Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-05-22

The above States not only achieved, but have
maintained their independence. How do the
numberless little Principafties, Duchies and King
doms in Germany, many Of them not as large as
Edge6eld District, preserve their sovereignty
aud independence among the despotio family OF
European nations7 There are the free cities o.
HAMBURG, BREMEN, LuBEc and FRANKFORT, only
third rate towns that have existed as independent
soveregnties for centuries. True, they belong,
at present, to the Germanic confederation; but
this is mere league Of defence against external
powers, not interfering with the sovereignty and
freedom of these cities. Yes! these Republics,
not one of them having an area over $50 square
miles, nor population above 2OO, 900, have long
upheld, and do now maintain their individual
sovereigntics, enjoying the glorious sweets Of
liberty, in the neighborhood of large and power
full despotisms-under the very eyes Of tyrants,
who have their standing armies of 100000 and
3O0, 900 men, and who frown upon every SEM
blance of political freedom. Once members of q
Confederacy, styled the "Hanseatic League"
which comprized some IS States or Cities, and
which, by its wealth and arms, ruled nearly the
whole of Northern Europe, these little States
have had the nerve to achieve their independence
and to maintain it under all the frowns and threats
of despotism.
Yet the people of Carolina, with quadruple
their wealth. and military force, and more than
centuple their territory, are actually hcsitating
whether or not they shall give up their sovereign
ty, and become the mere tributary allies of o
Northern consolidated despotism. O, Tempora!
o, Moresi
But in estimating the elements of success for
separate State Government, it is not proper to
consider only our physical resources. The true
strength of a nation rests as much, perhaps, on
the operation of moral causes, as on the organi-
zation of physical power. The Government,
which, by its reckless administration and lawless
expressions, has sown the seeds of discomfort and
faction, need not expect to exert the full measure
fits strength or greatness. For this to be done,
especially in free countries, the moral energies of
the people must be awakened. Among great
and free people, before the national mind can be
urged to exert its full power and will, plausible
pretext must offer itself-a prospect of gain, or,
at least, of some seeming good. Factions among
us may combine for the accumulation of wealth
and power, but they will rarely unite to consume
wealth by extravagant wars, unless driven to
them in self-defence. The Federal Government,
by arousing disafcctions in the minds Of the peo-
pie, on the great sectional matters at issue before
the country, has deranged its springs Of power,
so as necessarily to cripple its energies, if not
tirely to paralze them, in any struggle it may
wage relative to these sectional issues. And
while its power thus becomes weakened, COM
mon interest and safety must inevitably urge us,
sooner or later, to that union OF feeling and senti
mcnt, that concert of will and action, which the
desire for selpreservation never fails to inspire,
and which are the chief sources of national
strength.