Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-09-26
From the South Carolinian.
To Col. John 8. Preston.

SIR: In proceeding with the task of estab-
fishing the justification OF that por''o" = you'
fellow-citizens of Richland, lately IN 9o'ies'
pondence with you on the great pol'tcfl top
I ic of the day. in whose minds the appearance
of your Barnwell letter first excited une;jslhes
as to the "soundness of your principles, II De-
comes necessary to call attention to som nie oth'
er points it developed before IFS valedctpry pe
finally pronounced, and, in doing SO, thf con-
tradictions to the ground they supposed you
to occupy before its publication become abso-
lutely and painfully certain.
Uuouestionaby, on the 22d OF Marca iast'
YOU and the "immediate State action mf' rs
YOU have been pleased to style them, (an3l they
have no objections to the designation when
properly understood.) of your own Distrlft ana
throughout the State. stood upon eofnInon
platform, and avowed allegiance to thd same
qreat noIicv That platform and that iolicy
were disunion with the co. operation OF t''e other
Statos of tho South iii could be ohtaiuc3 if it
could not be obtained, then DIsrNloY with
South Carolino ALONE. ACTING TmaoUGH
upp ,,pr,Dy ELECTED CONVENTION, ERoyl-
DED FOR ny LAW AND BEFORE ITS FfSH' Ap'
youRSMEHr. This is ;rrefutahle- truth, standing
upon the record in characters OF nnextlhEn'sh,
able light, and, as such, challenging denII; and
it is respectfully asserted, that you can hever
escape from its persevering pursuit, and. ftand
unimpeached in your consistency as public
man. If additional proof on this subject tould
be required by honorable and !ntellisentlmen,
after 4 candid review of what has already lbcen
adduced, it is abundantly supplied in tic State
ments of"i Secessionist aud Member ol the
LEGISLATURE" in his card of nomination fof de-
puties to the Southern Congress OF the I'D OF
Nav last, correspondent whom you 'stly
compliment as leading member OF that tiody,
and as noble gentleman asthe earth af.
fords." OF course he heard your speech il the
House Of Representatives, and doubtless had
participated in your less public consultations.
Inft rmed fnlly, therefore, as to your vleIs OF
the line of policy which the safety and hondr of
the State demanded at the hands OF those IHho
assumed the helm Of affairs, "A Secessidnist
and Member of the Legislature" launched your
nomination as n deputy to the Southern Con-
,gress in May. Now. sir, leaving the courtesy
of the movement entirely out of the question,
upon what grounds was the nomination Of Yhur-
self aud Your respected co.nomiace, Colonel
Chesnut,' placed and SO earnestly recommended
bv that correspondent! The answer shall be
given in the very language of the ca:T Itsrli;
"If they fail, THAT Is in the Southern CongrcsS,)
which it is now almost certain that they will do.
to accomplish any thing for the houor and safe.
ty of the South, then pledge M life ticv will
co.orerate most heartily with US in takirs South
Carolina single handed anl alone out oi this
accurs.d Uuion before tn" final adjournment OF
the State Convcnlioa To this they are pied
red bv their votes OF the last session AMI by their
known dsunion sentiments, if rot by their r:l-
vatc ,lecarations And a!,ain: ''li it the South
ern Consrcss) fail, then ! repent they will help
us. Let US, then, forget that We are divided
by hair, and give them a hearty and unanl-
nous support for the sake of Coordination the
sake OF the cansc-tor the sake of the SEcEs-
sroN.' This language is not susceptible Of two
constructions; your elevated moral senses rcn.
ders YOU superior to any attempt pervcrSlon;
and whilst the people of South Carolina are
worth, Of all ccmmendation OF their generous
lberatv, to WELD an Interpretation of it in sup
| port of your consistency, would he an exercise
of charity that would 90 far to convict them ,ot
a gross imbecility, or the practice OF syco-
phancy derogatory alike to their common sense
and independence.
Your relation to the nomination ofthe 22d OF
May is equally uncquivocal with the language in
which it is couchcd, and is rs ndsputable rs the
grounds were explicit upon which it WAS predl
Gated 1t went before the public npon the au
thority of geutlman, as YOU know, whose
spirit had been made "red with uncommon
wrath by the federal usurper, lustful OF despotc
power and impelled by the in!urated disciples
of abolition, obedient to the fiat of the 'hisher
law" You knew him, therefore, to be a seces
sionist, ready himself to stand the :" hazard Of
the die" wholly uninlluenced by fears, interest
or ambition, and without circuity or guile
You well style him cas- noble gentleman as
the earth affords" Previous, then, to the pub.
lication Of your Barnwell letter. how did you
stand before your fellow citizens in view OF that
nomination.! Why, sir, plainly, palpably, aud
undenaby, in body aud mind, committed and
pledged to the principles and 'licy which it
embodies. 1t is not necessary to remind you
of the maxim that "silence gives CONSENT it
would be all imputation upon your candor us
public man, which all scorn to make, tc init.
mate that you could be guilty of cunning prac-
ticcs to obtain distinguished dignity, invov
ing an inn O 1ant political trust No, sir,-no,
sir the platform of the nominating card was
avowedly your platform-you confessed your
complete acquiescence in it, as whole, and in
all its parts, when you Incorporated il in your
reply to the recent interrogatve note OF some
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