Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-07-09
eEKSScegEsgaseOagS.
From, the Charleston Mercury
POSITION OF THE STATE RIGHTS
TNDEpENDENT TREASURY PARTY.

For some time past the small fry of the
.snamcless coliort' in this City. with much fret
ful venom, and very little wit, have abored in
the Courier TO convict this paper of inconSisten-
-cy, by quoting our old against nnr present oplll-
ions, comparing our opinions OF the Admins
tration before the Extra Session OF 1877, with
the opinions we have since maintained
No man Of sense calls another inconsistent
because of change orOpimlon
A man may be tickle or foolish if he changes
his opinion over often and for insufficient cause
but he is not inconsistent unless he avows two
or more incompatible opinions at one and the
came time, and pursuesa course ofaclIon Al va
rance with his professions.
The boy who believed yesterday that the sun
moves round the earth. and is schoolcd today
into the contrary belief, is not an inconsistent
but only a wiser boy; ior the process ot grow
inu wise is but q continuous change OF opinion
in the abandonment oil error Tor truth.
T. 10 the fool alone who can reason or think
f,r himself who never changes his opinion, tor
tho fool has no opinion othis interchange.
And Of all loolishness, the most absurd is to
nnnly the term inconsistency TO any change OF
op,niops as to men, since every rational mind Is
consciously liable to revolution, often total,
of such orinions, in year or day, an hour,
or all instant.
We law down these homely oxoms with cha
.ri,,be particularly for the sule benefit OF such
lo.rncd Thebans us our assailLnts referred to
aboye. hopins they may have sufficient intel
siert TO de,luce the stupidity of their assaults.
The intelligent aud thinking man need not be
,old that when we avowed Il. change oil Oplnion
as to the Administration, the naked avowal was
Of itself rcfi,ta,ion in advance OF all charges
ofinconsistency founded on the discrepancy
between our old aud new opinion.
No more was incumbent on US than satlsiac-
torilv 10 reconcile the change with the prtac'-
plss which we have all along proiessed and yet
maintain; and this we did wiIe!l we proved
that the Administration had planted itsclf on
State Rights ground. AT first, with great ca'i-
e1;on we declared Tor the Administration OIL lie
currency question alone using .ie words WIN
,bem not OF them;" and It is alto scther recon-
c;leable with the partial cooperation and sen-
oral dis,rust then avowed, that a probation of
threo wears should have removed our dstrust
aud wou from us for tie Administration, as
much confidence as can ever be pfudenliy CIV
en- to men in power
Their whole course Of measures is consls-
tently directed to bring back the Government
within the Jeifersoaian rule; their party Is
nledoed in their addresses and through all their
accredited organs to the Stale Rights creed aud
noIcv of South Carolina. We have seen them
moi blinking the question and temporizlug with
Abolition. like the Wings, but manliilly striking
II in the face, delying il, and hanging our bdlI-
ner ON the outward wall We have seen them
repudiating the American system oi protection
and an overfowing treasury, and tncir iilevlt;'-
bl. results, unconstitutional appropriations Tor
internal Improvements, and all Kinds OIL eStrava-
cant expenditures. and we have seen le PresI-
dent himself most firmly adieiliS to hls consll-
tutional and purifying policy wllh respect 10
the currency, uumovcd ny cloud or sunshine
in the political sky, steering through his whole
term by the old Republican chart, stalking his
nolitical prospects aud those OF his party, OH
State Rights principles, and as the first citizen
of our Republic, setting an example of mild
dignity, moral putty, and social courtesy, in
his language, life and dcmeanur, 10 which we
.conld wish that there had been closer approXi-
,nation in the asprants whom the Opposition
have fitted against him.
THE fever of our bitter contest with his pre-
tlecessor had not subsidcd; when Mr.: VAN Bu
REN was inaugurated, all our prejudiccs were
in arms against him; we believed, whether
inst or not, that he had subsequently abe tied
The usurpng hostility of JACKSON against this
State; from his declaration that he would walk
in the footsteps of his predecessor as We inter-
pretad it, we anticipated that, like Jackson. he
would break his pledges. and forget the right III
the consciousness OF power ana !ie trst ior
more power We entertained dislike, disiiuSl,
and ilt opinion OF him and OF every member Of
the Jackson cabinet and expressed orr scn,l-
ments strongly. as VIC entertained them sill
cerrlv. His subsequent conduct has convinced
ms that we did him injustice. We have seen
him rs President, since the Extra Session. FOL.
low no roots,eps OF Jackson, but such rs were
planted in The straight Republican State ri ght.
track: we have seen no deviation from the gem
uine State Rights prIuc:ple. winch iic nIaln-
tanned rs a member ofthe Senate. III his speech
ON Retrenchnent under the federal reign ol
ADAMS and CLAY; and Judging him by his
deeds. not bv his professions we cannot as Ca
ronians and Patriots refuse orr support 10 an
administration which we have found true.
through time and trial, to the principles OF The
South and the best interests Of the Union. We
have seen frankucss, mural courage and ilrtn-
ness, giving efficiency 10 far-slShled and sa-
gacioms policy; instead of the ''non-comnit-
talism'' to which we had objected IN his pre-
vious course as apubllc man.
The opponem,s who still charge him with
non.commi,talism have in their injidcl Convcn.
tiuns and in the person nfthcir dumb ca,ldidaie.
pushed the policy Of keeping in the dark, 10 all
extreme insulting 10 the people whom they
would bring into their ranks blindfold; while in
Mr. Van Bnren's calm. nnhcndng, stern adhe-
sion to the Sub-Treasury policy. we have seen
none of that limberncsS' which was sad TO be his
characteristic, by accusers who have since in
their subaltern Whiggery been as timber as
"the willow.pliaut Democles."
When we first gave our support to the fnan-
cial policy ofthe President; and when we soon
after declared onr readiness to support his ad-
ministration if it adhered to the principles lanl
down in the Address Of the Democratic men,
bers of Congress- sorne Of our Wing friends
would have deferred US by telling Ms THAT pro-
fessions were cheap; that afler having in their
need, gained. by compromises, the cooperation
OF the Southern State Rights men, the Admin