The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-09-06

| WV VI "SSuO" . oOiu0f auu uiOTe TcoO-
lute spirit. Whatever was the primary
idea Of our institutions, slavery never con.
aicted with it, either in its conception, OF
in the hardand agonizing struggles which
marked its birth. It was only when self
interest among the ruling rae, abolished
the institution at the North, and arroga-
ted to itself the title Of philanthropy, that
the North first awoke to the horrors of
slavery, and its bireling writers discovered
that it was antagonistic to the drimary
idea OF American freedom. The noblest
hearts that then beat for liberty, were
those Of shareholders: and the best blood
shed was the blood Of slaveholders: and
many Of the proudest vindications which
went forth to the world in behalf OF the
cause Of America, were penned in sigh,
and sound Of 1.-THE negro quarters" with
all the fruits Of their happiness and pros
Perity thick around. Did it ever enter
into the mead Of such men to conceive, that
al future day, some penny liner would,
IN the fuliness Of his impudeuce, brand
their lives and acts with wicked inconsis-
tency' That from his attic he would saw
Of them to his reader, here were men who
sacrificed home, wealth, life, every thing
for freedom, yet lived and died bequeath,
ing to their sons an institution hostile TO
i'll We deny that the liberty which cost
our fathers the Revolution, and which they
won. embodied any such idea as abolition,
or demanded any such terrible crime
yes cr'me-yes crime, in view Of all the
horrors il entails in emancipation. And
we also deny that our fathers fought for,
or dreamed Of liberty so vague aud alb
surd as modern dreamers pirate Of or 60
anti republican rs to involve the exierpa-
ion Of an institution, which every where,
and in all times, had been linked with RI
Publican government. The wri:er in Put
nam may chose between the alternatives,
which the existence Of slauery at the fol-
nation Of the Constitution. presents to him.
1t is this: If slavery be anti-repuLlican,
then the States which formed it, their
policy and freedom, were snti-republcan.
but il these last were republican, then
slavery. which, at the Time, was part Of
their organic Law aud system, is likewise
republican. But il is false to assert that
" The primary idea Of our institutions was
that OF free Democratic Republic" in
the sense intended by the writer. The
primary idea was that of Federal Re-
public only, composed Of co-equal States,
sovereign in sll matters not specially dele
gated; AID the party which ut that time
bore the name oi Republican, and out of
which grew the Democratic party, strug-
gied from the first against ans government
which invaded these sovereign rights, and
even opposed the Constitution itself, be-
cause thei foresaw in it danger to hem.
Tie true Republican party. therefore, IA
vored no such idea as that Of a great con-
solidsted Democratic Republic" )" actuated
by one absolute notion of universal liberty,
and overriding all local opinions, inter
ests and institutions. But they favored
government simple and limited in its
powers, clear aud practical in its objects;
as free from abstractions aud extravagant
dogmas, as from absolute functions. And
the spiri. Of this party, corrupted as It has
been in many essentials, by Office and
power, has not been permitted wholly TO
die out. The Democratic party, its sue
cessoT, has ever been the champion Of
States-rigbts, and by neceiisty the most
faithful Of the two great parties which d.
vided the country, TO the institution OF
slavery. While the federal party, once
the advocate Of strong central govern
ment Of State dependency, nay, this very
humbug under another name, q great
"free Democratic Republic" has, in the
progress Of time matured its seeds, and
become the fanatical abolition psrty Of
the North. Thus on new fields and new
;ssues, meet I'D principles. Will the
writer Il Putnam iell us, from which Of
the two he deduces HE faith. His words
are the words Of democrat; his thoughts
those Of rank Fedesalis,. South Caro-
liaian.