Page:State Documents on Federal Relations.djvu/320

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STATE DOCUMENTS
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than that nullification which formerly threatened to accomplish disunion by force." Laws of New Hamp., 1859, 2140; Ibid., 1860, 2298. References : For proceedings of the commercial conventions and southern opinion see De Bow's Review, XXII, 91, 102, 216-224; XXIII, 309-319; XXIV, 473-491, 579-606; XXV, 121, 122, 166-185, 289, 308, 491-506; XXVI, 51-66; XXVII, 94-235; Cluskey, 585-595. General accounts, DuBois, Suppression of the Slave Trade, ch. xi; Rhodes, II, 241, 367-372, 481, 482; Von Hoist, V, 484-490; VI, 313-324; VII, 262-266; Wilson, II, ch. xlviii.; Collins, Domestic Slave Trade, 54-60.

Resolved, That this Legislature, and the citizens of this State, look with surprise, mortification and detestation upon the virtual reopening, within the Federal Union, of the slave trade ; that against this invasion of our laws, our feelings, and the dictates of Christianity, we solemnly protest here, as we will protest elsewhere, and especially at the ballot-box ; that we call upon the citizens of this Union, to make common cause, in the name of religion, humanity, and as friends of principles underlying our system of government, to unite in bringing to immediate arrest and punishment, all persons engaged in the unlawful and wicked slave trade, and hereby instruct our senators and representatives in Congress to exert all lawful powers for the immediate suppression of the infamous traffic.
[Resolution of transmission.]

[Laws of New York, 1850, 1210.]


Resolutions on the Harper's Ferry Raid.
1859-60.

One manifestation of the excitement caused by the attack of John Brown on Harper's Ferry, Oct. 16, 1859, was the adoption of resolutions by several of the southern Legislatures. Georgia Nov. 14, 1859, was the first to condemn the attack and to commend the action of the federal and state authorities. (Acts of Ga., 1859, 400.) Tennessee, in the resolutions which follow, denounced Seward and the Republican party as responsible for the outbreak. (Acts of Tenn., 1859-60, 653-656.)

In response to the discussion of Federal relations by Gov. Wm. H. Gist, in his message of Nov. 29, 1859, prompted by the Harper's Ferry raid, (Jour. of the Senate of S. C., 1859, 20-23,) the Legislature adopted the subjoined resolutions. (Reports and Res. of S. C, 1859, 578, 579.) The invitation to