Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-05-16
FOR TIE ADVERTISER.
No. l..

NO. Il.
"Wisdom 10 the principal thing therefore
get wisdom; and in all thy getting. get under
Standing" Proverbs.
The tendency Of The age is TO radical
ism! Society seems falling back in:o it's
rudimen,al stale. Look to the present
aspect of The civilized world! All Europe
is trembling to her centre. France is pros
,rated by The terrible convulslons Of Demo
cratic epilepsy. So of Germany-staid
quiet old Germany-nii,ary Prussia. des-
poic Austria. sluggish Italy add Ireland.
The sturdy old political edifice Of England
herself, with its massive pillars of colossal
grandeur, has been shaking TO the summit
from The deep, though noiseless throbbings
of popular commolion.-Even America
happy America-already democratic to the
core, is in a state of fac,ious Sphrenzy,
scarcely known ou. Of the borders oi excl
table France.
What is the tendency Of all this un-
heaihful excitement in these bodies polite?
Like feverish irritation in the natural sys-
tenn, it is calculated to dislemperlhe whole
body Of society. II has, a sure iendency
10 derange and 10 odisoreanize-S erfmeHIs
aud institutions ard bringing ON state Of
social anarchy and confusion. Ia The des-
po,ic governments Of Europe, it sill. it is
hoped, be ultimately productive OF popular
liberty: though, judging of the future by
the past, severe ordeaIs are ye, 10 be passed
before that desirable end may be expected,
in which will be sacrificed much blood and
treasure.
But in our own country this spirit Of
anarchy can be of no avail for good. Here
we arc already republican-already demo-
cralic. With US popular liberty has ad-
vanccd in prodigal freedom. till il has
reached The verge of liceuliousness: We,
indeed, present at this time. an anomaly
in government. The peoples rights are
usurped where the people have absolute
sway. The people have furnished tyrants
for their own oppression. From spirit
Of faction, already grown 70 an alarming
prevalency, constitutional guards and 20.
lilical rights, once the boast Of our nation,
are crushed by the strong arm Of the infu.
rated many. Political virtue, the chief
corner stone of Republics, and of which
our early history gave out so fruitful
crop, is, we fear, no longer living, active
principle among US. 1t is, indeed, scarcely
thought OF. except when invoked by the
orator as a theme Of inspiration, or by the
demagogue as a salvo for personal ag.
grandizemen.. Equality and justice, worth
ard talent are become too often the mere
mocking- stocks of The community: while
intrigue, deception and even fraud are
daily pracised in The political world with
The most unblushins elfrontery. In a word,
the order of the day. is blind fdnaticism.
and the lowest forms Of political demagog-
ucism This language may appear strong;
but we write to utter The truth, and mol 10
fatter the national vanity.
We have thus already experienced The
i'll effect Of an excess Of that disoresnizing
spirit, from which Europe, with her des-
potic forms of polity, hopes TO derive the
great blessing of popular liberty, Already
il has worked with US serious dislemper
in The body-poli'ic, which has made The
"whole head sick, and the whole heart
faint"
We think We know something of the
history Of this political malady. 1t had
its origin, If we mistake not, in the great
city Of Go,ham-lhe splendid metropolis
of The North In that centre of progress
sive Reform, began all those disorganizing
movements and peurils innovations. that
were 10 as.onish The world by their happy
success, bot have, in fact, greatly lowered
The moral AID political tone of The country,
and endangered the permanency of the
Republic.
The first resul 10 the process of Reform,
were the Revised Statutes: weak at
tempt at codificalion-u miserable failure
10 introduce minute and special law for
every case arising within the limits of juris-
prudence {; the most palpable effects Of
which. have been to make all law vague
and uncertain, and seriously 10 degrade the
pro sssion itself Of law, by rendering fruit.
less, in measure, all legal learning and
science.
The mex, result was of a nature more
serious-still. 1t shook the foundation Of
The whole state fabric. The good old con-
stitplion of the state, formed by the paIri'
o,c wisdom Of her Revolutionary sages,