Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-02-27

TO the dictates of fear. They were actuated
by higher feelings. Every ploughman, at
once became soldier, and what he lacked
in discipline, he made up in valor. The enc.
my was met and vanquishcd, and America
was free.
1t is but too apparent, people of Edgcfcld,
to any one convcrsant with the popular feel.
ing, that you are not now animated with that
zeal in the support of State.rights, which
fired your bosoms in the glorious days or
Notification. He would have been accoun-
ted unworthy, in those times of trial, who
could venture arguments to deter you from
asserting your freedom, and vindicating yonri
unsullicd reputation, even against the whole
military powers of the Federal Government.
Refresh your memories with an extract from
the address of the Convention of 1882, to-
the people of South Carolina, written BY one
of the purest and ablest statesmen ever nur-
tured in the bosom of our State-RoBERT ].
TURNBULL. ~
"Fcllow-citizens, we should regret to conceal
from you thatif Congress should not be anima-
ted with patriotic &liberal feeling in this con-.
juncture,they can give to This controversy what
issue they please. Admit, then, that there is risk
Of serious conflict with the federal govern
mcnt. We know no better way to avoid the
chance Of hostile measures in our opponents,
than to cvince 4 readiness to meet danger,
come from what quarter it will. We should
think that the American Revolution was in
deed to little purpose, if consideration Of
this kind were to deter our people from as
serting their sovereign rights. That rcvolu-
ton, it ia well known, was not entered into
by our Southern ancestors from any actual
oppression, which the people suffered. Itwas
a contest waged for PRINCIPLE, emphatically
for principle. The calamitics of revolutions,
strife, and civil war, were fairly presented to
the ilustrious patriots of those times, which
tried the souls of men. The alternative was;
either to remain dependent colonies 10 hope
less scrvtude, or 20 become free, sovereign
and Independent states-To attain such dis
tinguished rank amongst the nations Of the.
earth, there was but one path, and that the.
path of glory-the crowning glory Of being
accounted worthy Of all suffering, and Of
embracing all the calamities of iprotracted.
war abroad, and of domestic evils at home,
rather than to surrender their liberties. The
result of their labors is known to the world,
through the food of light which TINT reyoln-'
ton has shed upon the science Of government,
and the rights of man-in the LESSON it
has taught the oppressor, and in theExAMpLE
it has afforded to the oppressed"--in the In
vigoration Of the spirit Of freedom every
where, and in the amelioration it is producing
in The social order of mankind"
This passage from the same address, is not
inappropriate to the present crisis. !.
st is full time that we should know what,
rights we have under the federal constitution,
and more especially ought we to know wheth.
er we are to live under consolidated govern
ment, or confederacy of states--whether
the states be sovereign, or their. local Legisla-
lures be mere corporations. AtFREsH auas
DERsTAND1NG OF THE BARGAIN we deemabse-:
lutcly NECESSARY. No mode. can bedeFised.
by which a dispute cantbe referred TO. the.
source Of all power, but by some one state
taking the lead in the great enterprise Of re-
form. Till some one Southern State tenders,
to the Federal Government an issue,,it viii
continue TO have its @appetite increased by
what it feeds on" History admonishes susl
that rulers never have the forecast to substi.
tute in good time reform for revolution. They
forget that it is always more desirable that
the just claims of the governed should break
in on them I" through well contrived and well
disposed windows, not through flaws and
breaches. through the yawning chnsm of their
own ruin" One State must, under the awfnl
prospects before us, throw herself into the
breach in this great struggle for constitutional.
freedom. There is no other mode of awaken
ing the attention of the co-states to grievances
which if suffered to accumulate must dis
member the Union. 1t has fallen to our lot,
fellow-citizens, first to quit our trenches. Let
us go on to the assault with cheerful hearts
and undaunted minds" . a.a
In that fearful period the name of GEORGE
McDUFF1E, was Your glory and your pride.
He was = live coal of fire to touch your hearts
with sentiments Of patriotism, as he was the
embodiment and the soul of eloquence, &c.
MUS and virtue. Read this portion of his ad-
dress to the people of the several States OF
the Union, written by order Of the same Con-
vention referred to. So,
"a people, who deliberately submit to OPP
preston, with full knowledge that they ara
oppressed, are fit only to be slaves; and all.
history proves that such people will soon
find master. 1t is the pre-existing spirit Of
slavery, in the people, that has made tyrants
in all ages Of the world. No .tyrant ever.
made slave-no community, however small,
having the spirit Of freemen, ever yet had 4
master. The most ilustrious of those states
which have given to the world examples of
human freedom, have occupied territories not
larger than some of the districts of South
Carolina; while the largest masses of popu.
lation that were ever united under common
Government, have been the abject, spiritless
and degraded slaves of despotic rulers. We
sincerely hope, therefore, that no portion of
the states of this Confederacy will permit
themselves to be deluded into any measures
of rashness, by the vain imagination that
South Carolina will vindicate her rights and
liberties, with less intlexiLle and unfaltering'
resolution, with n population of some half
million, than she would do with population
of twenty millions. T.an. Il,
1t does not belong TO frcemen to count the
costs, and calculate the hazards of vindicating
their rights, and defending their liberties;
and even if VIC should stand alone in the
worst possible emergency of this great con-
troversy, without the cooperation or enceurs'