Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-09-23
From the South Carolinian.
To Col. John s. Preston,
No. 3.

No. 3. a.f .s.r..r
SIR-When a citizen like yourself, surroun.
ded with the most auspicous adjuncts OF
highly acceptable manners in, general inter.
course. of graceful and commanding exterior,
rnd, withal, intellectual qualities alike capliva.
ting and imposing, voluntarily yielding to the
impulses of laudabie ambition or to flatteriug
public solicitation, consents to enter the list for
popular honors, his advent is sure to be hailed
with very general and cordial applause
Such was the reception with which you were
greeted by the people of Richlaud on your first
entrance upon your p"ical career, and it was
cause or real satisfaction to them that their
endorsement of your eutire worthiness Of pub.
lie promotion and confidence contributed even
a little to secure for you more general and
fattering approval. This consideration, now
that some of them differ from you on the all
absorbing political question, powerfully stimu-
lates them in the etf"rt to justify themselves
for that difference on solid grounds, that it may
be apparent that no sinister purpose moves or
controls them Continued reierenre, therefore,
to the record is essentially necessary.
Iua preceding communication the effort was
made TO establish their Justification by snow
ing (although You have declared yourself no v
to belong to the Party of Co.operation) that
they had abundant grounds for believing that
you were oftle Party of Action precisely in the
sa,ne sense in which they claimed to be; and
the proofs on this point were deduced from
your speech in December last in the Legsla.
ture, from your connection with the resolution
OF the Richland Southern Rights Association
of the 22d of March, and your undisguised aud
oft.repeated declarations in less public form; ;
whilst the evidence Of utter change of position
on your part was sought for,in your Barnwell
letter. 1t is necessary that that communica-
tion should be opened again. and it IS now
about to be done.
In declniming against the hazards and hor.
rors of independent action by South Carolina,
for the redress of her wrongs, which YOU ad.
nit to he ntnlerable, YOU announce the novel
and startling principle heretofore unknnp to
the code of the patriotic statesman, that to take
counsel both of your fears and your interest is
cnmmealable. 1t cannot he disguised that the
declaration by yon OF such rule for the gui.
dance of your ublic conduct struck with pain.
ful and fearful violence on the already lacera.
ted and bleeding heart of South Carolina and
! your fellow citizens who lately addressed you
ehave sought in vain for anti 0rty to support
/ the maxim, and for the examples in the history
cf heroes and martyrs of civil liberty in their
own and other Countries. Your rights as
free thinker in politics, they would by no means
invade; most unqueslionably you are to be i'll
'dulsed in the utmost latitude of original indie.
spendent thought, and, if You choose, YOU may
sacrifice solijity to the seduciions of mere no.
velty, in the construction ofyour political creed
The alarm they felt however, at the annnncia
tion Of what seemed to them To be danger
Gus, poisonous, and fatally mischevons princi
pie, both in theoretical and practical politics,
at any juncture, and especially at one SO por.
tentous us the present, was not the less deep
and pervading. Previous TO the appearance Of
your Barnw-ll letter. they had not been adsis.
ed that such principle formed a component
part of your political education. and, as such,
that Won cannot contemplate ITS inculcation up
on the popular mind of your State at Il period
eminentlv demanding the very highest exhb
tons of disinterested patriotism, courage and
pul lie virtue. They believe that no passions
are more poisonous or mote del terlous to the
growth of vigorous, heroic and set.sacrifcing
nnblc svirit than are I" IL r and interest" and
that those passions and the generous aud .ex.
alted qualities of patriotic and wise statesman
cannot A ,urisIl on the same soil. They are
inpr So with the conviction that the former
wou inc itably stiAe and destroy the latter,
and f.,.lly utterly corrupt and pervert any
mind or heart which might take counsel OF
them. fr.
You are invoked then, by the bloo.l of the
Revolution which you have inh.rted-hy all
the sanctfed associations that 'gl"rinusIy clus-
ter around your name-by the undying memo
ry of Patrick Henry. whose voice will ring
through ali time in the thunder Of the sxcIsua,