Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-07-10
FOR THE ADVERTISER.
SHOULD SOUTH CAROLINA STRIKE FOR HER
INDEPEVDENcE9

INDEPENDENCE?
IN ancient Athens, when Macedonian aggres-
SONS SONS were We the topics of excitement among the
States of Greece, two rival statesmen. Puoc1oN
and DENosrnENEs, urged the State to different
policy. PnocloS, a virtuous patriot, of the Mt
most wisdom and moderation, and conspicuous
in his valor, dreading failure from any attempt at
resistance, exhorted to quiet inactivity. To tho
fierce phipies Of DEMosrHEszs, in which the
great orator employed his stormy eloquenec to
rouse his countrymen to immediate action against
the Northern tyrant, Phocion replied:
"Iwill recommend to you, o Athcnians. to 90
to war when I find you capable of supporting a
war; when see the youth of the Republic ami
mated with courage, vet submissive and obedi-
ent; the rich cheerfully contributing to the ne
cessaries of the State and the orators no longer
cheating and pillaging thepublic.n :.
Athens was degenerate, and there may have
been prudence and safety in this advice; vet who
can fail to admire the bolder counsels of Demos
themes, who sought, with all the energies. Of his
nature, to urge his eountrymen to maintain, the
National honor; to enkindle anew in their bosons.
if possible the expiring flame Of liberty; or since
was destined to expire, to cause it to 60 ont in
blaze of patriotic exertion! ,,s,. s,itszS,.
But we console ourselves with the belief, that
the advice of PHocloN is not demanded blythe
exigences of our case. Are we degenerate, like
the Athenians Of that dayf Have we lost the
courage and patriotism capable of supporting
war? Are the sons of our State unwilling to con-
tribute their money and services to maintain our
liberties? No! no! impossible. Why, then,
should we not strike for our independence It
is said we are too weak. This is the old alarum,
which is always sounded on the approach of re-
sistance to tyranny It was much employed, if
we mistake not, prior TO the American Revolu-
ton. But our brave Fathers did not heed it,.
What! is nation, because it is small, ,.to sur
render its rights and liberties whhout, e7en g.
struggle? This would be TO forfeit all claim to
the respect and admiration of mankind If IT
were even bliad leap into the dark, without any
light from history, we could never consent that
our State should cvade the responsibilities of re-
sistance upon SO slender an argument; utwhen
we gather from the past the heroic resolves and
chivalrous conduct of numerous small powers,
on behalf Of liberty, our bosom is animated with
the fire Of genuine hope. and we can urge our
State to bold and manly action in something Of
the confidence of success.
Let us look through the pages Of history, and
take courage from the experience Of nations. We
Spartan band, at the straits of THERMor1LE,
fighting for the liberties Of Greece We merely
alude to the noble struggle of PLArE4, a little
Town in Beotia, in defence of its liberties; which
with 400 citizens, so Athenians, and 10 women
and children, sustained a, siegeand blockade for
two years, against the power; of the combined
States Of PeToponncsus and whom exhausted of
all supplies, one half Of the garrison cut their
way through the thick ranks Of, tie enemy, and
made their escape We viii moi. stop .eithertto
| admire tho heroic conduct Of the Athenians, who
soonor than yield their liberties to the Persians,
many times their number, deserted their lands,
houses and property, and with their slaves and
families took to their ships, resolved never to be
subdued. -,t-, - ~, ~
Passing over many such contests in antiquity,
we come at once to more modern times. e
]. The struggle of the Swiss for Independence
was begun by mere handful of men, in the can
tons Of SwErrz, URr and UNrERwALD, upon an
indignity offered to william TELL. With 400
or 500 men they met regular force of 10000,
under the Arch-Duke Leopold of Austria, at the
pass of MoRcARrEa, and defeated them with
slaughter. [A. D. 1851 Encouraged by this
open act of resistance, other cantons joined but
the band, still small, nobly pcrsevered in their
efforts, till after GO pitched battles with the AUS
trians, Cat that time even a powerful peopIe,)
they achieved their independence. It is worthy
of remark, that in this memorable struggle, the
cantons at first refused TO make con,rcI cause,
though the expressions they suffered were alike
burdcnous. BERN, the principal canton. did not
enter the Confedcracy for 81 years, and the re-
naming cantons not till near two centuries; yet
the heroic few, who began the revolt aided by
irregular forces from the neighboring cantons,
achieved their independence, which they have
preserved to this day. The Swiss now live u1l-
der Republic, occupying territory Ct only
l9.2Os sqr. miles, proverbally one fthe freest
people on the globe, in the very midst, OF large
despotic powers.
3 We read in English history, that EDw1Ru
of England invaded SCOTLAND "a. d. 1927
with an army of 100, 900 men,-The Scotch, de-
tcrmined to yield their liberties only with their
lives, rallied under RonERT Bruce, their King,
and in an army of only 10000 defeated the
English at the famous battle of BRANSocKBuRN,
and drove back the invader from their borders.
3. About the year A. D. 1900, the PORE, the
Emperor MAMMALIAN of Germany, FERDINAND
of Spain, Louis XII Of France, the DUKE ofsaToy
and the HING of Hungary, all confederated 10
ovcrrun and destroy the little State Of VENICE
With an heroic resolve, worthy Of the hlghess
admiration, this small State boldly took the held
against these formidable powers, determined 70
exhaust her blood and treasure in maintaining
her independence. Superior forces might ,as
| ,.t L.. .,,.--,,,o,ol bar huf that PROvI-