecnto y
visiting of a populition of the the nineteenth;" and
it the very time hunger was sweeping away thousands
if the people, it is proved by Government statistics,
hat in tho year 1847, food was raised from the soil suf.
icient to support every man, woman and child in lieand
for two years and a half. This occurred, too,
vhile more than three millions of acres of improvable
and wore suffered to lie waste and unproductive in the
nidst of a host of able and willing, but unimployed
ind destitute labors.
It seems absurd to ask the question?"Could these
.hinga have been so had an Irish Parliament had the
lower to legislate for the promotion of arterial drain.
ngs, lor inc reclamation 01 wnsics ana Dogs, ror me
jrcventionof ihe destruction of human food in dietille.
ies. or for tho establishment of public panaris*, where
.he crops of l!:c smell furmers could be stored safe from
rcrmin ond weather, and which, in such circumstances
as those of the Inst two years, could lie made availiblc
(as I have endoavored to impress upon the minda
if our rulers) for the supply of that deficiency in tho
naehinery of retail commerece, of which Sir Robert
Peel, indeed, was aware, but Lord John Rnasel utterly
inconscious."
Jn conclusion we again invite our readers to eonfen*ilntc
this state of things, as existing under an cnlighlvlcd
ond civilized government of the nineteenth centnrj.
ind it cannot fail to enlist their sympathies, and their
irayers for the deliverance of Ireland There may b?
ithcr reaeonsset forth by those who hale every tiling
Irish, hut we believe, 'he moat direct causea of Ireland's
listresa are enumerated abovo. That aome districts of
Ireland the peasantry are ignorant, superstitious, and
ubmissive to the Priesthood, wo do not pretend to deny,
tnd that such n state of things aggravate many of their
ivils, we willingly admit, hut then the root of the poilicnl
and social misery, which impoverish the peoole,
ind which goads them to rebellion, may be clearly
raced, and discovered in ine aoove enumeration.
O" The editor of the Telegraph, is rather seneiive,
we think, and ought not to take our remarks
n such high dudgeon. If we had not taken the
rouble to read 1ms "excellent paper" we would not
lave discovered his decided leanings to Whiggery.
3e this as it may, however, we will npjt qparrel
nth him, believing that, independent of all party
redirections he. is'a true Soatf^rp man, and will, %
a every frlcad of the South tnUdt rfoV dry lay aside