The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-17

~ i7e from mat act, calling the State Con
vention, having been passed = in ,ohirl,oind oj
passion" it was the most calm. deliberate, we'll
advised and thoroughly debated Legislative step
ever taken 1t was weighed, canvassed, and
considered for months before the meeting OF
the Iegslature-it was the topic of public de-
bate IN the legislature and Of private confer
ence and conversation out of it, for three weeks
OF the session, before it was finally passed in its
, present shape-the :" assent " it then received
, was hearty and enthusiastic.
: The cant about its being "a compromise .
is truly absurd, considering the admissions of
the Inielligencer Are compromises usually
! passed in ga whirlwnd of passion!' or under
the influence of ian excitement" produced by
} "a:tful and stimulating appeals to sectional
pride and sectional feeling" by those designing
plotters the journalists of the State, the Gov
ernor, and Mr.. CHEvEs
II 1t is a "compr0mise," however, the Intel
hgencer should be satisfied with it-snce it
deems that name an alLsuhicient panacea for all
the evils with which the South is menaced-a
fair equivalent for all the territory, and for
equality Also
Those Journalists, unfortunately, were not
dependent for their support on the drppings
4 that fall from the public treasury. They were
not the annaists of Congress, nor did they lick
their lips over the fat jobs that feed the patriot
ism of the grinders of party organs at the seat
OF the central power. That Governor was no
waiter on Providence and the President for some
foreign mission or Cabinet appointment--but
an independent citizen, who could afford to
brave the frowns of power, and speak the truth
to people who had reposed trust in him.
And the peroration of the speech of Mr.. CHEvEs
} would not have wound up passion to the highest
pitch' had it not been so full of truth as to
! rouse TO Indignation every manly heart, and to
shake with craven fears, like the IateHigencer's,
4 the soul of every foe
The small sheer at the "young gentlemen"
composing the Legislature, is in excellent taste
. particularly applicable to body which in point
r of the age, experience, and wisdom of its men,
bers, will compare favorably with any delibera-
tive body in this or any other country. But had
the fact been different instances are not difficult
to produce of those to whom age has taught
neither charity for the acts of others, nor the
control of their own evil passions flaming the
fierce flames of fraternal hate by artful and in
sidious appeals to buried prejudces, and for.
gotten hates-preaching peace while stirring up
} strfe-lashing the insolence of power to frenzy,
and goading gallant opposition to perpetrate
overt acts of violence by threats of coercion.
Such men,
d Snow-crowned Etnas
Crammed with living fires
are far more dangerous to the peace of a peo-
pie, than any number of "young gentlemen" in
any legislature. From the rule of such, this
country, and the parties they have hag-ridden so
t long, may well pray most heartily to be deliv-
f cred right speedily. South Carolina has none
Y who could sit for such picture-though hon.
f ored age, and the ripe experience Of practised
statesmen, control her councils, and keep watch
and ward oyer her honor. Of her "young gentle
f men" she tas afforded samples in the Palmetto
regiment-for many who persisted in the battles
of Mexico were of that class; and their survi-
and friends are ready to protect their State,
as they were to vindicate the national honor,
, when the Lteuigencer, that busters so boldly
now, whined like sick girl.
But the InteHigencer, not content with whole
sale assertions, descends to details, and makes
" the following specfcation-as groundIess as
Z" the first:
g To recur, however, to the pending elections
e in the State of South Carolina In the short
e. interval since the adjournment OF her legisla.
ture, n rather active canvass has been going on
in the newspapers of the State rs to the objects
p and intentions of the State convention. Some
te isgirings evidently entertained eren By tht
j. authors of The measure, Of the disposition OF
the people of the State to countenance the dis
union scheme Of which it is part
te And what proof does il bring to sustain thi,
q sweeping statement! Why, nice little extract,
r from anonymous communications in the Charles
re ton Mercury and Columbia Telegraph, torn from
t their context-and few elegant extracts picked
: from the responses Of candidates for the con
a vention, also isolated from the context, and nc
he companied with e CLOSES of the commentator
e And these extracts, so far from sustaining tho
: Inieliigencers allegation, disprove and rcbut it.
re The only passages that might be tortured into
a such meaning, were those referred to by the
e editor of the Telegraph in which paper the com.
!, munication appeared;
4 We do not coincide with him on all points
}. or rather on all topics incidentally touched on
but we agree with him in the main, and hope
d his article may serve to excite all to a deeper
, sense of the importance of the issue now be-
/. fore the State.
But this qualification it did not suit the IuicHi-
I gencer's purpose to give. The "topics incident
ally touched on"--tbe personal opinions of a pr-
vate citizen, are paraded conclusive proofs of
"misgivings entertained by the authors Of the
measured" Er uno disco omnes From one
specimen judge ALL Yet even this admission Of
faltering on the part of some of the leaders, the
, Inieligencer fears might weaken the an,ipathes