Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-08-27
THE BANK OF THE STATE.

upon questions OF grave consequence 10 tle otdle
of South Carolina.
THE BANK OF THE STATE.
As citizen of the State, entirely unbiased by
party trammels, have been an interested, but dis
passionate observer. Of that vigorous and able at
tack, of which the Bank Of the State has been the
subject, since 1913 | confess, have never been
able to perceive the benefits to be derived to the
State, by adopting the measures of the Ant-oank
party. ! have never been able to dvest myself Of
the opinion, that any measure, hitherto proposed
for the dscontnuance of the Bank, would lead to
infinitely greater mischiets than could result from
an adherence to the Bank system. have appre-
hended disastrous results to the financial and
commercial interests of the State as likely to en-
sue upon the abrogatiOn of the functions Of the
Bank of the State. | have esteemed it as part Of
system which would be deranged in all its parts,
by the destruction of this one great constituent.
On the other hand, | have been convinced that
the Bank has been a valuable financial agent, pro-
fitably employing The funds Of the State; disbur
sing them with reasonable fidelity sustaining the
faith and credit Of the State; affording most re-
liable circulating medium: with beneficent but
not mprovident hand affDrding any accommoda-
tons 10 a large portion Of our people am salts
fled that the operations of the Bank have been to.
the public advantage. Hence am" in favor Of
The Bank ofthe State."
But am no blind partisan of the Bank OF the
State-I can feel the force of many Of the objec-
tons to such an institution, urged on general
grounds of public policy. regard them, howerer
as applicable rather o The question Of the establish
mem ETA STATE Bank in tie frs! instance Than 10
that Of re-charier. think the Bank Of the State
in its management, as little amenabe to censure.
as anv other institution of the same character that
= * ic
else, created and administered by human agents.
TO this may be added the TACT, that many of the
grounds of complaint against the management OF
the Bank, either do not now exist, or have been
so far modified as to cease to be Objectionable.
If am elected to the Legislature, will, if the
opportunity presents ITSELF vote for recharter of
the Bank, and will oppose the measure presented
at the last session, for the discontnuance OF the
Branch at Camden. II banking facilities are de-
sired elsewhere, let them be sought otherwise than
at the expense of the classic old Town OF CAM
den. That her commercial importance has, as
vet materially diminished, is mere pretence,
which need never be true, her wealth, enterprise
and other advantages are properly directed.
TIE ELECTORAL QUESTION
Comes next in order. and presents subject
upon which the Legislature Of the State has been
much divided We have usually considered this
State as differing in character and policy from all
our sisters in the confederacy, and have fattered
ourselves that we had greatly the advantage of
them in these respects. South Carolinians have
claimed to be a peculiar peop|e-uned at home,
respected abroad-proud, generous, hish-splrited,
chivaric, intelligent. These supposed advanta-
ges have been attributed 10 the peculiar features
in our State Constitution, which provides Tor
representation of taxation or property in the pop.
ular branch Of The Legislature, equal to that OF
populations and also assigns TO each election Dis
trct including the Parishes, representative III
the Senate. and tMq to Cha rlestnn-Ehe Legs
failure, in other words, are the representatives., not
alone of population, but equally so Of taxation, in
the House ofRepresentatives; and in the Senate,
are controlled By the preponderance Of a geo.
graphical representation from the Low Country.
The operation of his peculiar Constitution. is to
lessen The importance, in the body polite, of the
people, as such. To this am inclined to attri-
butte the fact that we alone have adhered TO a
different mode Of Fleeing the Electors of Presi-
dent and Vice President. from that which obtains
in any other State. Til" people are not sufficient
" elevated in this State in political consideration,
and it is to our interest to give them more lmpor-
tance.
When tie late election for members ofthe State
Convention was held, but few fthe people Of the
State repaired to the polls. and a convention was
elected pledged $50 far as they were pIedged) to
secession, when the people of the State, as such,
were by large majority opposed to secession.
But, for the cXpeAient rcsorted 10 Of arriving al:
the popular will. by bringing up the question COL
acray. it is difficult to conceive of a position
more embarrassing than that into which the State
would have been thrown. The constituted au-
thorities ufthc State We're in favor of sece$sion-
thc people were against it. Such state ofthingS
could not have occurred in a government strictly
popular But am no innovatOr, with ruthless
hands to dcmOlisl this fabric OF concurrent ma
ioritips so greatly admired by the revered and la
mented Calhoun. | only mention the subject as
an introduction TO my reasons for being in favor
of giving the election of Electors to the people
One of the principal objections TO this alteration is.
that popular elections are dangerous and corrupt
ing in their character and should not be multiplied
This, if true, is only 30 because of the incapacty
of the people Of our country for seii-government
and to admit that they are incapable would be to
declare our whole system ofgovernmcnt wrong in
theory and in practice. and it should be abolished.
Another objection is that it would violate the
principcs upon which our State Constitution is
based. But this is iaI!acy. / take it that the
President of the United States is not the repre-
sentative of the SaicS as organized communities,
but is. or rather is intended TO be, the representa-
tive or agent of the Poop Of the several States,
as such, in their s6rCrcign capacity II this is a
sound view, and am satisfied that it is, there is
no propriey in the Legislatures electng Electors,
and there can be no violation of the local, inter-
nal and peculiar principles which pervade our
State Constitution by tho proposed change
The critical examination of the clause Of the
Constitution of the United States from which the