Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-05-29
W. F. DURIsOE, Proprietor.
FOR THE ADVERTISER.

ings. have betrayed the want either OF tenn
per, or manners" in my correspondence with
the press. 1t is qualification to me TO as
sure your correspondent INDEPENDENCE"
that nothing was further from my purpose,
than to refer to either himself or his argu-
ment, in a spirit of uakindness. certainly
entertain towards that writer, no maievolence
or disrespect. Being unaccus!omed to the
pen, / may have Justly. but most urwistingly,
provoked the severity Of his retort, by ex-
pressions which We're not intended 10 be
harsh. If he will carefully examine my lam
guage, he will discover, that the disgust
expressed by me, was not, and could not oe,
applied specially to himself. Its very clear
that the offensive sentence, could not have
been aimed personally at any single writer,
for the plural noun gentlemen is used 10
represent class 1t would be perfectly ad-
mis>ble, and according to the purest cusioa,
even 70 dcnouncc the opinions Of Sc. of
men without naming any one Of them.
If should hereafter, unhappiy violate, in
any instance, the highest courtesy, my atten-
ton need only be called to the fact, TO extort
the au,crde honorable I must beg leave
though, to insist, that there was no stnpi-
dity" nor impropriety in my application OF
the word take Whatever may be its Gle
gance, there is no lack of good English in
the sentence, so unsparinely criticised
Intelligent readers will not be apt to consider
the composition of INDEPENDENCE" all iln-
provcment on the manner of .JoHN RAN
poLpH," or to detect in the latter writer, so
ungr.ceful Term as "stupidiy" used i'll r.
ference to the English of the former. Iaay
have some acquaintance with army TERMS
myself, and am sure, that in the place en-
ployed it, the most appropriate and elegant
meaning of to take is to occupy 1t is some
times inelegantly used for 10 carry: as 10 lake
the enemy's position instead Of, 10 carry IL
a consultation with Mr. Noah WEBSTER
would have been beneficial 10 " INpEPEED-
ENcE,' in this case,a well as in that Of the
adyerb.4Aippantly.na Your correspondent is.
perhaps rot aware of the brittle "glass that
shields him, when he thus makes with me, an
issue Of language ard style. 1t would be
impossible for JOHN RANDOLPH to call Vir-
ginia "a moral matricids" in so unhappy
connection as he has done it.
But | shall rot pursue this strain any long
er, nor shall /, after this, suffer any want of
decorlm, or any personal illusions 70 disturb
the regular chain of our great argument.
have used ingenious devices TO keep my real
name concealed, and would regre: that any
pi;iful wrangling," by exciting the curious,
should deprive me of my obscurity and my
protection.
In my first article, Mr.. EDITOR, omitted
through haste, to reply to the argument of
INDEPENDENCE" that the separate secession
Of the State, will precipitate 4 controversy
between the upper and lower sections in re-
gard to the apportionmcnt Of Representatives
to the Legislature. This view, learn, was
urged in the House of Representatives last
winter, by an Honorable member from Chea-
ter, to pre3ent the call Of Convention, but
instead of elici!ing attention. it was received
with an Indifference worse than scorn. How
such result could follow, am totally AZ a
loss to determine. The dangers by which we
would be envivoned, should naturally pro-
mote harmony. The State is 80 well COLI
tented with its present mode of Representa-
ton, that we should reasonably expect any
other question TO excite as much interest as
that. We could predict, with just as much
certainty, that the Limitation Of the tenure of
the Judgeship, or any other question on which
the people nave tine slightest difference of
opinion would create terrible efervescence
and division in South Carolina, on her be-
coming an independent Commonwealth.
But your correspondent appears startled at
the difficulties we may experience in negoti-
ating for the preservation of our slave in
stitutions, and instances the correspondence
Of the British consul with the Governor Of
this State, as suggestive of the policy that
would be employed against MS, and of the
sforcign tamperings" that would be used to
render our property burden and terror to
us. Iapprehend, that if we are permitted to
retire unmolested from the Confederacy, all
the nations Of the earth will not be disposed
to violate the international code, merely to
oppress us, weak and inronsiderabe as In
DEPENDENCE" would represent US to be. He
has certainly read the points made in the
letters of Consul MATHEW differently from
myself Each nation undoubtedly has the
right to prescribe the manner Of her inter-
course with other nations, and to say, under
what conditions, the citizens of foreign
State shall enter her borders, or, indeed,
whether they shall enter them or not. The
argument of the British Consul against the
act of the Legislature of South Carolina,
was based on the provisions of the Treaty
betweea our government and that of Great
Britain, and it maintained that we had no
right to yiolatc Treaty Of thst government