Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-09-16

ty or pragmatic impulse would have induced
them to disturb your repose, or to interfere
with the complacency of your thoughts and
hopes.
The idea of useless annoyance was far from
their minds when they addressed you. 1t is
true, they had personal feelings to crafty; but
those personal feelings were all warmly tavora-
BILE to your individual as well as political ad-
vancement, and nothing could have conferred
upon them greater happiness Than to have been
able to contribute their modicum of influence
to the Accomplishment of both, could they have
done so consistently with their views of the
just policy and honor of the State. At the
moment they took the step they did, they were
not conscious, nor are they yet conscious, after
| the perusal of your reply, and after the refec-
ton to which it gave rise, of having been acted
on by any motive, or by any power contrary to
these feelings, OF of having in view the promo
tion of any man or men, as you seem to insin-
uate, who were ambitious to fill your place. un-
der the belief that it could be Il" more worthily
filled by themselves" Certainly and manifest
ly, it was unjust and ungenerous that such an
imputation should have been limited by you, af-
ter they had plainly avowed their object in ad-
dressing you, on the face of their letter No.,
sir, 1t was their uneasiness (and as it has un-
fortunately turned out, that uneasiness was too
well founded as to your present party con-
nection, to which your Barnwellletter most nat
urally gave rise, whose doctrines to them ap-
peared to be palpably incompatible with your
approval of the resolutions of the Richland
1 p;ohto ;ofio nf tho OOd of
March last, and your repeated, strong and
pointed declarations, which alone induce them
to open correspondence with you on the sub
ject 1t is true, in according to you sincerely
and justly high powers of mind, which they
were anxious to keep engaged on their side of
the present great contest which is being waged
in the State, they did not intend to admit their
aid was absolutely essential to their triumph in
it ; nor that the humble agency. of other citi-
zens, their true political friends, would not
avail them as eHectually. as; would your more
attractive and dashing qualities. They felt
that it would be indelicate to institute a COM
parison between your endowments as states
man, admitted to lie distinguished, and those
of others, who might be induced to serve them,
and whose position had never rendered equivo
cal, and it suficcs them now, to know, after
your very unexpected and regretted loss, that
there are not wanting either talents, eloquence,
or patriotism in the Congressional District, on
which q call may be made at the proper time
and in the proper form, to accept the vastly
important trust of Delegates to the Southern
Congress. No position or party OF your fel-
low-citizens can, with truth or propriety, de-
nounce such determination as the result of
"party rage" or as indicative of harsh and
unjustifable spirit of prescription. 1t is we'll
expected that gentleman Of your intelligence
and understanding would be able readily to
command language wholly unobajectionple, and
especially uncquivocally expressive Of the real
causes which have led to the correspondence
under review ane to employ the terms party
rage" ':blind filry,' first victim to be i'm
moatcd," and the like, may subject you to
the suspicion (of course erroneous) of de-
sign to court popular favor by appeals to gen.
crous natures to save you from the rod of the
prosecutor, before its infections had been
threatened Doubtless, sir, '' words arc grave
things and the expression of regret" for
confessed inaptitudc in their use" is to be
commended for its modesty and frankness, and
must be received as the amplest apology you
can make for their very inappropriate intro
duction. But, the truth is, the public cannot
be persuaded that any one is more capable
than yourself of discriminating at once be-
tween just and honest conviction of an en-
lghtencd freeman, that the opinions of an as
pirant for public distinction are repugnant to
the general good, and that therefore he cannot
consent to advance him, and the passions of a
man led by the influence of party rage"
seeking "victims for immolation'' and which
will not be " satiated with one poor Offering"
The one is to be recommended and lauded as
worthy depository of the invaluable franchise
of suffrage, altogether safe as component
part of the great body polite whilst the 9TH
er belongs to the category of the odious pro-
scriptionist, whose ignorant bigotry is ever dan.
gerous to the ascendency of true merit, and
available, enlightened qualities in the public
councils. Pardon us, if We disclaim belong
ing to the latter, and believe that we are sin
cere when We declare that neither party
rage" nor /" blind fury" nor the wantonness
Of prescription. nor the desire Of "victims for
immolation, leads us or drives US; but true
devotion to the best Interests of our State.
Shortly, the writer will invite your attention
to some furthe comments on your recent epis-
ties in perhaps a more important aspect.
PALMETTO.
THE STORM IN FLORIDA.