Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-06-10
Reason asserting ats sacaY.


ceases to be dangerous when reason is LETT free
to combat it." The great misfortune OF that
tate has been, that its public opinion has not
really been the deliberate Judgment of its people,
but merely the sentiment ofa few leading charac-
tiers implicitly adopted without reflection by the
mass Under the system that has prevailed there,
the practice of earnest and open discussion, whe-
Their on the hastings or through the press, has
very much grown into disuse. The speakers
and journals have generally inculcated but one
set of opinions; and the consequence has been
THAT the views of the most prominent men have
rarely been contested. 1t was Mr.. Calhoun's pc
cuar policy to keep up perpetual ferment in
the public mind of his State, with the hope that
it might ultimately extend by contagion to the
other So uthern States. His leading idea, as he
himself explained it, was that general Southern
organization would produce either such change
in the course of the Federal Government as
would render it acceptable to the South, or
would enable the Southern States to dissolve the
Union without injury to themselves. We are
fully convinced that the latter alternative was the
end which he chiefly contemplated and desired
Whilst Mr.. Calhoun lived, he was able to excite
South Carolina and control her at the same time.
Since his death, the dangerous engine which he
invented and had the power to manage, has been
left in weaker hands, guided by still weaker heads.
The men who are striving to take his place at
the head of affairs, are, some more rash than he,
others timid, all less competent to the diff
cult task of creating and yet constantly averting
peril. At first those of the more violent sort
seemed to have the upper hand. Adopting Mr..
Calhoun's texts, they pushed them boldly to the
conclusion that the State must separately secede.
The more prudent party hesated to make resist
ance to what appeared to be the popular current.
But Mr.. Perry, member Of tho Legislature,
who had dared almost alone to oppose its violent
measures, began the good work of opening the
eyes of the people by establishing Union paper
at Greenvie. Soon, the obvious interests OF
Charleston prompted some discussion of the
question of secession through the papers of that
city. Judge Butler, Mr.. Orr, and some other
parate State action. To thwart the influence of
their views. convention of "picked men, as the
Charleston Mercury rather happily styled the
late assemblage of delegations from the seces-
sion clubs, met at Charleston, for the avowed
purpose of giving stone" to the action of the State
Convention. which is to meet next fall Some of
the antsecessionists, however, came to the
"picked" Convention, and, although in small mi
nority, they proclaimed their opinions, and their
speeches were published in the secession Jour.
nails. Since the discussion that took place in that
body, and the general publication of the letters
of Mr. Cheves and Mr.. Burt, there has been
manifest change in the indications of public feel
ing. The Hamburg meeting, sanctioned by four
hundred citizens of one district (Which is the
South Carolina name for courty,l affords unques-
tionable assurance that Mr.. Rhett, Mr.. Wood.
ward and the other desperate advocates of reyolu.
ton, will be overborne.
One of the most satisfactory evidences that
sober reason is fast resuming its sway in South
Carolina, is seen in series of able and pertinent
editorial articles in the Charleston Erenine News
paper of deservedly wide circulation We
copy one of these articles as sample of all:
UNION OF THE SoUTH.-In the line of argument wa
have pursued, we have supposed in case of secession
by the state the entire blockade by the government OF
the port OF Charleston. We have attempted to show
that Ibis must divest ola large share of our exnort
and import trade tor the benefit of Savannah placing
us, IN TACT, in commercial dependence her. Let us
now take what IS apparently the favorable sun
position. Let us Imagine that the whole of our COM
with the North and our export trade 10 Eurona
are unimpeded, blockade being limited to our import
trade with Europe. The same results must attend Sc
cesson have Inferred from the formal interrun
lion OF our entire trade.
Our export trade forms a network of mercantile one
ratons and postal facilities Our exporting merchant.
could not get our staples foreign markets without adj
vanees from our banks. Our banks could not make
those advances without arrangements with Northern
banks aud Northern houses for the sale of the Euronean
exchange they purchase and the Northern EXCHANGE
they SELL The shipping merchants could not mat,'re
their negotiations, here or at the North without those
mail facilities which enable them promptly tn advise
their correspondents of their operations The with
drawal oil this bank accommodation and these mail ia
ciiies would compel their removal 10 Savannah. Mo
bile, or New Orleans Although our cotton forms the
basis OF exchange tho final fund which is to loudae
all Liabilities arising from III purchase and sale of our
stapes-s the mercantile capital by which the transac-
tons affected, seldom never fesdes whera tbeea
transactions take place, in their incentive state inc
produce bought in Charleston and sold in Iyernooi
or Havre has TO pass through process which finds the
instrument OF sale aud purchase in mercantile captal or
credit belonging to or derived from the North, Win
out this aid the clumsy and operose operation OF mr.
chase OF our staples, by means of specie would in
great degree be resored The superior ease Of me-
goating OF advising, of shipping those staples thronob
Savannah or some other Southern port would be SO
aovous that the removal oil our merchant exporters
would be inevitable The effect would be substantially
the same as direct interdct cur export trade to
Europe. "
But II may be alleged in reply that direct inter.
course WIN Europe by means oil our and
European relghtng ships would enable us to effect all
that IS now done by Northern shippers, capital and
credit. Now that takes too largely for granted that
European bankers are willing enter into The same ar
Engagements with the Charleston banks after secession
That Northern bankers are, while in the Union This
will prove tallacious hope. There is nothing to
whieh European capitalists more averse than mo-
MED engagements with the Southern States ever
while united IN confederation. How much would
That aversion be quickened, in case of srcesson we
need hoi bng 10 the notice OF those who have Truly in.
lepleied The Signs Of the times Supposinp ali annre
henson Of this kiat removed-what possible motive
could Liverpool merchant or Manchester mannfac
turer have lor ndng his orders This market when
there's an adjoining one, offering every purchasing and
shippng acily, prices as low easy negotiations unn.
peaed !oeess and egress, Charleston could offer no
cOmmeIclal I. ctiaa o...z.Ax.a;I -