The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-05-30

it a party question in the coming election? ? Mo-
Let US have no bones OF contention" among
US. Let US put on foot no scheme that will
stir up strife, arouse evil passions and produce
divisions. Times do come in the history of
nations when such things are unavoidable, but
in this case there is no such necessity. Let
meetings be held and the subject canvassed be-
fore the people; let it be discussed m the
newspapers, and let the vcters endorse on their
tickets "liquor or "no liquor" There are
those who disapprove of calling the masses to-
gether to deliberate on questions of public
policy. We of South Carolina have been SO
unaccustomed to these things that we arc dis
posed to regard popular demonstrations as de.
moralizng in their tendency But this regard
as mistake, provided that liquor be kept
away. An assembly of Intelligent Southern
men is altogether different thing from the
rabbIe crowds of the Northern cities, made up
of medley melange of Free-solers, comrnu.
nists, womenrights and free.sufrage advocates
gathered from all quarters of the world, and
wholly ignorant Of the principles and practice
of our "great experiment"
Let us look at this matter from another
point of view. What is that constitutes the
chief wealth Of these Southern States! What
gives value to the plantation interests of South
Carolina? Gas in ancient times it was the
glory of Egypt to feed the world, so now it is
the glory Of the Southern States to clothe H."
Thus spake the eloquent orator at the late fair
of the Southern Agricultural Association
Well, the slave population is the chief agency
that produces this grand result. This is what
enables the South to grow the "great staple"
that rules the worlds commerce, and sits a
king in the counsels of trade. And if there IS
ANYTHING more injurious to this population than
LIQUOR, we have yet to be informed of it. The
mind of the negro seems to be peculiarly sus,
ceptibe Of impressions for good or for evil
Naturally indolent, easy, good.natured, he is,
under kind and judicious management capable
of degree of animal happiness to which the
white man is stranger. But there is scarcely
aay wickedness to which he cannot be melted
by alcoholic stimulus and taste once &C.
quired for it, lie will use any means, however
dishonest for its qualification. Upon princi-
pies then of interest and morality, it becomes
the State to put away this evil.
How then is this to be done! What course
shall be pursued to abate the nuisance! This
question we propose to answer in the next
number. ELPIS.
P. ST. hardly know whether it is necessa
ry, because in the above connection have re-
garded the slave simply as property, to say
that he is not to be considered only in that
light, any more than that because his labor is
designated as the chief element in the produc-
ton of cotton, there is no higher power Oh
which we are dependent. But for the satisfaction
of any who might draw such an Inference, we
write this note 10 say that the negro certainly
possesses in common with the white man a
moral and spiritual nature, and is destined with
him to spiritual existence; and hence the
double obligation of the master 10 remove
from the slave that which debases him and un.
fits him for the life that is to come.