Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-11-15
Ynte afnhndn IsIand.
The south CAROLINA Method of Choosing
E1Iorfors
Prom the Charleston Standard. Nov. Al


From the Charleston Standard, Nov. Al
The General Assembly of this State will meet at
Columbia to day, to cast the vote of South Carroll
ma for the Pre- ident and Vice President of the Uni
ted States, and will present very different
from that which will be enacted in other sections OF
the Union. While, elsewhere, we have reason TO
believe that there will be great excitement; that
political machinery will be brought to bear; that
the worst passions win be appealed to by the worst
of men; that those who aspire to be the opponents
OF an enlightened age will exhibit their fitness for
that office by leading mobs; and that all the people
OF every other State at no matter what iuconvenia
ence and expense, must quit their homes and force
their way to the polls-some hundred and seventy
gentlemen will quietly assemble at the State House,
and with an order and decorum that will be rarely
witnessed in any other deliberatve assembly, will
east the vote OF the State and forthwith return to
their homes again, with no more OF popular distur,
bance than might attend the meeting OF the Corpo
rators of Railroad.
This pay not be Democracy; we rather think it
is not of That type of Democracy so transcendent
at the North, but we believe it is Liberty. 1t is an
expression of the popular will, perfect perhaps,
as could be devised. 1t is the judgment of peo
pie expressed through the forms of law, and as
perfectly expressed, perhaps as though il was ut-
tered through the enhancement of the most heated
political contest, and such feature OF regula~
ted Liberty, we would cherish and preserve It,
Liberty and Democracy have generally been COM
cdent. The people have wrested no right from
the hand OF despotism, which has not given them
a wider range Of liberty, and they have been the
better for it, but we not certain that liberty
and Democracy are always and eternally coinci-
dent. Democracy in the opposition is one thing,
Democracy 10 power is another. While working
up TO power, Democracy and popular Liberty may
60 hand in hand, perhaps it is necessary they
should 60 so, but after grasping Government il Is
not certain that Liberty may not be forced to find
another champion to protect her against Democ-
racy ITSELF We fear so at least, and we more
solicitous to have represented in Government the
true and best interests of the country. than the
accidental tendencies Of popular vOlition.
For the present, therefore, while il is still unS
settled whether democracy, as dictator, can be
trusted, while, in fact, both in France and at the
North there are indications that she is unwise,
irregulated and dangerous; when her violations
are prompted by the most unworthy motives, and
when she will brook no check upon them, but
will override and trample down the most cheers
ished conservatism Of society that may happen to
stand in her way; we are ready TO hold on to our
present moorings until we further, and sub
NIT rather TO the disparagng comparison with
other States, presented by South Carolina TO day,
than to change at once to another and more
questionable system.