Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-05-30
threatening questions Of Slavery and the

Tariff.
These remarks apply as well 10 our:
Stale, as 10 tho Federal Government
With US, also, unauthorized legislation is,
for the most pari, the result Of faction
among the people.
BY faction, we understand in the Ian
guage Of the Federais,, q number Of
citizens whether amounting 10 :asmajority
or minority Of The whole, who are uuited
and acluated by some common impulse of
passion or of interest adverse 10 The rights
Of other citizens or 10 the permanent and.
aggregate interests .of.ihe ezcomiuuniiy.pp tl
pointed oul, since the formation of our
Stale government, single instance, in.
which The rights of The community have
been usurped by the Legislature tifindeed.
any usurpation has takeuplace:at ally with.
out the direct agency of the people, sorsofta'
faction Of the people. We do MOI speak
from a minute knowledge Of the Lesisla>5
tive History of the Slate; but from ,i,e;
character of the machinery of the. State.
government itself. in which the responsi;s
billy of the Legislature TO the people is SO
direct and full. that usurpaiion of po,0er,
Unsuslained by outward faction, issutlerly
out of the question. A Legislature stand
ing aloof from the people, lcgislating
against The common good, or transcending
its charter limits, would be the creature
scarcely Of day.
Wc will no, say there has been in our
State no indiscreet Legislation, in which
The people, npar, from The Legislature.
had little agency. On The contrary, we
could point out, much that we deein
inexpedent and hasly; bu, the inexpsdi-
ency was often not discovered till after
bitter experience. IL is not given 10 all
bodies to act always in aUisdom. We
should, therefore. mol be TOO prompt 10
condemn the acts Of our agens, when we
have no reason in the world 10 suspect
them of dishonesty.
1.-THE position we have taken be correct,
all that boisIerous defamation Of dema
gogues, about the usurpation oflhe peoples
rights within our State is The merest hum-
bugery, without The semblance Of truth
for its foundation. The thing is without
reason, and morally impossible.
In the first place the Legislators, who
are part and parcel Of the people cnuId
have no earthly interest in diminishing
general or popular rights In The next
place, they could not usurp, without being
sustained by numerous faction extrane-:
Gus TO the Legislative body. In this coun-,
try the Legislature is fully circun1scribed !
within the will Of the people; for lis first
and highest rule OF action is lhe Consiilu-..
ton: and the Constitution was the work
Of The people. So long, then. as. The Leg.
islalure keeps within the bounds Of the
Constitution, it canno, uSurp but il carries
out The authorized ,piH of the people. II
fault be found with Legislation thus direct
ed, it is chargeable upon our Constitution
al charter. So long as this noble docu-
ment remains in force, il must be The abso-
Lutte rule Of Legislative action. When the
people see iil to alter it in due manner and
form. The Legislature will he bound TO
comply with the change. This no Que
will deny. But until we get 10 possess
more patriotic wisdom than our ancestors,
let US not think of change. Let US most
cautiously meddlc with that noble docu-
ment, repe,e with so much wisdom. and
political philosophy.
We recur, then. to the conclusion Of our
argument. If usurpalion take place, it
will be by one portion Of The people over
another portion-by one interest or faction
over another interest or faction.
Lei The people, therefore, when they hear
of the usurpaliou Of their rights, distin-
guish whether il proceed from the cor
rupiion Of their public men alone, or from
a predominant faction among Themselves.
IL the former. lei them change their rulers
"a thing easily done ;-if the latter, let
them reform themscluss-the most import
tant and by far The most difficult task.
Keep pure The tountain,' out Of ao&ich
spring the streams Of po,Oer. and The
streams themseiurs cannot long remain
muddy or impure!
ONE OF THE PEOPLE.