Page:Nullification Controversy in South Carolina.djvu/347

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Nullification Controversy in South Carolina

On sale day, on February 3, a district meeting was held in Greenville, according to previous announcement. It was pronounced the largest assemblage of Union men ever convened in the district. Resolutions were adopted which did not contain as strong language as several of those from the local meetings, and a respectable minority of the committee of twenty-four who drew them up objected to them on that account. The resolutions declared that the Unionists would first use those means which were legal to get a repeal of the military act and an abandonment of the proposed amendment to the constitution. They would not in any way aid or assist in carrying into effect the act, and should an attempt be made to levy fines upon them for their refusal so to act, they would look for protection to the "virtue, intelligence, independence, and patriotism" of their fellow-citizens. In order to defeat the operations of the military act they would run Union candidates for all militia offices to be filled on April 11, and they would neither obey any orders nor do militia duty under officers who might be appointed over them. In March the people of the lower country were up and doing. Although they did not move as soon as the people of the