Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1844-10-02
MO-. se.

/ enemies Of the; .unions and Wliaf vi Stop
The abolilionisls from going on? MOI GER
taihly their sdiscretion; not Their fear of;
scenes oil. horror, nor their love of their.
while brethren. nor, of their country;
noIHing butaheir want Of power @;ilI Stop
Them and yet you have seen 9; great array;
of strength which they control. Beware!
Ithe tariff is a trife to this danger But /,
lEhave fotgoiten, in the exhibition of the
progress Of the aijolitionists to mention Ihe
greatest Of alliheir successes---,he rejec-
/ ton Of the treaty Of annexation, of Texas
in which they have triumphed over The;
interests of The whole union, and thew
and power Of alllheI Southern and all the,
! Western States. But we, must pass. on,
All admit our wrongs, all acknowledge
our DANCE but as often as The tongue Iisps.
fesslance; you are met by the eternal cry
Of The Union! the Union! the dangers of the,
union, and you are subdued. .byil. Until
you can throw Of this ,hraIdom, and cher
ish the vital truths, that, your first and;
holiest allegiance is due 10 your state In
sliiutions-lhal The Union ought TO be all
together secondary in your thoughts aud
hearts-lhal all governments ough, to be
loved and sustained only for their virtues
and that their vices should be watched
with jealousy and resisted al the threshold
you are unprepared forresistance. 1.-THE.
Union must be inperishable. though estab-.
lshed on the usurpationof your rights, the
insecurity of your social peace and your
insignifcance as a people, away with all
Thoughts of ofresistance. ~
In fine, it is my humble opinion. that if
we are 10 resist al all, we must surrender
this trembling fear of The dangers ofthe
union 10 other feors and dangers much
more important, involving interests still
dearer 10 US, & which imme ediately come
home 10 our business and bosoms." that
no effectual resistance will be made with
out the union of three or four Stales.-
That therefore, the great object of exertion
is to effect that concurrence; and that as
often as you shall attempt separate action
you will fail, aud more and more weaken
the moral power Of resistance 10 which tho
physical will always be obedient. Meth
erlheless, ! advise no Hotspur rashness
no immoderate haste, though unnecessary
delays are danserous.-You sleep on a
volcano. The figure no more than ex-.
presses your danger Bul,tha, danger,
unlike The great natural phenomenon with
which l have compared il. may be con!
trolled by human power--you may sexiin-::
guish il, bul if you wall lillit expIodes and
covers you with its lava, Inc metaphor.
again becomes expressive and indicates
the awful ruiz in which you will be invol-s
ved.
There are some incidental matters on
which propose TO dwell for shorl time. 3
There is one measure frequently recon-:
mended, which think decidedly wrong,
and therefore dangerous. | mean the call
of a State Convention. think it wrong
for the following reasons, among many
others. -,
lst, This is proved in the very outset
by the fact that many. perhaps all propose
it under the supposilion, that Conven-,
ton possessed some power applicable 10
the question, which The Legislature does
not possess, which is gross mistake.
The Legislature possesses all the power of
The Sovereign People except where it is
expressly restrained by the Constitution.
Now there is no restraint upon it in The
Constitution. which hears on any measure
that has been or can be imagined for The
redress Of our grievances.
Cd, The value. efficiency and power.of
Government is mainly founded in stability,
uniformity and even the established forms.
,,,;tL hi,h vo,paro rovooufad I
presents well known legal person to the.
people of the State and to The whole world;
acting under just responsibility and with
the greatest wisdom The country can sup
ply, If the Representatives be properly
chosen. as they ought lalways.to be, and
probably will be, at the present. crisis es=
pecially. Sd A Convention has the
character, more or less.;ofsa Reyolutiona-
ry measure. 1t, moreoraIess, shakes The
foundation of Government. 1T is a COM
para,ively clumsy machine. substituted
for one ofgreai skill and appropriateness,
Instituted blythe wisest men in the State,
with great deliberation. the absence Of
all excitement, for the express purposes Of:
all The powers granted TO it by The Consi-
tuition, A Convention cannot be, called,
under the Constitution, Of this Stale for
special purpose. When convened. .:its
has all :he power of the People, virtually
supercedes the Government, dSiif 5iti
chooses may absolve it. Such a.; Body
ough, moi to be consiluated unless abso-
luteIy necessary. 1t is enough to say it
will do no harm. The example Of con-.
vening it, is itself all evil. Though. there
be now no danger Of The abuse Off, itmay
hereafter become TERRIBLE instrument,
in the hands of faction or demagogue.
4lh. The action ofhe State, whatevcr,it
may be. must Immediately or ultimately
look to the CO. cooperation Of other States,
and for the reasons have mentioned and
others. it may have a forbidding aspect
in the eyes of those States. If this Stale
shall only act jointly with other States,