The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-25
VOL. III


attempts to lure away it's readers to the contem-
plation OF other matters by series of short ex-
tracts, interiarded with its own comments.
This old trick of epasion---this dexterous
doubling and winding, like that Of hunted
hare, has long been the favorite trick Of the
IntsHigencer; but it is too well understood, and
bas been too often exposed, TO avail it now,in its
sore extremity
| We will not allow it thus to dodge the issue
which it made in the first instance, and would
now fain skulk away from under cover ola cloud
of words, and masked battery Of irrelevant
extracts.
Ourchallenge to the InteHigencer was in these
words, which it has quoted:
.The Iatelhgsncer presumes so far, on pop
ular ignorance OF the movements in South Ca
rolina as nnblushingy to make an assertion
which the call for that convention, lie whole pro-
cerdngs, and FINAL action, as well as the speeches
4 az It's members, all stamp with falsehood. Such
was not sthe object Of the convention OF dele
gates No such intention ,Oas euer entertained
or expressed, either in the call or in the subse-
quent action, but in express terms disavowed,
sc.
The issue made by it, and taken up by US, il
has not met, because the facts of the case and
all the proofs, are against it, and tend to SUBJ
stantiate the truth of our allegations and the
emptiness of its own. Hence its lodgings, and
twistings, and writings, like those Of eel when
grasped in strong hand; hence its desperate,
though futile efforts to escape the dilemma
which it has wriggled into, but which we will
not allow it so easily to wriggle out Of.
That issue is plain one. The Intelligencer
requested its readers to bear in mind that the
object of the Southern Rights Convention, lately
held at Charleston, was TO force an earlier issue
than that already authorised By the Legislative
AUTHORITY of the Stale, bet,Oeen the Disunion.
ISIS (supposed to be in a majority in the State
and The GENERAL GOVERNMENT"
This we denied and declared that The call
4 of thai convention, its ,ohols proceedings, ana
final aci,on, as well as the speeches of its mem
bers," stamped this assertion with falsehood.
This was the issue between us, and this it has
dexterously lodged by resort to such clap.
trap sophistry, and such fragmentary extracts
from editorial speculations as those We have
Quoted from its issue of Tuesday. The remain.
ing array of extracts which fill up three columns
are still more irrelevant, and have no bearing on
this main issue. Consequently, the Intellgencer
stands selfcondemned and selfconvicted by its
own attempted vindication. Better far had il
taken wit in its anger" and pursued its old
terrapin" policy of digni6ed silence, which SO
long deluded its admirers into the belief that
its forbearauce sprung not from timidity and
conscious feebleness, but from an aversion to
controversy, and desire to sustain the "dig'
nifty" and the "decency" of the press But its
temper has got the better of its prudence The
Intelligencer has descended into the arena Of
controversy, and like KING PRlAM, hurs its idle
| javelin with powerless arm
| "telum imbelle sine ictu''-
pitied both by friends and foes.
With one parting warning, we will leave it
to chew the bitter cud of its own reflections
over this impotent effort to impose on public
credulty: and that is, TO beware of changing
again its long established policy of insinuation
for open assertion, since escape from the latter
is more. difficult, and exposure more disgrace
full. And as the InteHigeneer has sought to
sustain its position by fragments carefully culled
from the editorials of that staunch Southern
print, the CaroEnian, we commend to its con-
sideration as worthy of republication, Gf the
truth is what its readers want to seeO the follow
ing extract from that print, which has just fallen
under our eye, and which is taken from one Of
its late editorials. We quote II as full and
satisfactory reply to all the suggestions and in
uendoes which the closing portion of the Intel
ligencer's extracts arc intended to imply.
From the South Carolinian.
ARE THERE DIVISIONS AMONG Us At is our
province to watch closely the workings OF the
public sentiment, the influences that direct it
and to distinguish the genuine from the spur-
Gus. Beyond question there are strenuous ef-
forts now being made In various sections of the
| State to palm off on the superficial observer,
both here and abroad, counterfeit currency in
this respect. We are convinced, however, that
the public sentiment Of South Carolina cannot
be thwarted from its legitimate results by such
efforts.
In newspapers north Of us, we read congratu-
latory notices of widespread reaction of pub.
lie sentiment pervading the whole State-that
time has brought healing on its wings, and that
the genial workings of reflection have produced
wonderful change in the minds Of our people
in relation TO the issue now before them. In
some of them we read that sl the resolutions,
all the public declarations, and oil the EXPOSE
tons Of sentiment heretofore made, have been
merely the empty defamation Of a gasconadng
people, and that the result will demonstrate the
oft-repeaied predictions Of the Northern jour-
nals-that South Carolina will recede from the
position she was ct least understood TO occupy
on the prominent questions before the country
| Is this change real or fictitious! Is IL true
| hat The people of South Carolina are more in
cined 10 acquiesce in The unjust legislation Of
Congress now Than they rere last year Is it
| true that the people, who for years past have
presented the most striking example of union
against federal wrongs ever witnessed in the
1 a ,tfv, MT