Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-05-23
THE CIIASNI,

That there are before us fearful political trials, to-
wards which as people We seem 10 be steadily NOV
ing is too true not to be by every wakeful oh.
server Use whatever figure we may to illustrate their
frightfu character-abyss, maestrom chasm, or what
not-,heir magnitude cannot well be exaggerated
Because they threaten for the country at large anar-
chy and blodshed and for the SOrth the destruction
of all we hold fair and beautiful and beneficial in our
private and public economy. And yet we lie asleep
as il were unmndful Of the preusive flashes that IN
dcate thi ok. coming troubles. Twenty years ago
we thought it terrible that abolition petitions should De
for moment recognised, aught but lagitious efl-
sions Of dstempered brans in the Ii Ills OF our FEEDER
al Legislature. Ten years ago. we regarded the as
scmbling together Of Northern Abulionists in their
party conventions with disdain, firmly believing that
their wicked purposes perish ofont their ownin-
nate corruption Yet to-day that party sands domi-
nant in the United States Whatever may have been
the assistant causes of their astonishing success, the
truth is undeniabe that they have the numerical
strength by which 10 control the next Congress
of the Union. Were to ask our readers to
mark this condition Of things, to reflect deeply up
on the threatening aspect Of our future, 10 beware to
ircmblc shake Off apathy, 10 arouse themselves to
readiness for action, we fear the reply would come
from many quarters This is the old story that We
have heard for many, many years; and yet VIC are
here still, happy, Aourshng people," five sought
to impress upon them that, although difficulty after
difficulty, and crisis after crisis, had been escaped by
us in the past yet each Of them had narrowed our
bounds and added new links to the political felters
that are preparing for us, we should be told that was
time enough TO grappe with the adversary when wc
me-: him in the way. There is an almost insuperable
aversion among Southerners, We regret 10 sa to look
the perls Of our common emergencies fully and square,
ly in the face. That aversion is growing stronger
every day. And the time may soon come when we
shall prefer 10 submit to any and every wrong rather
than take the trouble Of open, bold, man full resistance
There is stupor being fast superinduced over our
section that looks vacanlly upon all probabilities of
evil. We will not soy that this is this natural result
of repeated submission to oppressive legislation But
it is certain that unless startling injury, far out
of the course of our common wrongs, shall burst It's
spell and relieve from its banCful thraldom, we
shall sink deeper and deeper beneath its influence
I'll, demorased and dispirited, shall be able to
rise no more forever OF that day and that hour who
amongst us does not say" God forefend it!" Let
not then turn away indolenty from contemplating the
political chasm that yawns before u.s. There it is,
dark and dreadful in pathway. If we are men, if
we are patriots, if we are worthy tho privileges of
freedom we have inherited, we will shun it resoutely
we will turn upon and rend those emissarics Of the
devil who would drive lib into It's polluted depths-we
will resolve 10 unite as man in our common South
ern cause-we will hope and struggle with the energy
of desperation for the security Of our homes and fire.
sides-we will ponder and mature some rational me-
,hod of common defence, and we will prepare at once,
ns the up means left us, to dissolve the Union as it
stands and form new " Union at the South for the
sake of The South" In the name Of NIL We esteem
worthy of our love- let tho people hear The voice Of
timely warning now being echoed from press to press
throughout our section.