The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-12-25

uto hot u'oiic " w beeIl III tIle IIiISeTy
caused TO the STAKEHOLDER, by stripping
him Of his property bought and honest
ly paid for by life Of industry mot
in the starvation and ruin Of the mer.
| chant and mechanic by tho prostra,ion
Of those who buy his merchandise,
or pay him for his labor--not in de-
serted fields and decaying towns and
villages, but in the still moro direful
consequences resulting from the com.
ningling together Of two races so en-
lirely distinct in their genius and cha
rncter upon terms OF political equality.
One or the other Of them must bc an.
initiated, and that too, amid scenes Of
terror, of anarchy and blood, greater
than whicI, my history records upon her
darkest and bloodiest page.
But even laying aside this question,
we have sufficient reason for dissatis.
faction with the Federal Government.
The whole tenor and complexion Of its
acts show that the Constitution so far
us the rights Of tho South are concern
cd, afford not tho slightest protection.
The will Of The majority irrespective Of
lis checks and balances is the law Of
tho land.
Our Liberties, our property, onr char
actcrs. are to be submitted TO the tender
mercics Of minority, whose every
though, feeling and emotion, is concen.
,ra'ed in one burning focus Of hatred
against tls and our institutions. Under
these circumstances what are we to look
for, or what arc we expect. Through
tho dim vista of,he dark and gloomy fu.
ture before us, we can SEQ no cheering
ray Of hope that our condition will be
beltered, but, on the contrary, q sad Wis.
ion Of The gradual ruin and decay Of our
State, until VIC nro reduced 10 oondi.
ton Of colonial vassalagc, far worse
than that from which our fathers rescued
lhem.-Snd experience has proved that
the safeguards placed over the rights Of
our country in the form Of parchment,
is but parchment nl last that tho only
ctleclual bulwark which oan be thrown
around them, is ,bulwark Of men, who
know their rights and haye the courage
to maintain them. i 3.
Finally we are dissatisfied with tic
federal government because it has nj.
terly failed in accomplishing the ends
for which it was created. The char
mony and good feeling" it was designed
TO promote between tho States. the in.
justice the fnna,icism, the impor,inence
Of the North has entirely destroyed.
The general welfare" it was intended
to promote has resulted in building up
one section upon the ruin Of the other.
The domestic peace and tranquility"
II was intended 10 secure we hive never
known, for under lis protection those arc
actually supported and encouraged who
are setting measures on foot amongst us
the fatal termination Of which can alone
he seen amid al the tcrrors Of blood and
burnings. And yet we are even called
upon to vencra,c such government
which would stamp the brand of infer.
iorlly and degradation upon us, which
like u fell malaria is scattering its
bliGhling and whitening influence oil
around which by the consumma,ion Of
It's measures. would light up The dark
future before us by The blaze Of on, own
happy homes. We are called upon to
shout hosannas TO union which has
been entirely perverted from its original
purposes into an engine Of fraud, cor
'up,lon nni oppression, or incur the
odum of reckless disorganisers Tho for
ambitious or wicked purposes would
pull down a glorious fabric ccmcnlcd
by the blood Of our fathers.
The his,oiy of our State, from the first
dnwning OF our revolution to the present
time, brands the foul uspcrsion as false.
Whenever and wherever the star
Spanglcd banner has been raised, her
patriot sons have been among the first
10 rally TO its support, and The bloody
tracks over which they have lrod, testify
that they did their duty.
A few years back, when il frs, be-
came manifest that corruption Ind crcpt
into our system, lha, the powers Of the
federal government, were about to be
used to opprcss aud piundcr its citizens,
that the constitution was in danger,
South Carolina. prompted by her arden,
love Of the Union, threw herself soil.
tnry and alone into the breath, by the
inIcrposiIion Of her State sovereignty, TO
save both the Constitution and the Union.
Yet Tor this generous, this sclt.sacriG.
cling act, all the power, patronage and
influence ofihe federal government, has
been used TO brand the actors in that
scene, ms disunioniSs, and cover their
names with all the ininmy which should
attach itself to Hartford convcn,ionisls
But how different are the circumstances
under which they acled--how different
their motives. The Hartford conven-
lionIsts attacked the government when
it was weak, when it was engaged
in war with foreign power,
and when generous patriotism called
upon them TO forget their private gricts
md rush TO tho standard of their com
mon country. South Carolina bearded
the "lion in his den," the "Douglnss in
his hall" We would have established
upon firm and lasting basis, the prin-
ciplcs Of liberty and equality, upon
b n