Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-02-21
EAgefela Court Aouse S. 6. February 2t, AS39.


in the electoral college, and, of course, ii
the Government; and thus, in the shor
space Of one generation and half.lhe cen.
ire Of political power, as between the ole
and new States. will have passed from the
former to the latter.
Now, with these unGuestiouable result:
before US, ask, mt whether it would be
wise To continue the old system; no, sir, q
far boidcr IurstiuD-wIl it he practicable!
Aud if nUl practicable, would il be wise tC
struggle To continue it, ill ovcrlhrown by
the iurce of unavoidable and irresistible
causes! ask, what would be the effects
Of such a struggle? Would it not ac 10 ex-
cite, in The first instance, anilnosity and
discord between the old and new States.
and, IN the end, 10 overthrow the entire
land system, with the certain loss ulti-
mattel y, Of lhe public domain! shall not,
on this occasion, attempt a formal discus
sion Of these prints. propose. IN order Ia
illustrate, simply TO show how vain and
dangerous would be the atIempt TO hold OH
to The present system, under these great
aud growing changes, by tracing its opera
tious under sing lie aspect. its bearing OIL
the Presidential question.
10 have clear conception Of this, we
must bear in mind, that after The next cen
sus, the new States will have five-twclfth.
of The electoral college; and. Of course,
cnmnarcd 10 either of the other sections,
ii controlling voice in The election OLA Pres
ident. He who keeps this iii minG, anu
understands the workings of the human
heart and Of our system, must see, that in
the Presidential contest, for such il must
ever be. The great point, hereafter, will he
TO secure their favor; aud thai this can best
br done by iavorins their peculiar views
aud pulley in reference TO the public lands,
Now one of two things masi follow: either
all the candidates will euter into This com
petition, in which case the struggle will he
who shall 90 'arthcst. aud lis consequence
will he 10 give the vote la him who bid high
esl. 1t is ruSy 10 see how this would eud
The public domain, the nubIe inheritance
oflhr peopl,. o this Union would he squan-
dcrcd, OF rather ganblrd away, in The con
'esl; and would thus be made. at the same
tine.th- means Of plumber and corrupIlon
and of elevatins To power The most profit,
gate and audacious.
Butif, instead FALL the candidates seek
ins the favor Of the new States, a parI
should court their interests, and the other,
that nl The old States, Tho train Of events
woal!, Inieed. be varied, hut the ultimate
result would he the same. On this suppo.
sition, each of the candidates would resor
TO means best calculated 10 secure The sec
ton, on whose support he might re "
Those looking to the new States wGuld
push 20 the extreme, the iavori,e policy o
those States in reference to The public
lands; while the others would take The op
posile extreme in favor Of The old States
Now, when We reflect that the new
aud lhc old States must necessarily. from
their different position and relation to
the public lands. entertain very different
views of the policy that ought 10 be pnr.
sued in relation to them. in almost every
poiut--so much so, hat the one shall
fconsider that hut as the demands Of justice
which the other shall regard as nothing
short "f open plunder, as we have witness.
ed in this discussion-we may form some
conception Of the violence of the conflict
which must ensuc in the case supposcd.-
We have had. even in this early stage. and
on this verv question. some indications al
what we may expect. The most violent
anirnoSity aud hatred would follow, and
l,,,h 4. ,f
patriotic, would be regarded the friend oi
the enemy of the new or old States, as hi.
opinions favored the policy Of one or the
other. The final termination Of The con
llict would not be doubtful Whatever
turns Of fortune mig IN occur in It's progress
the new States must, in the end. prevail
Their relative increase is far more rapid
Than the old. so much so, that after 1856
that is. after the third Presidential cleo
tiuu from the uext-they would be left,
, US have shown, in urdispnted possession
of the field. In the mean time, while The
struggle is going on, the animuslIy would
daily increase on both sides. The longer
il continued, the more bitter il would be.
cnme, and the more certainly and COM
pletely would the presen, system be over
thrown, if indeed, the Union itself should
be strong enough to withstand the shock
Such must inevitably be the fate Of the
prescn, system should we have The folly,
might say the madness, to a'lempt to
continue it as it is, so far as the new States
are concerned, regardless of the great chan
ges which have already taken place, and
the still more mighty i'll progress.
Having now pointed out the danger,
turn next to the deeply important question
ofrmedy,which demands The most prompt
and solemn consideration, both of the Gov
ernment and The community, The ques-
lion is, what means shall we adopt tc
avert the mischief which 1 have shown 10
be so rapidly approaching, and which must
inevitsbly SOON arrive If NOT prevented by