Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09
mr. Tti1nan s Speech Continued.

bad ones, If, any one stilg doubts my assertion
thatan :oligarshy rules South Carolina, let me
ask if, the people rule it, and put case to him
asevidanoe Of the fact. =. Suppose q large ma
jority sf the people of South Casolina were to,
dssire,s and so express themselves, that my friend
from Ab6svHie, (Ms. CeGewAs, should be elec.'
ted theis Governor OF United States Senator,
could tie waiof' the people be carried out if
Il conAicted with the wishes, feelings, or prin-
cples of a majority of this Legislature? No,
sir: and this House knows it: Talk of the
people of South CaroTina ruling The State! They
have nothing TO- DO with it, but an odious, cum
ning- tyrannioal; iatriguihg. oligarchy rule it
Yes, sir, an oliReby, for will not disgrace the
English language by. calling il. an aristocracy,
which / can, mt least, respect in a proper way
If the will Of the people of. South Carolina had
been carried out in elections by this assembly,
many reputed great man would have enjoyed
his greatness in the shades of private life, his
merit unknown TO any one but himself, while
ether MEN. with real genius, modesty, purity
and independence of character would have filled
the places, instead Of being shelved, or :thurst
aade, and attimes having their fair fame blacken-
ed by calumnies and falsehood, invented and in
dus;riously circulated to calm the popular mind.
And it ~ thus that our oligarchy- rule or ruin
every man who tries 70 think, speak or act for
himself. .r..., ,..2..-
Il have said that We have no newspapers which
discuss State politics. and that it is the business
of.the parishes 10 gag them; | will now add,
thatit.is. the business Of The oligarchy to pre-
Vent.discussion on fundamental State measures,
and will consider the two propositions together.
l. belieye;i it ,-was Harrison who said that the
people can, always feel though they can but sell
dom see: This is emphatically true of our people.
They are in 4 ferment now, and have heen for
some time but they are welded to their district
idols, who sacrifice them to the gods of Colum-
6ia- Time and again have grave questions of
State policy been agitated in one, two, or three
districts in the up-country, and controlled the
local elections, under the lead of good nen and
nne;. but no Simultaneous movement can ever
BE- made throughout the .up-country, until, the
people can n-seeswhat they must do. While the
fires Of agitation are burning in one district the
cold calnness ct death reigns, perhaps, in a
neishberng district because its ogarchists its as
pIrants for:e here, cry :. conservatism! con-
servatissste and deRGunee the reaEftiendsof the
people us demagogues, anarchists, and call them
by other Infamous names, Hence only spssmodic
or disjoine6 efforts have been u1ade,in favor
ofdny reforvs." The oligarchy and the papers,
AOt OWH ocillsu Stluoy aIC NyiuS tlU1c
to divert the uindj OF The people from their own
business-their, own affairs--their own insttu-
tions, to those f1he federal government Now,
sny herigroand than the one hive stated,
fof tie wonderful desire of South Carolins, un-
der the lead Of the oigarchy, who are under The
control Of the parishes, to be eternally picking
quarrel with Uncle Sam. They never let him
in Whap hoi 10 riobf
him, and when he is wrong they abuse him
tL1aughter.] They are never contented with
him, and cannot, for my existence, account for
it, as before said, upon any ground than that it
is q principle with small human nature to make
a fuss. Continued laughter. We are all
acquainted with that little animal, to which the
ladies', are so partial, and which is inclined at
times to make any amount Of fuss. Laughter
And am afraid it is characteristic of little men
to-do the same thing. They are afraid that their
importance will not be admitted-that their
manheod will not be recognised, and are ever
ready for fght,, or at least for quarrel, to
make good t6esS pretensions j FLaughter.l But
r at the same time, you will always find in regard
TO them, great difference between talking and
doing, for they invariably exhibit their peculiar
: characteristics. upon every trying occasion
These parishes are continually getting up
quarrel somewhere, and admit that they car
ricd me off in their last one-seccssion. But, not.
%ithstanding their great partiality for quarrel
? ding, when the Mexican war came on, out of
eleven companies in the Palmetto Regiment,
only two of.ihe parish districts, Charleston and
Sumpter, sent any soldiers to fight our battles
/ do not wish to impugR the courage of the
parishes by any means. But | do mean to say
that tits the nature Of small communities, .as Of
most small men, to be forever quarrcling.
~ do not blame the parishes for holding on to
their conservatism. 1t is our duty, to make
them yield. PowerM IL sweet 1t is like reli.
gion, property, the principle Of exchange, or any
other great principle That moves men in masses.
we must compel them 10 part with their abso-
lutte power over both the Offices and the Iesisa.
ture Of the. States Il is sssheernonsense then to
oppose giving the election of electors to the
people for fear that it will disturb the sectional
relations Of The State, and even if it should, it
ought to be done, because, as the parishes have
held sway so long, it IS but right that our Sec
tim, which is in truth the State, should rule
awhile now. have never heard but four argu.
.ments advanced in defence of the parish system,
and Il will meet them in detail lst. 1t is alleged
that the parishes have superior intelligence 10
the districts. Cd. That they have more property
ou' tsSsSS5SaS'. S'o = PttSSeyf uIu 4tii. Nat
they have aniagonisiic interests TO the up coun.
try. Although there may have been some force
III the first argument hslf century ago, there
is certainly none now. But, on the contrary,
believe thesfeve verssais true. 1.-THE single district
.of'Abbeyifie has more colleges and high schools
than oil the parishes put together, to say nothing
of Wofford College, of Furman University,
Johnson University, &c.
The same may be said of the property of
the two sections. The parishes once had
more undoubtedly, but have shown from
the best data to be obtained, that now the
districts have above S53,0OO,OOo more of
property than the parishes. And so also rs
to slaves. The districts now pay taxes for
81 ,062 slaves more, than the parishes. |
concede that The low country did once own
twice as many slaves as the up country,
chiefly on account Of being an older com.
munity and nearer the sea board, while the
slave trade was reopened between 1904
apd 1908. But things have now changed,
and although it was doubtless right that the
parishes should haye.had negative on leg
islation in 1908 when our dearly beloved
compromise Was adopted, yet the reasons
no longer, exist The districts now have
slaves to protect, as we'll as the parishes,
and all our laws operate equally on slaves
wherever found in the State. Now for the
alleged aptagonistic, interests Of the two
sections. Both sections it must be conceded