Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-06-20
THE SEPARATION.

cences Of old Kings Mountain
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THE SEPARATION.
As the evidences accumulate that separation be-.
,,veen the Northern and Southern Divisions of the
American confederacy at hand it becomes the good
citizens of either section to counsel among themselves
upon the best mode of realizing that consummahon.
If II bs found that there are reckless factonsts across
the border who, by the fanatic complexion OF their
principles of action shall incapacitate the Norm
from dealing with this momentous issue in the calm
spirit of soberness and wisdom, yet, in the name Of
Patriotism let no such disability be permitted to DARK
en- the fair fame of the people of the South. fortu
nate for us, that the very Domestic Institution when
is making this separation apoca necessity is, in its
and essence, antagonstic to those deceitui IN
noyations and groundess isns which are at this mo-
ment so fatally active in the Free States OF the Union.
Fortunate for us, that our education as people has
been formed under the benign influence OF Household
Gods whose BREATH while it warmed our love OF ber'
H has also purged the garner of those diversified seeds
of political heresy which have elsewhere been sown
broadcast in society. Fortunate for Us, that while
others have thought it no. saor.ge to defy the noble
Constitution of our country, we arc still drawn blythe
power vi IuIdi plcty .SSoiuhohoiy hSho'Aeo ~
love the hands that framed it, and to esteem it, hro'
veal and thro woe thro evil and thro good report,
the Magma Charta of our rights. And being thus for.
tunate how weghty the responsibility which demands
of us in the great political changes that approach, the
careful and constant exercise of those political virtues
which Providence seems indeed to have osteted in our
midst for some great purpose. This purpose may be
(who can unrarveI His ways y the uphoding and fur
therance Of the of rational liberty in the very
crisis of American affairs which unavoida-
ble The view is neither unworthy the Christian
nor the Statesman And while that chivalry of spir
is,which is wont to fire the blood Of Southemers in
every political struggle deserves at this juDcturea de.
gree of encouragement and commendation commensu-
rate with its generous cast yet should it not be forgot
ten BY US that Wisdom alone is the true guide Of Ma.
tons in great emergencies.
We have been led 10 these reflections by the read.
ing of most impressive communication just recev.
ed, upon the subject expressed in our caption. AL.
though this communication not shaped and mould.
ed for the Press, it is yet Of kind which would
not feel justified in Withholding from the country. The
writeris Southerner, who, by age, experience and
ability occupies place in the very front rank of the
present actors on the arena of American politics. He
is one besides who, by Of the fairness andib
eaity of his sentiments and opinions is perhaps less
obnoxious to the preudces of the hour than any Sou
thern politician now before the country. We there
fore respectfully and confidently ask the attention Of
the Southern people to the following extracts from the
letter before u.s. indicating as they do with al the
force Of sincere conviction what the distinguished wr
ter believes to be the policy Of the South and the
ends to be desired by her in the future:
"I think any thing, short of a separation of these
States palliative remedy for the disease in the body
polite, not to be adopted by the Southern portion Of
our once Constitutional Confederacy. We must look
to separation The process by which it is 10 be ef
ected is one of deep concern to all who occupy the
places in which are involved the trusts Of Statesmen
For, as Mr. CALHOUN said some months before hi
death, ",he man does not live who can foresee tht
consequences of dissolution Of the Union )" and ye
to add Mr. C.'s own qualification, with all its per
lis it is better thnn voluntary degradation Of ont
portion of the confede ration"
awe are living under the form ofa common Confed
eracy; but in fact, there two confederacies dont
their political business by the agency of one Congress
J. Congress- under the Of democracy. no
straint but that Of legislative discretion. It demo
cratic aespotism."
"If my opinion could prevail, this despotism, unde
the deusve name Of democracy, would not last long
er than pruden, arrangements could be made to efec
proper separation. In some respects time must con
tribute to make the channel through which events
to flow. That channel, however, ought 10 be cut witt
the intelligence of skful engineer; and the Press,
suppose, may at least perform the indicaory part
the engineer.-With the convictions on my min
which you may readily infer from what ave snd
give you the skeleton of tile government which w
must endeavor 10 adopt:
"This way of talking-so common-that the Sout
should resist Northern aggression in the spirit thatou
ancestors resisted the Stamp Act and the tax on tea
is out Of place in relation to duty in the rsis
which events carryingus. The word resistance
does properly belong to The nomenclature of tht
occasion The South must make arrangements for {
peaceful separation; and in regard to commerce. sh,
must assume the original jurisdiction over its regula
tions which she has parted with and given up ID the
Northern section Of the Confederacy."
az do not wish tu see the separation, which have
indicated effected through anarchy and revolution
Such process might suit desperate men but would
moi be becoming The age the responsible duty which
history and events have devolved on VI. I think,
them that when the two sections separate (and separ
ate they must,J arrangements should be made to pre-.
serve something like UNION of the Coniedeaeies by
Conjunctive Congress with perhaps something more
than mere advisory powers. OF course cahnot now
say what powers such Congress should have. But
will say that each Confsderacy should have sep.
arats organization with the power Of making or re-
commencing reciprocity regulations"
"I know what will be sad in reply to these views
that the same disempers will affect the separate
Confederacies which pervade the e1istant one. To
some extent this would perhaps be true Virginia. for
instance, might assume TO govern Without going in.
any argument may here say that it is demonstra.
Bile that she would have every interest to bs close
ally Of the Cotton Sta,es For Kentucky would be
her great rival and our greatest friend. God made
Kentucky for the South and if she had wisdom, she
could lead. But man, ambitions man, has nterpoued
to SOW the seeds of separation"
"I am writing freely-and you wilfunderstand that
many things soy will admit Of qualification"
l"As regards the new Confederacy of the South, l
think every State should have President in due
turn and that no State should under any circumstan
ces be accommodated in the way of an exception to
this regulation. would be perfectly willing to say,
let the first President come from Virginia. tho second
from North Carolina, the third from South Carolina,
the fourth from Georgia, and SO on. Or let Fortune
decide by her mystical lot"
("As separation is to take place; ask you, a
nuhc iournnis treat the subject with fairness and