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

4
a shameless, selfish sycophant, pouring
"leprous dslilmcnt' into the ears of
vanity and lust, and bctraying the mas.
ter whose bread he cats. Let us be.
ware, gentlemen, ofthe dcmagogue at
home. Ills coming bctidcs 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 sustained to the best of
my power, my country and the laws:
le have yourselves put force and do.
mnon into the hands ftlicsc men, and
have thus drawn wrctchcd 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 verges
towards anarchy.
Iurn, then, to the South. See what
a grand part her IN. NAL class performs
in social and political dcvcloprncnt.-
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 vote up anarchy, rob
berry and the devil. They cannot read
and write, and thus become no wiser,
ifno worse. They are not tho blind
instruments of the radical subvcrter.
They do not lower over society, like
mountain wolves, ready for blood
and destruction. No, gentlemen, the
slave Of the South had higher priviEc
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 cngalts
upon the superior race, that high
spitt Of conservatism, which as before
stated, is SO esscntia. to the citizens of
a Republic.
This is the distinguishing attribute of
the South. In the language Of Burke,
J eve are notthc converts of Rousseau;
| we arc not the disciples Of Noltairc !;
/ Helvetius has made no progress among
us. a Atheists are not our preachers :;
madInen are not our lrw.givers. We
know that are have made no discove-
ries and We think no discoveries are
to he made III morality, nor many ill
the great principles Of liberty, which
were understood long before We we're
born, altogether rs well as they will
be after the grave has hcapcd its mould
Upon our presumption, and the silent
tomb shall have imposed It's law Oh
our pert loqnacity."
But, gentlemen, there is another
conservatism, Of which it BELTS me to
speak. If the past is to be sacred
against rockies innovation. much more
arc the rights it has given us, to be
watched and defended. Cherish This
conservatism, and there is n career
in the future for the South, the like of
which the eye OF the prophet hath not
seen. nor poet sung. Let not the
coming student read OF lis with mingled
sorrow and surprise. that there once
existed on this Continent, u mighty and
free people, furnished with all the clc
ments OF Il splendid and lasting civili-
zation, yet for want of Il little vigilance
and courage, i"Iititcd birihriyht and
tursnok their trust. Let the History
of the South be quoted, n6t a< Il terror
and warning, but rather let i; rise
like some tower OF! rock, i,r ont upon
the diStan, hcadland, whose light amid
storm and fog, Shall guide the future
wanlercr.
CIasslnatcs-a few years ago, there
stood upon q 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 vi ted them into close
brotherhood. They were abou, to
part company. each to his own dcsti-
nation. Their sails were set, and pro-
pilious breezes woocd thom 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 tell over the Incl
dents and fortunes ofintcrvening years.
Classmalcs-This is the spot, this is
the day, and ma ere those travellcrs.-
But they are not all here. Some have
tainted by the roadsidc-somc ply Their
fortunes under distant skies, some are
bntlcttcd ny rude winds and cannot
come, and some have passed away.
lo"k among you and ask for Logan,
who left MS with so many regrets, and
such high promise; for Rodgers, 50 well
estecrne by those who knew him; for
Sparks, the true hearted and generous;
for Butler who braveIy exchanged The