Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-08-28
From the Carolinian g. Telegraph.
Philosophy Of Co-oporation.

Philosophy Of co-oporation.
THE frequent use of the term aco-opera-
ton" and lis finpant ut:erance by many who
do not understand it, will justify US in expla-
nation of our own views. A true apprecia-
tion Of words is always necessary to definite
thought or correct conclusions, and this is
especially the ease in reference to words that
bycoEie the symbols or parties of great ideas
agilaIing the public mind. The great pre-
va!ing errors Of our political life are ten
, denry to mere personal preferences, and
! disposition to attach magical virtues to the,
formula or cant phrase of a party. It is the
excess of these errors that dcgradcs parties
into factions--a result which can onlysbet
avoided by steady appreciation of and adher-
cree TO principle and the legitimate use of
terms. =
What il now meant by cooperation :"
The word has been in every ones mouth;
and vet very few have taken the trouble to
ask Themselves the question:. We doSnot
ask what is tie so-called cooperation party,
for under "cxs;ns circumstances" and in,
tie present aspect of affairs" no one ,defni-.
ton could be expected to take in all who oc-
capy that uncyporcd tract of country be-
tween GrcenyilIc and the office just in .rear
Of lie post Office at Charleston. It would.
he cruel TO ask that party so puzzling q,
question, or expect them to tell what they
wish to do when they are evidently bent on:
doing nu;hng, and are calling Justify for.
help in that task. But We ask generally:
"what is co-operation?" We may be right.
or not; but at any rate we will submit our
views -,ss' 5 ,.D-s.z,!.Ss
-7: - q., .,.,r-gs-l. LIS.
The term, we corrective, first acquired dis.
tinct political significance, and recognition,
from the Use made of it by our Legisla,urc..l
Ii WAS then used in connection with the idea:
of resistance and action. South Carolina
Pledged herself on such and such occasions,
as even our schoolboys know, to Cooperate
in resistance" pledge was thus given,'
and. like most other pledges, was conditional.
South Carolina said virtually to her sister
States, 81 feel that my convictions and du-
lies to myselfsrd my sons require resistance.
| ar determined to resist, at all hazards and
TO the last extremity, acts of oppression,
to which, with my feelings, cannot and will
rot submit. see, however, that you are
about 10 %c:, and therefore will act with
you in preference TO taking, at this time,
srpalae p.uh Of resistance" Such in sub
s:amcc WAS tho pledge, and it has never been
violated. No State has taken step look
ing n resistance without finding South Caro-
. l;aa hy her side. According to the Pick
wicki.n system of political metaphysics. it
, has been found out, however, that pledge
to 'csis. by cooperation only means q pledge
to cooperate indefinitely in talking about
resistance. and by thus cutting out the word
"co-opcricn" from its proper. connexions
&a,l from lis relations to The idea Of timely
resistance to past aggressions, we have the
modern hercsy of co-operation--abont the
most harmless thing imaginable. Who. first
discovered that such q negative, inert, and
sluggish element existed in co-operatione
We know not; but it is striking itdstfnE
iion Of the potency ofgwords. Hobbs said;
"Words " are the rcounters,of wise men and
the nouey Of. Wha; did he mean?
Having defined modern cooperation, we |,
Trt brought 10 stand: We cannot esbsaifi
it-thcrc is rothing in it-there is neither
rih nor aim about it as now inculeated,Eff
that term will apply to system whose es.
scnce is one barren, fruilless, and limiless
Waste Of necat!on.) Garry out this modern
co-oncr,iiUn !cc;rne in space from the Po-
tome to he Rio Gr,nde, and in time until
the Greek Cflends, and you do nothing, find
nothing, gain rothing. The idea Of two Or
three States :ciing together, rari passu, in all
preliminary "details and preparatory stages Of
il: or car hc!ipve, who has ever tried the ex-
in ti,at way. When our Legislature spoke
of ac;ng viii Georgia, it was expected that
Ccnreil would le:l in resistance; and tho
xtre r"a,li:ion attaches to all the pledges
anl declarations uttered by the State.
Go operation. however, has now fallen into
o:!i"r hands. and assumed very different sig
niiica!on When it is clearly apparent that
no other State will lead in resistance, and
wien it is y moral impossibility for two or
more States 20 co out of The Union exactly
at The same time, or 10 resist, pari passu, in
al p!c!;minarics of action, it is then precisely
ti,at ro-cpe:atinn looms up rs something
n,1.lecnt ard highly desirable. When the
time seemed propiious for cooperation,
w!c,i i" Southern Stale was committed to.
Yards submission or acquesccncc, and when
i: was almost demonsrable that all needed
co.nrcra;ion must follow tie first decisive
step taken. we were no: told so much about
rn-opcr:;inn. The doctrine with some was
;a. South Carolina must follow another
State and when The last restige of doubt
nrnnger;sin'r shall be removed, and the cer-
iai,'y cstahli,hed that State action is the
only possible form of resistance, then we
m!y expect come co.oprrationiSts to become
furions i, thfir clamors for disunon It is
so cheap anlcasy 10 have safety.yalye
through which all our waste patriotism may
esclpc, a.A l. is decidedly convenient to utter
6cLi;ccse threats when we know we have an
impossible condition behind which we cam
take rr'urr There is much virtue in an sif''
verify. forii seems capable, in the hands Of
co.opcr,iinyi,ts, Of saving even this Union,
for whose Change or destruction they pro-
fr;s t" pray morning. noon, and night. We
must be uHirrs' ood, however, on this point,
and wc trust we have made our meaning
/ plain TO Ill candid readers What we urge
against the hew-lioht hercsv Of co. operation
Is not designed of course to apply to the so.
called cooperation party generally. Many
oflhiS party still cling to the word "co-opc-
ration from habit, and use it in is original
.cnri"c sigEiiication. not having observed
the gradual changes that have taken place.
Mary still think that cooperation means
active concerted resistance, and when it is
used they attach this signif;cation to it: but