Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-04-12

against every difficulty, tY be told ilar it is
lcit to time to disclose my motive, The
imputation sinks 10 the earth with the
groundlcss charge oil which il rests. sramp
ii with scorn in the dust. pick up the dart
which fell harmless at my feet. | hurl il
back. What the Senator charges on me
unjustly, he has actually done. lie went
over OH memorable occasion, and did not
leave it to time 10 disclose his motive.
The Senator next tells us that bore n
character for stern fidelity. which he ac
compnnicd with remarks Implying that !
had forfeited it by my course on the present
occasion. If lie means by stern fidelity n
devoted attachment TO duty and principle,
wi'cii nothing can overcome, the character
Is indeed high one, and, trust. not en-
tircly unmcritcd. have, at least, the nm.
| thoriiy of the Senator himself for saving
that it belonged 10 me before the prc,c,;,
occasion, and il is, Of course, incumbent ON
llm to show that have since forfeited it.
lie will find the task Il llcrcucan one. |,
would be by far more easy 10 show the op-
Positc, that, instead of forreiting | have
strengthened my title to the charac,cr: in.
stead OF abandoning any principles, have
llrmly adhered 10 them, and that. too, I'M
der the most appalling difficulties. If |
| were to select an instance in the whole
course of my life Oh which, above all 9th
| crs, 10 rest my claim 10 the character which
The Senator attributed to me, it would be
Tins very one, which lie has selected to prove
that have forfeited it. | acted with ,hc
full knowledge ofihc difficulties had to en-
counter, and the responsibility must incur.
! saw great and powerful parry, probably
the most powerful i'll the country, eagerly
SclZInS upon the catastrophe which had be-
lallcn the currency, and the consequent en-
hnrrasSsncntS tha, followed to dispiacc those
in power, against whom they had been long
contcndmS. | saw that, to stand between
them and their objects, mus, necessarily
incur their deep and lasting ,liSrlrasurc. I
also saw that, TO maintain the Adminisira-
ton i'll the position they had taken, to scpc-
rate The Government from the banks, I
| would draw down on me. with the cxren
ton of some Of the S ,u,hcrn banks. the
whole weight of tha, extensive, conccu,ra-
| ted and powerful inicrcst-thc most poycr
iul hy far Of any i'll the whole community
and thus ! would unite against me n COM
| binatlon OF political and monicl influence
| almost Irresistible. Nor was this all
could not but sec tha! however pure and dis
| interested my motives. and however consis-
tent my course with all | had ever said or
| done, j would be exposed 10 the very char
gcs and aspcrsions which ] am now: rcrcl
ling. The case with whicl, they could be
made, and the temptation to make lI:cm,
SAW were too great To he resisted hv the
party morality of the day, as grourdcss as
have demonstrated them to be- Eu,,!,crc
was another consequence that | could no,
but iorcscc, far more painful to me than all
others bI, too clearly saw, in so sudden
and complex jnncturc, called on us was
to decide on my course Instantly, as it were.
| on the field of battle, without consultation.
or explaining my reasons, would cs,rangc
for time many of my political friends, who
had passed through with nc so many t,ial,
and difficulties, and for whom | feel Il
bro1hcr's love. But saw before me the
path Of duty, and, though rugged and hcdc-
cd on all sides with these and mauv other
difficulties, | did not hesitate Il niomcn, TO
take it.
After had made up my mind rs to NV
course, i'll conversation with Il friend IL
bout the responsibility would assume, he
remarked that my own State might desert
me. replied thai it WAS not impossibIc
but the result has proved that undcr c,ti-
mated the intelligence and patriotism of nv
| vir,uous and noble State. ask her pardon
| for the dislrust implied in my answer, bur
| ask with assurance that it will be granted
| on the grounds shall put i,-that in bcinn
prepared to sacrifice her confidence, as dear
TO INC us light and life, rather Than .lisobcy.
on this Srcal question, the dictates of INV
judgment and conscience, proved mvscf
worthy of being her representative.
But 1t the Senator, in a'trihu,imc to me
stern fidelity meant, not dcvoron to priu
cIple. but loparty. and especially the party
oi which he Is 50 prominent IL member nv
answer is, that never belonged to hs par.
~, or owed it any fidelity; and of course
could forfeit, in reference to il, no character
for fidelity. IL Is true, We acted in concert
against what VIC believed to be the usurpa-
tons of The Executive; and it is true, tha,
during the time, l saw much to esteem in
those with whom acted, and contracted
friendly relations with many which ,holI
not be The first to forget. Ii is also true thar
common party designation was applied 10
the Opposition in the aggregate. not, how
ever, with my appreciation; bu, it is 10 less
true than II was universally known thar it
consisted of two distinct parties, dssinrlar
in principle and policy, except in relation
to the object for which they had united; the
National Republican party, and the portion
OF the State Rights party which had scpa-
rated from the Administrations ,on the ground
that 1t had departed from the true princi |
pies of the original parry. That belong
cd exclusively TO that detached porlion,and
ioncilhcr the Opposition nor Administration !
party, prove by my explicit declaration,
contained i'll ono of the extracts read from
my speech OH the currency in 1884. That
the party generally. and the State whicl, | |
represent in part, stood aioof from both of the
parties, may be established from the fac, !
that they refused 10 minglc in the party and
political contests of the day. My State