The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-02-08

a shameless, selfish sycophant, pouring
''leprous dis,iImcnt" into tho cars of
vanity and lust, and bclraying the mas
ter whose bread he eats. Let us be.
ware, gentlemen, ofthe dcmagoguc at
home. His coming bctides ruin to
the Republic, and his triumph is com.
Plete when liberty, and honor have
descended TO the tomb. Against all
such it is the duty of the patriot to
raise his constant voice. To 90, like
aged Solon, when the usurper Pcisistra-
tus destroyed the liberties Of Athens
into the streets and market place, ex-
'horting the people to resistance, and
when this failed, he put on his armor,
and stood before the door of his house
and nobly exclaimed, 81 have done my
duty, have sustaine to the best of
my power, my country and the laws:
le have yourselves put force and do.
minion into the hands of these men, and
have thus drawn wretchcd slavery
upon yourselves"
Such is the position Of the North
consequent upon the condition into
which the absence Of an inferior race
has brought them. The people cor
rupt the politicians, and are in turn
corrupted by them, Until society be-
comes radical, and government yerges
towards anarchy.
Turn, then, to the South. See what
a grand part her III, nial class performs
in social and political developments
True, their voices are not beard in
drunken shouts in our public meetings
and the galleries Of our Legislatures,
cheering on the demagogue. They
cannot exercise the so called frcemcn's
birth,right, and vote down law, proper
ty and 'iod, and vo.c up anarchy, rob
berry and the devil. They cannot read
and write, and thus bacome no wiser,
if no worse. They are not the blind
instruments! of the radical subvcrtcr.
They do not lower over society, like
mountain wolves, ready for blood
and destruction. No, gentlemen, the
slave ofthe South had higher priviIc
gcs and duties than these. Guided
and protected by superior race, his
great product whitcns every quay. and
shelters from sun and snow The reno.
test nations of men. And while thus
filling the sphere in which God and
reason have placed them, he cngralts
upon the superior race, that high
spitit Of conservatism, which rs before
stated, is So csscntia! to the citizens of
Il Republic.
This is the distinguishing attribute of
the South. In The language Of Burke,
' we are not.thc converts of Rousscau;
we arc not the disciples Of Noltaire
llclvctius has made no progress among
us. Atheists arc not our preachers !;
madrnen arc not our law .givcrs. We
know that are have made no tliscove-
ries and we think no discoveries are
to he made n morality. nor many in
the great principles Of liberty, which
were understood long before we were
born, altogether Us we'll as they will
be after the grave has hcapcd its mould
upon our presumption, and the silent
tomb shall have imposed It's law on
our pert loquacity."
But, gentlemen, there is another
conservatism, Of which it BELTS me to
speak. If the past is to be sacred
against reckless innovation. much more
are the rights it has given us, to be
watched and defended. Cherish this
conservatism, and there is career
in the future for the South the like of
w!,cn the eye OF the prophet hath not
seen. nor poet sung. Let not the
coming stUdvi, read of lis with mingled
surr"w and surprise. that there once
existed on this Continent, mighty and
free people, furnished with all the clc
mcuts of Il splendid and lasting civili-
za'!"n, yet for want of II little vigilance
and c"ura~c, imttitcd hirlhriyht and
torsook their trust. Let the History
of the South be quoted, n6t a terror
and warning, but rather let il rise
like some tower Of rock, ia: out upon
the distant hcadland, whose light amid
storm and fog, shall guide the future
wanlercr.
C!assInatcs-a itw years ago, there
stood upon shore, Il little band Of
young travellers just preparing to en-
bark. full of hope, and bounding i'm
pulses. They had slept and suppcd,
and journeyed together, and common
objects had un ted them into close
brotherhood. They were ahou, TO
part company, each to his own dcsti
nation. Their sails were set, and pro.
pil!uus breezes woncd thcm to be gone.
They stood awhile gazing into each
others faces, and in the spirit of the
occasion, they pledged to meet again,
on the spot of sep ,ration, to refresh
old friendships, and toll over the Incl
dents and fortunes ofintervening wears.
Cassmalcs-This is the spot, this is
the day, and no ere those travellcrs.-
But they are not all here. Some have
iu!ntcd hy the roadsiLc-somc ply their
fortunes under distant skies, some are
hailctted by rude winds and cannot
come, and some have passed away. !
look among you and ask for Logan,
who left us with so mnny regrets, and
such high promise; for Rodgers, 50 well
eSteene by those who knew him; for
Sparks, the true hearted and generous;
for Butler who braveIy exchanged the