Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-10-02
LETTERS RECEIVED BY THE COM
MITTEE OF INVITATION.
CAMDEN, Sept. Is, 1851.

pate in debating the great questions of tn
day, know no where should seek IN au
dience more to my mind than one compose
Of the citizens of Edgefeld; for, while re
pndiate the trick Of adulation towards indi
!, viduals or communities, am, nevertheless
impelled, by all that know of your people
to entertain very favorable opinion Of tha
manly spirit and that good degree of intclli
gence, which pervade the general population
of Edgefeld, and which alone will ever Leaf
n peoplcito independent judgment and inspir
them with love of truth and an unterri6et
intrepidity in following its lead. / have no
forgotten the manifestation of such qualities
and the admiration of them in others, which
you of EdgefeId heretofore gave in thai
rare steadfastness with which you adhered
to your brilliant representative, the late Mr.
McDUFFIE, though he differed from you upor
more than one question of gravity. By thai
passage in your career you testified, that YOU
admired genuine talent, adorned by yirtuous
intrepidity in public station; that you would
neither cramp the free energies of a great
and bold intellect, by putting upon it shack
les simply because you had the power, MOI
yet, with the fckleness of children or the
envy of fools, cast into the rubbish sharp.
edged jewel because you might be tempted
by the smoother surface of the more tawdry
ksetting of pinchback. Now is the time, permit
me to suggest, to shew forth such excellent
qualities in boldcr relief, with more steady
.rigor, than ever before. Keep your eye fixed
on the drama that is in course of perform
ancc; be not bewildered by the gaudy scene
ry thrown around, nor the artistic conjura-
lions of the players :-these are addressed
only to the imagination. Gentlemen, in the
realities Of life, individal or national, It's bet
ter TO look upon the naked truth, though it
be ghastly skeleton, than upon whited
sepulchre, fair to behold externally, but re-
vealing within only. corruption and dead mems
bones.
You ask my views, "on the great Dues
tions that now agitate the State and especi-
ally on the dangers and difficulties which
must necessarily attend separate State Sc
cession."
These topics are too broad for any thing
less than an extended essay. Besides they
concern the future and though we are OBJ
Fliged to entertain views of the future-that
is, to anticipateS as. welfa we can, the devel-
.opment Of existing causes andsto shape the
yet he must Sc emaslsind eaas:sis
either more or less wise than other men, who
will assume the office of an infallible Prophet.
But this is the precise field upon which char
latanry and imposture, or else self-delusion
that MAY not be dishonest, riot in luxuriance.
Those, whose honest hearts and cool heads
teach them TO feel and confess that they can
+I,o hty hn
sword, are esteemed, by the self-suffeient,
apt dupes of him who boldly processes the
skill to unite it. Too often, for the happi-
ness of Nations and the honor of human ma
ture, have the people, sought to be deludcd,
ratified the cunning presumption; too often
lave they shouted, "Great is Diana OF the
Ephcsians."
/ have faithfully endeavored 10 keep con-
stantly before me such admonitons, while
communicating, on several occasions within
the past few months, my views upon the
great subject which is moving the ultimate
political power of this State to its founda-
tions. Allow me to invite your attention to
what have said to the people of Grcenville,
of York and of Darlington, as comprising
what | believe, touching the matter you sugs-
gest The letters | aludc to contain Ian
guage which hope is undisghiled and intel
ligible, and will exhibit more at large than is
possible for this occasion, the advice which,
when asked for, | would, in all modesty, SUBJ
nit to the people of this State.
The true question for us is, how shall we
sustain African Slavery in South Carolina
| from series of annoying attacks, attended
bv incidental consequences that shrink from
depicting. and finally from forced and premn-
turc abolition! That is the problem before
us-lhe naked and true point.
Remember, always, that it is not ques-
ton peculiar and confined to South Caroli-
na; but in full force must press itself upon
many other States, who have every rational
motive to unite with us, rs in strictly COM
mon cause, so soon as they perceive that the
state of circumstances demands active con-
cert. g.,
Let us survey the ground we are compelled
10 occupy.
Who make up our common enemy? Be.
yond slave-holding people, prejudice is against
us throughout the world! Our more acl!re
enemies are found in England and her de-
tendencies: in France with hers; in Mexico
and soon will be found, apprehend, (thro
the Pacific intercourse Of California and Ore
ron) in several countries of Asia: and, above
all, we find our sturdy and perfdious foes
among the people of our fratcrnal associates
in this Federal Union. These latter have
poisoned the fountains of our common lcgls
iation; they mean to drug them still more
fatally; fanatcisIn has no ears to hear IT'S
own condemnation, no eyes to discover its
own deforInity or the preciplce before 1t, nc
shame to produce blush for its own WICK
cdncss, no God but that of its own idolatry
alt grows on what it feeds on; it generate.
its own flame to consume others with itself
How are we assailed? Our slaves are cor
fupted here; they are seducea and stolen
through force and fraud, in contempt OF Stat
NC and Constitution, they are protected from
recovery: co-States perfdiousl y aid this ne
farious plumber by their Legislation; the pul
nit is dcscorated by its cooperation. Ou
common government has fallen into the hand
of Free.Soilers, enemies (hcaded by DANIEL
: WEBsTER) more dangerous TO us in the end
than all the aboliionists of the Earth
Their scheme was to reduce US (the slave
+ holding States) to u poweress minority
Washington, in every Departments of tn
Government. The mean to this end was, t
secure the votes of new States for the sid
of free-soi. 1t is accomplished. The vag'
bond philanthropy Of the North and NORTH