Affairs at the South.
Minute Men in Virginia--South Carolina to Compensate her Resigned Federal Officers — Secession and Counter Secession — Meeting in Georgia--Resignation of Senators Toombs and Chesnut. The Southern papers bring further ‘"note of preparation."’ Here in Virginia, at Norfolk, upwards of 250 Minute Men have been enrolled. A company in Princess Anne county has elected ex-Gov. Wise commander. At Charleston, S. C., on Friday, two military companies, one of them an Irish company, paraded to salute the Palmetto flag. In Staunton, Va., in view of the ‘"alarming condition."’ of the country, a mass meeting has been called to meet on Saturday next. At Savannah, the Council is about arming and supplying ammunition to the volunteer corps there. A telegram from Knoxville, Tenn., has been received in Charleston, asking ‘"if South Carolina will accept volunteer companies from Tennessee."’ At Columbia, S. C., a meeting of lawyers determined to return forthwith all Northern claims sent there for collection. The following is an extract from the proceedings of the South Carolina Legislature on Friday: The following Message was received from his Excellency, the Governor: ‘ Executive Department,Columbia.
Nov. 8. 1860
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Representatives--In recognizing the primary allegiance of every citizen to the State of South Carolina, the Federal officers in her limits may be subjected to pecuniary loss, by the forfeiture of their official bonds, if they should tender their resignations and they were not accepted. And it would be unjust for the State to require or permit the patriotic acts of her citizens to involve them in heavy pecuniary losses, which, to some, may be the loss of their entire estates.
I would therefore, respectfully and earnestly recommend that the State should indemnify them for whatever losses they may sustain by an act so honorable to themselves and indicative of such devotion to her.
Wm. H. Gist. ’ Pending the consideration of this Message Senator Garlington offered the following resolution: Resolved, That it is the sense of this General Assembly that the citizens of South Carolina, who have held offices under the General Government, should be indemnified against any pecuniary liability or loss they may incur in consequence of their resignation of such offices, on account of the election of the candidate for the Presidency of the Black Republican party. Senator Bryan thought that as this was a new matter to many of them, it had better lie over until to-morrow. There being no objection, the resolution was ordered to lie over among the general orders for to-morrow, and be printed. Last winter the Alabama Legislature passed a bill authorizing a tax of $200,000 to be raised to defray the expense of arming the State, and giving the Governor power to appoint two Commissioners from each county, with power to determine the course which the State should take in the event of the Lincoln election. The tax-gatherers of Alabama are now collecting this tax from the poor and rich alike in that State; and a portion of the citizens of Madison county, Ala., have assembled together and solemnly resolved to resist its collection.--Here are their resolutions: Resolved, That we, as freemen, abhor the Military Law passed by our Legislature, and now, in this public manner, denounce the law as unconstitutional, and subversive of our liberties as freemen. Resolved, That we will resist this military tax by all lawful means, let it be attempted to be enforced in any manner or shape. Resolved, That we recommend to all citizens and freemen of the State of Alabama to do as we have done — take a bold and legal stand against the enforcement of this military law. Resolved, That when our State requires our property and lives in defence of what we may consider her honor and the safety of her citizens and their property, we will freely give both; but we are not willing to surrender up our property, liberty and lives to an unconstitutional and intolerant act of our Legislature. Gen. Sam Houston, in a speech delivered in Texas, a few days since, said: ‘ "However much he might regret the election of Lincoln, still, if constitutionally elected, he ought to and should be inaugurated. 'Yes! they would have to walk over his dead body if he was not.'" ’ The Governor was very severe on Calhoun and South Carolina, but landed Benton, Clay, and others. He never missed an opportunity to give a thrust, and heap abuse upon South Carolina and her doctrines. The brig that hoisted the Palmetto flag in the harbor of Charleston this week, was not from Boston, but from Newburyport, Mass., and belongs to the Messrs. Cushing, a firm of which the Hon. Caleb Cushing is a member. W. H. T. Walker, Brevet Lieutenant in the U. S. Army, has resigned his commission to be a candidate for Colonel of the Augusta (Ga.) Volunteer Battalion. The bill for calling a Convention in South Carolina on the second Monday in January, the members to be elected on the Tuesday previous, passed the Senate of that State by a vote of 44 ayes to 1 negative, the dissenting Senator differing only about time. In the House a resolution to send a Commissioner to Georgia was laid over until Saturday. It was attacked by its opponents as disastrous in its delays, and the result of the Commission to Virginia was cited. A dispatch from Columbia, Friday, says: ‘ Eight hundred Minute Men are drilling here to-night. Cheering dispatches from all parts of the South are received, and the services of volunteers proffered from Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee. Charleston dispatches state that unsuccessful attempt were made to-day by troops to remove the government arms from the arsenal in the city to Fort Moultrie. There was great excitement in consequence, the shipping hoisting the Palmetto flag, and steamers' swivels sainted it. The Charleston papers of Friday afternoon, however, say nothing of the ‘"attempt to remove government arms."’ ’
