Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-04-19
SOUTH CAROLINA.


LER.) He looks with the utmost confidence TO NE
ability of South Carolina to supporth her sovereignty
with honor, and her industrial pursuits with pros
perity. He iswilling TO trust South Carolina alone
to maintain, on her own resources, the character OF
an independent State. The Charleston Mercury
agrees with Mr.. RHETT, and gives its views upon
the question of the extreme alternative follows:
We know well that in contest Of force South Carolina
could be borne down by the other States united But they
never be united for such upose and serious attempt
70 combine the power for the purpose OF subugang ONE will
speedily end in sunderng the Conederacy And what the
direct attempt would effect speedily the indirect attempt
whether by blockade by collecting ddies of habos,
by any system Of baIassng hostility borders would
effect in no long lime The Federal Government will have
greater interest keeping the peace and observing scupu
iousy all the laws of good neshborhood with us than we
with them.
'Whin ourselves, then, have any to fear the
results of independent Government We answer deci-
dsdly South Carolina is larger than all those Grecan
States combined. which filled their and all aertimes
with the glory Of their achievements in and Sossh
Carolina nearly third larger than the entire Swiss Con-
federation which for than four has maintained
its republican institutions and sturdy Independence against
the assaults Of the powerful military Governments that hem
in every side South Carolina larger than Belgium aud
Holland unted-two kingdoms that maintain respectable
place in the politics Of Europe.
"We do not fear the consequences Of independence.
South Carolina has foreign commerce greater In proportion
to her population than any people in the world and IN tho
condition Of her industry and the variety of her productions
has substantial foundation for independence Let come,
then. We do not fear the result Of the trial.
We must regard these views as very short-sight-
ed indeed. South Carolina, with her naval and
military establishments; with the expenses attend
ant upon diplomatic intercourse with the nations of
the world; with her civil list adapted to the re-
Qlirements of an independent State, would proba-
bly, soon find that the insignia of sovereignty were
NOT worth the cost, and that In her case they were
little other than nominal. But what future would
open before her! The Grecian States to which
reference is made-what was the issue Of their se-
parate assumptions of sovereignty Wars the
most bloody and fatal, which could find cessation
only in the domination of PHILIP Of Macedon and
his son ALEXANDER. The strong hand Of military
control was necessary to the restoration of peace
among the rival and contending States, whose ami
mosities and enmites assumed the virulence OF in
sanity. The Swiss Confederation, we are told,
has preserved its independence for more than four
centuries against the assaults of the powerful mill
tary Governments that hem it in on all sides. Yes,
an independence of sufferance-an independence
which has arisen from the jealousies of the power
full Governments around the mountainous region
occupied by the SWISS neither being willing to al
low another to predominant there. The same has
been the case substantially with Belgium and Hol-
land. So also of the small German duchies and
prlnclpaNues. Inc preservauOn OF he Dalahce Oh
power in Europe has been connected with guaran-
ties to the smaller States Of independence which
they never could hold themselves, and which, in fact
under any great struggles commissions Of the great
Powers, they do not hold at all.
There are no analogies on this subject to be ap-
piled to our country, where adjust our own bal
ance of power, and allow no intruding neghbors to
take part in its preservation. That the General
Government might look on with undisturbed COM
posure and behold South Carolina resolue herself
out Of The Uaion is probable enough, while at the
same time the duty Of seeing the la,os faithful
enforced vould be performed by the Executive
,0ith inerorable strictness, no matter how solemn
might be the resolutions Of State Convention oi
seceders in South Carolina. This would follow
inevitably, and we regard it as most unfortunate
fallacy that leading men and journals in that State
should imagine that secession, however peacefully
begun, could be peacefully maintained.
Baltimore american.