Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-08-29
Letter from Hon. P. s. Brooks.
LEAs1DE, Ninety-Six, Aug. 9th.

LEAsIDE, NInety-SlX, Aug. oth.
Gcmzemcn II regret that the season Of
the year and my engagements will prevent
my attending the proposed meeting at Char
lesion, on the 18th inst.
In your letter of invitation you say that
estates Rights and Southern Rights are
endangered by the existence and progress
of the Know Nothing Order" think it
demonstrate that both are endangered
The purposes Of the order can be legally
attained but in two ways-by the action of
Congress, or by the States in their sovereign
character. Ii Congress have the requisite
power, then, indeed, are all our rights in
peril. Conscious Of their inability fairly to
alter the Constitution of the several States
and the Federal Constitution, the Know
Nothiugs propose to override the supreme
laws Of the land at the ballot box. 1t is
evident that such a precedent will be dam
gerous for a minority section to adopt,
whose every interest is inseparably connect
ed with an institution which the Constitu-
ton alone has protected (feebly though it
be) against the assaults of a fanatical ma.
iority. In every Constitution provision is
made for amending it; yet, with legal
mode of procedure open to them, the Know
Nothings, with professions Of devotion to
their section on their lips, are circuitously
but deliberately undermining the foundations
of the temple of our liberty, which, in its
fall, must bury them and all of US i'll its
ruins.
Many of the order have, in times past,
been furiously loud in their complaints that
the North was untrue to the Constitution.
lVov they offer to out.Herod Herod, and,
by indirection, to violate, not only the Fed
eral Constitution, but that Of their State
also. 1t will be difficult for the order to
show that they will bear either the test Of
consistency, method, sincerity or patriotism.
In every republic there will be parties
In this we have had two leading, intelligent
and respectable parties, which heretofore
have honestly differed upon the policy Of
measures, and in their construction of the
fundamental compact These parties had
their origin in the convention which drafted
our Constitution, and at the head of which
stood respectively Mr.. Madison and Gen.
Hamilton. The leaders have passed away,
but the principles which divided them will
live forever. The parties which represent
their principles have, under different names,
successively triumphed and controlled the
government. At the last Presidential cleo.
ton the Federal or Wing party sustained an
irreparable deleat-was almost annlhilated
A feeble effort was made to rally, but old
isms were unavailing and leader was wan
ting. The sagacity of the party, however;
suggested that there was another element
of cohesion, Inherent in every republican
government, to which an appeal is never
made in vain-the opposition Of those 1oho
are out to those who are in Office Legiti-
mate warfare concluded, recourse is bad to
general skirmishing. The standard of op-
position is raised and old wings, dsappoint:
ed democrats, discharged office holders and
voracious office seekers rally to it, and tho
association naturally and appropriately takes
the name of Know. Nothing
At Philadelphia they affect to quarrel In
view of the success of their plans it was
! necessary and convenient to quarrel: FOX