Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-04-05


Scenes; but the honorable Senator has tho'i
proper to indulge q course Of remarks up
| on certain recent and conspicuous acts, of
my State, pressed, as il seems to me, un-
necessarily into this discussion, which I
will at once resent and repel. And, besides
there is, in my present relation to my State,
peculiar obligations Of duty, affection, and
gratitude, which makes her defence more
my business and my pleasure than at any
former time, Il is generally known that /,
| is MY misfortune to differ with her LegisIa-
tare in regard 10 important questions con-
nected with the finances Of this Government
and that il has expressed that difference i'm
formal resolutions. 1t is not so generally
known that, with an elevation and eener-
tosity characteristic Of the State, it at the
! same moment soothcd the pain which this
difference of opinion could not but create,
1;by nm express exclusion Of all censure upon
her public functionaries who entertained
different views. Already bound to South
Carolina by every obligation of duty aud af-
fiction which can bind citizen and SER
want, these obligations are enhanced and
strengthened by this noble and touching act
tof kindness and generosity, which makes it
| my privilege. on this occasion, 10 supersedc
7 my colleague in the defence Of our State, e.
to take to my own hands the willing task.
~ have remained silent when vulgar wit
| lings have sought to amuse themselves or
others by a poor jest on notification; and I
hive heard, without emotion, the efforts of
\ underling politicians, who, ever and anon,
supply a vacuity OF sense by puny and in
nocent TRADE against S. Carolina. Such
things are to be expected from such quar-
.tcrs, and may he we'll submitted to in silence
and indifference; but when these poor rop-
les are rescued from contempt III the only
1 way hy which this can be effected, bv that
t'advcntitious consequence derived from the
! dignity and position Of him who used them,
they become worthy of animadversion, not
on their own account, but on account of the
party resortins to them.
| In the contest which South Carolina wag-
ed with this Government, whether she was
right or wrong, no man of right mind, who
knows the circumstances, will perceive mat
ter for jest or ridicuc Her course is now
history. She acted in patriotism and hon
or. Her principles were openly asserted,
her purposes boldly avowed; wrong or right,
she fcarlcssly assumed her ground, calmly
arrayed herself against the whole power OF
this Government, ,stcrDly retorted the frowus
Of a tyrant. armed as he was hy the eager
haste Of a servie Legislature, with all the
power of the country, in or out of the Con
stitution; and when the personal passions
of the Chief Magistrate. ministcred to and
innamcd by the ready zeal of the mos,
thoroughly devoted party which this coun-
try ever saw. were joined and slsi aimed by
| the grccdiness of the manufacturing inter
est III measures Of military violence, were
| there any symptoms of irrcsontion, Of Civ
ing back amongst us! Did the honorable
Senator see any sign Of fear at home, OF
i.e>iiancy amongst those who so we'll and
so nobiy represented us here! Did we no,
hurl back the proclamation in the teeth OF
those who issued it! Did we not upon this
floor answer argument by argument aud
ihrea' nv scorn. Ybile a. Ie,4s, The St9te
any one whD looked u.i.nn the scene in th,,
Senate, and our actors in it, did any ON.
who looked to us at home, even from This
distance, see any where the hearing of men.
whose names could be mentioned, cxcept II,
tic vulgar violence of pampcrcd power, in
any cohhexIon with an ignominous death,
or whose conduct and destiny could in any
| event he associate d but with honor and re-
spect! Slaughtered we might have been.
crushed and overwhelmed perhaps, but the
honorable senator did not understand The
oIcasioh' nor does he know the people oi
whom lie speaks, if he believes thar the cr-
'6dT or concession on the part of this Gov
ernment-compromise, if The word be more
palatabIe
Well, sir. the Compromise bill was nass-
co. and went forth with healing on its
wings. IT was hailed as the harbip,er of
peace, and was understood to he the result
VI mutual concessions, made in Il high spirit
Oh patriotism. Tor the purpose of smn,hcrinp
.he meats which threatened the country
IN such spnit unqueSrionably, we acced-
ed 10 The compromise. surrcndrrinn, for its
sake, portion of our interests, which in
Justlcc might have been insisted on; and in
snch Il spirit, we supposed the honorable
senator, as the representative ofihe manu-
'iac,urins interest. had given his conscn, ~
the arrangement. These hinh and holv
purposes at ributed to the honorable GEN
tleman, and to those who acted with him.
on that occasion. l thought him enti,lcJ
io the glory Of having acted from no per
sona motive, from no'hing that savorci of
party feeling, but from broad patriotism
or the broader principles of tha, code which
promises blessings to the peace makcrs.-
And on this high ground have always un-
ehrstood the gentleman then placed HIMSELF
but hls declarations to-day show that he is
Nascontentsd with that position, and he pre
iers to have II known that his object was to
-ur've good bargain for the manufactu-
rers; and that his views of peace did not
extend beyond saving good fellow or two
from an ighominious death. That he did
not believe that danger existed. or that
South Carolina intended aucbt bur cb;ld,s
play. The honorable Senator has riob,
10 establish the relation in which hr stands
to the transactions of that day, and to cor
rect the history Of them, which had c,Isolv