Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-04-24

earnest, strong and deeply-rooted. And we
,oiH maintain them at the risk of denuncia-
ton and TO the loss Of popularity, if it must
be So. But we cannot, believe that more
than very fe,o of our readers will attach the
slightest blame to us, for the manner in which
we have hitherto conducted our paper. This
would be illibe1ality and unfairness indeed.
WHAT rs REALLY EXPECTED OF SOUTH CAR
OLINA BY HER FRIENDS THROUGHOUT
".r THE SOUTH Rs
Ir is expected that she will move steadily
on in that course of selfpreservation, which
her regular Legislative body have indicated.
1t is expected that a she will take no step
backwards" 1t is expected that she will do
deed that will rally the Southern Rights
party of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi
It is expected that this deed will be, at the
very least, a declaration of her .fred purpose
to hoist upon given day, the banner of dis
union.
1t is expected that she will indicate this
purpose by such action, as will command the
respect of the Union and of the world-such
action as will be worthy of having applied to
it, those terms, 80 unpopular at this time,
"defnite, distinct, posilire and decided"
tits expected that she will prove herself
entitled to the appellation, which has been by
many accorded to her-the champion of the
rights, the honor and the happiness of the
South.
1t is expected that she will resist the Fed
eral Government, uohenerer it cometh in its
military might, or in any other way, to inter-
tere ,oith that original independence and spe-
cially reserved supremacy of the separate
Republics, which agreed, for certain, well-de.
fined and expressly limited purposes to dwell
together in Confederacy, as long as it might
be agreeable to do so.
WHAT DANGERS HAS SHE TO
APPREHEND FROM PURSUING THIS
COURSE? Is it invasion? The wise men
tell us that this can never take place and
indeed any fool might know the same for
himself with moments thought. Is it q
blockade Of our seaport? The wise men
(or some of them,) tell us we need not ap.
prehend this either-and to believe that such
a thing will occur, is to believe that the Fed.
eraI Government will most aagrantly violate
all law and justice before the world. Car
any one credit this? Would it not be ar
outrage unprecedented in all history? Gould
it prove successful? Would Great Britain
suffer her shipping to be thus ioantonly debar:
red entrance into,a Free Port! Would any
nation submit to a wrong SO palpable as this.
This blockade might be seton foot by thl
Executive. But before he could get together
squadron sufficient to effect the purpose
Congress would meet to decide the propriety
of the course. Would the other Southern
States consent, for petty purposes Of selfish
ness or Jealousy, to immediate the great princi
pies of State Rights, upon Which they al
rest their hopes of political salvation 3
Would Congress approve it? Would Con
gress, in word, sanction such an act of in
justice and ilegality If not, the blockade
would be ended at once. Perhaps then, most
persons will agree to the opinion which has
at least, the support of high authority, that
blockade is not seriously to be apprehcnded
What then is the really great danger p
Our inability to sustain our separate exis
tence is that which seems to fill many with
the most horrible apprehensions.. There art
several propositions connected with this view
of the danger to which VIC will briefly advert
Charleston, it is said, will be ruined. She
will be cut off from that great Western trade
which is now flowing to her. Is there moth
ing that will compensate for this deprivation
We think there is. Let it be remembered
that Charleston aciH then be The exclusive mar
for the entire trade of South Carolina. Take
our villages and interior towns generally, ane
it will be found true, that seven merchants
out of ten trade. at present, with New York
and Philadelphia. All this trade, in the event
of secession, would necessarily 60 to the
support of Charleston. This will, 10 great
extent supply the loss sustained in othel
quarters; especially as it is highly probable
that the Georgia'Rail Roads and the Savannah
river will, under any circumstances, draw q
great part of this trade to Savannah, thereby
making the real loss to be sustained BY
Charleston less difficult to be supplied.
Besides securing the entire support of the
smaller merchants of the interior, Charleston
would also become the grand depot of the
Grocery business of the State, which she is
not now. Hamburg and Columbia, which
towns supply at least one third of our plan
ters with their heavy articles of domestic
consumption, use Charleston at present, Gas
we are informed, 10 q considerable extent)
only as u thorough-fare. In the contingency
we arc considering, this could no longer be
the case. The larger importing houses OF
that city would then be in situation to COM
mand the concentrated support of this whole
branch of business. She would, moreover,
become the market for the sale and shipment
of almost every bag of cotton, tierce of rice