Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-08-13
fBY REQuEsT.l
From, the Charleston Courier, July IL.
n up; HIM JOHN p. RICHARDSON:

VOLT COQuuCt dtu Opthi"ho "oS Wv - S~''
ducted heretofore, has been neither just to
yourself nor satisfactory TO the public. The
babl,ual intervention of third persons be-
tween candidate and The people, Off
ciously assuming TO he his interpreters,
subject him TO distrust, either of not hav-
ing opinions of his own, or of being reluc-
tan, TO express them, and TO give his own
reasons for his conduct. AS to you, feel
sure such impressions would be uni usI.
While your independence would revolt at
the bare suspicion of being gagged and
guarded" through canvass, your pure
and perfect democracy would incline you
TO direct communication with your TEL
low citizens. When it is iusinuated by
one writer that YOU was connected with
the military organization of the Union
par,y in 1884, aud charged by another
that the proclamation was your standard
Unconstitutional orthodoxy, know that you
would prefer to answer for yourself. In
deed, in repellins charges Of SO grave a
nature, the Interference Of friends would
bu, increase the suspicion Of their truth;
and it is 10 protect you from uniounded
differences resulting from this source, that,
in the exercise of AL undoubted right,
approach you by direct Inquiry.
Having beeu a member of the Jackson
pary throt shout The whole Of the admins
tration of the late President, your approx
al of the doctrines and measures of that
administration will, of course, be taken for
granted, unless denied by you i'll your own
name. The leading feature Of Presidenl
Jackson's administration was his contrO
versy with your own State, and the doc
triues through which he sought to define
his position in that controversy, are set
fn.,!. in his Proclamation of the 10th Dec.
lG32. The following is summary oflhe
ground taken by that paper, ,o-wit: That
a power assumed by one Stale to arrest
an unconstitutional act of Congress, sis
Incompatible with the existence of the
Union, conuadicted expressly 10y the let
trr f,iie Constitution, unauthorized by It's
spirit, inconsistent with every principle Oh
which il was founded, and destructive OF
the great object for which it was formed"
That the ordinance, by which conven-
tion of the people of South Carolina de-
cIared The projecting tariffs to be null aud
void, was disorganzing edict," framed by
those whose objects were "disunon," only
TO be carried iuto effect through ''forci-
BILE opposition" to the execution of the
laws" which opposition would be "trea-
SON. That it prescribed "a course of con-
duct in direct violation of their duty as cit
izens of the United States, contrary 10 the
laws Of their country, subversive Of its
constitution, and haring for Ills object the
destruction Of the Union." That '.strict
duty required of The President, nothing
more lin reference to South Carolina)rhan
the exercise Of those powers with which
he was then, or might afterwards bc in
vested, for preserving the peace of the
Union, aud for the execution of the laws"
That the several States, through The adop-
lion of the constitution became lone peo
ple," the people Of a "singie nation" in
the government of which, The "people of
the States are collectively represented"
and the unity of whose "political char.
acter" commenced in its (he govern
ment's) very existence, the States form
ing one nation" of which they became
..parts,' and 10 which the allegiance of
the colonists "was transferred in the first
instance" and due in the capacity Of II.
merican citizens" And, finally, that the
sovereignty of the States was ceded by !
giving to the Government The power 10
punish treason against the United Sta,es.'
Such were the doctrines avowed by the |
head of your party, and sustained contem-
poraneously by federal armament, and do.
n,estic military organization, and placed |
as YOU have been before the people Of South |
Carolina, as one of his followers, they are
entitled TO know whether such principles
or measures. either now or i'll lines past,
have been sustained by your participation.
or met your approval!
This brings US down to 1882 only, the
date Of the proclamation. The period,
however, at which you are most conspic-
uously put forth as Pacifca1or, was in
1884, two years afterwards; and you will
pardon me therefore for extending my in
quiries down 10 that time.
By referring TO file Of any State Rights
paper published in South Carolina in May
of thar year, you will find, under date of
The 17lh April, circular addressed to
"Capt league" by Thomas p. Spear.
iu," comprising the form of military re-
turn, in which butcher Knives" "baltle
axes" aud .'ball screws" figure with con-
spicuous prominence; and stating that "the
committee of fre have assigned The five di-
visions of this Stale" The letter closes
thus: IN. B. conjfnr your report TO Union
men alone" IL you had any knowledge
of the league and Spearin conspiracy in
1884, he good enough to Stale 10 hom The
division in which you reside MAS .'as-
signed" and for what purpose military
organization, which was to he confined TO
Union men alone was intended!
Perhaps, however, it would be more
Just that should confne my inquiries to
bulletins issuing from the District of CIa-
rendou alone in 1884. And | will now
ash permission TO direct your attention to