SOUTH CAROLINA. 



651 



cents, and to less important places make it ten 

 cents or more." 



Mr. Calhoun : " We have pulled the temple 

 down that has been built for three-quarters of 

 a century. We must now clear the rubbish 

 away and reconstruct another. We are now 

 houseless and homeless. We must secure our- 

 selves from storms." 



Mr. Dunkin : " If that ordinance of secession 

 be passed, things will still go on in the custom- 

 house and post-office exactly as now until other 

 arrangements are made by this convention. 



and both branches of the State Legislature, to 

 sign the ordinance of secession. 



At the close of the ceremonies the president 

 of the Convention announced the secession of 

 the State in these words : " The ordinance of 

 secession has been signed and ratified, and I 

 proclaim the State of South Carolina an inde- 

 pendent Commonwealth." The ratified ordi- 

 nance was then given to the Secretary of State 

 to be preserved among its archives, and the as- 

 sembly dissolved. 



On the 21st the committee to prepare an ad- 



There is nothing in the ordinance to affect the dress to the Southern States made a report, re- 



_j*_ i if f 4.v.~ c.~*~ ~f a *v viewing the injuries to South Carolina arising 



from her connection with the Federal Union. 

 An ordinance was then adopted which pre- 

 scribed the following oath, to be taken by all 

 persons elected and appointed to any office. 



" I do solemnly swear, (or affirm,) that I will 

 be faithful and true allegiance bear to the Con- 

 stitution of the State of South Carolina, so long 

 as I may continue a citizen of the same, and 

 that I arn duly qualified under the laws of 

 South Carolina, and will discharge the duties 

 thereof to the best of my ability, and will pre- 

 serve, protect, and defend the Constitntion of 

 this State. So help me God." 



In secret session, Messrs. Eobert W. Barn- 

 well, J. H. Adams, and James L. Orr were ap- 

 pointed commissioners to proceed to Washing- 

 ton, to treat for the delivery of the forts, maga- 

 zines, light-houses, &c., within the limits of the 

 State, also the apportionment of the public 

 debts and a division of all other property held 

 by the Government of the United States, as 

 agent of the confederation of States, of which 

 South Carolina was recently a member, and to 

 negotiate all other arrangements proper to be 

 adopted in the existing relations of the parties. 



Mr. Memminger, then, from the special com- 

 mittee appointed to draught a " Declaration of 

 the causes which justify the secession of South 

 Carolina from the Federal Union," submitted a 

 paper bearing this title, -which was read to the 

 Convention. 



This paper commences by briefly referring 

 to a portion of colonial history, the separation 

 of the colonies from Great Britain, their organ- 

 ization into sovereign States, the adoption of 

 the Federal Constitution, its ratification by the 

 different States, including South Carolina, and 

 then proceeds to declare the causes which have 

 impelled South Carolina " to resume her sepa- 

 rate and equal place among nations." * 



These causes are thus stated : 



We hold that the Government thus established is 

 subject to the two principles asserted in the Declara- 

 tion of Independence ; and we hold further that the 

 mode of its formation subjects it to a third fundament- 

 al principle, namely, the law of compact. We maintain 

 that in every compact between two or more parties the 

 obligation is mutual ; that the failure of one of the con- 

 tracting parties to perform a material part of the 

 agreement entirely releases the other, and that where 

 no arbiter is provided, each party is remitted to his 

 own judgment to determine the fact of failure, with all 

 its consequences. In the present case that fact ii 

 established with certainty. 



dignity, honor, or welfare of the State of South 

 Carolina. We must keep the wheels of Gov- 

 ernment going. The Constitution of the United 

 States is not entirely abrogated by the ordi- 

 nance. What is the legal tender for the pay- 

 ment of debts 1 Is it not the gold and silver 

 of the United States 1 " 



Mr. Carrel said the present officers of rev- 

 enue would be continued till an act of the 

 Legislature authorized otherwise. 



Mr. Brown : " There is no longer any com- 

 munication with the Government from which 

 we are just separated." 



Mr. Duncan : " The spirit of the ordinance is 

 temporarily suspended till we treat with the 

 General Government." 



Mr. Gregg : " The President of the United 

 States has thrown down the gauntlet in his 

 Message. He has said it is his duty to collect 

 the revenue, and that he will do it. On one 

 side the Federal Government claims the right 

 and declares its intention to execute the power 

 of collecting the revenue in our ports. On the 

 other side, we have declared that we are free. 

 I desire no compromise. It is necessary, I 

 maintain, that from fifteen to thirty per cent, 

 of duties imposed by a Congress of the United 

 tates should continue to be levied ; otherwise 



r people will suffer terrible calamity. As to 



e carrying of the mails, let the present con- 

 t be assumed by South Carolina instead of 



e United States." 



Mr. Rhett : " This great revolution must go 

 with as little change as possible to the coun- 



y. B/jf, making the Federal agents ours, the 

 machinery will move on. The Federal laws of 

 taxation must not exist over us. We are now 



intending for the great principle of taxation. 



trust the present system of taxation has fallen 

 forever." 



Mr. Barnwell : " We have seceded from the 

 United States and established our independence. 

 We can't allow the United States to exercise 

 authority over us any more. Let the postal 

 convenience be sacrificed if necessary. There 

 never was any thing purchased worth having, 

 unless at the cost of sacrifice." 



Mr. Masyck : " In regard to the mail, all re- 

 strictions must be removed. Let us appoint 

 our own officers. Let the collector of the port 

 battle with the difficulties as they come." 



The Convention adjourned to meet at Insti- 

 tute Hall, and in the presence of the Governor, 



