davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09
EDCJEFIELI). IS. U., JANOARY ~, 1885,

district Boards of. commissioners, all the magis.
trales md all the managers of. elections.
Now whom owe elect and who are We? ! too
am no demago ogl.ss ugughter) / know that nm
1 regarded as an fouE by he parishes, or if you
, choose, as a,het ishist,t.. - !,
@.tI amas vel; 80 5Hsgirin AZ this House,
that they estssn sssS<ss sed; republican,
who deservest6 "a France. But
nothing niH 6utSss sa,ss5a slf espeopie and
to every sectf5ifso gha State-for nothing more.
But 10 come back xoimy argument Who are
we? Are we any thing more than fair speci.
men Of the men in our districts! Qaughter) !
have heard itremarkeds that legislatures are but
well dressed mobs, or ike .other great assem-
blies of men. | believe it was Mr.. Madison who
went so far in one of his state papers as to.ob-
serve, that no body of men, even of the wisest
and most virtuois in the world, could get
together and engage ii exciting discussions with
out degenera;ing into: :inobs; Of course mean
no disrespect, when say that we as body are
butvery lttle,'if my above an average specimen
of the middle classes in our districts. But not
.withstandng this when5we arrive here, how is
it that We hold on TO so much power for our
selves. How is that We have acquired, 30 much
more political wisdom on the road from our
homes to- this place. / insist upon it we either
acquire more wisdom on the road, Or ought to do
so, because We consider ourselves entitled and
able to exercise great many more powers here
A,an think We can judiciously. i have always
tlronght, that Legislatures were instituted to
make laws, but | think this Legislature was de-
signed to make elections. assert cmphatically
that we are an assembly of electors rather than
of Legislators, and suy this without meaning
any offence, US have the esprit de corps ut heart
as much rs any gentleman upon the floor.
Let me enumerate a list Of the officers whom
we elect | have written them down hurridly,
because could not name them all readily from
memory, and now fear that have omitted the
names of some. To say nothing of our own
officers, We elect, the Governor, Lieutenant
Governor, Secretary:of State, two Treasurers,
Comptroller General, Surveyor General, Adju-
tant and Inspector General, Attorney General,
five Solicitors, ten Judges, twcnty-eight Com
missioners in Equily,one Master and oneRegistcr
in Equity for Charleston, one Assessor and one
Eschcalor for Charleston; President and
twelve Directors Of the Bank of the State, twen-
ty Trustees of the South Carolina College, nine
Regents of the Lunatic ASYLUM, six Visitors
of the State Military Academies, all the com.
lnissioners of the various district boards of:
police, all the magistrates and all the managers
of el0ctions. in. the whole Stae-that is The cata-
Iogue Of State officers, whom We elect Besides
these We also elect two United States Senators
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09

authority, he would decline the appointment ant
send the election back to The people. The in
/ dignation of the people cried aloud for ven
geance from one end Of The Republic to th
other The great mass Of them ever afterward
delighted to punish both Mr. Clay and Mr.
Adams, while they revelcd in the luxury of re
wardihg Gen. Jackson; and | believe that tht
latter owed his fast hold upon the affections o
the American people during his life, and upor
their veneration since his death, more to the
~ any other single cause.
Such was the horror with which the people
regarded the electiun of President by the feder-
al House of Representatives, that another at
tempt was made, even during the administration
of Adams in 1926, to amend the Constitution as
to the mode of eIecting President No less a
man than George McDufie introduced the bill
for that purpose, and it was not only advocated
by him, but by Col. Drayton of this State, and
a number Of othcrs-great and powerful men,
both in and out of Congress. Mr.. McDufie's
proposed amendment wa, defeated in Congress,
but it has been virtually adopted 10y all the
States in The Union, except ours. They forced,
one after another of the legislatures, to give the
election of electors to the people, and by well
organized system of county, district, State and
national conventions, they produce concert OF
action throughout the union in all elections for
President. Some may object 10 all this extra
constitutional machinery, but the people, or at
least all Of them outside of South Carolina,
have unal.erably decided two things: 1st. That
the Presidential election shall no longer corrupt
State Legislatures, and I'd. That the election of
President shall, il it can possibly be averted ne
YER again be thrown into the House Of Repre-.
sentalives. II is now the settled policy OF our
people to vote for but one of two candidates for
the Presidency-they bury all minor differences
of interest, passion or principle 10 keep the
election OIL OF the Housc; and although some
of the States, as Massachusetts, Tennessee,
Kentucky and South Carolina have occasionally
thrown away their vote, or rather refused to
vote for either of The regular nominees, yet, the
great controlling vote has invariably been cast
for one or the other of the two general nomi-
nees since 1928. will cite four remarkable
Instances to prove this
There was Il time when an ebullilion Of popu-
lar passion raised strong party in this country
against the wide spread and secret order of
Free. Masons. And this aui-Alasonic party Or
ganized for political purposes, and had the
courage TO aspire even to dictate who should he
Iresisent. William Writ, who had few superi.
ors m any aye, or country, thought this party of
sufficS resgastabiIi,yip warrant him in ;Ecep-
ting ihe4Anoninatieqir the Presidency. But
.-,..,... - Lnf npo
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09
W, +. DURIsOE. & SON, Proprietors

other States, mastery intrguer would need
only to control majorities in eight of the State
Legislatures, to secure his elevation to The
proudest and most powerful office that any man
ever filled. Take for example New York, PENN
sylvania and Ohio, large States which have a
joint vote of cighty-6ve in the electoral college.
How many members constitute the legislature.
Of these States, including both Senators and
Representatives Only 427, majority OF
whom would be 2l5. Take FIVE of the other
States, say Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indi.
ana and Illinois, which hare a joint vote Of
sixty.three for President, and add the vote Of
these Eve States TO the three, have already
named and you get n minority Of the electoral
college which at present is but 295. Now what
would be n majority OF the legislatures in these
eight States, as they are organized at this time !!
567 and no more 80 that, this small number of
men could elect a President, if the legislatures
of the States referred 10 had the election of Pre-
sdental electors, rs is the case in South Carolina.
1t is we'll for Us, that the other Stales have
given this election TO the people, while We have
forborne to do it for if they had kept it in the
hands of their legislatures, as we have. | verify
believe in all sincerity, that the Union would
have dissolved long ere this It must have bro
ken into pieces, from the corruption OF the thir-
ty-one eating cancers, which this same thing Of
electing President BY the State legislatures
would have engendered. 1t is notorious that
the election of Presidential electors was given to
the people in many of the States to prevent cor
ruption in their legislatures, or at least. this was
one of the many arguments used blythe friends Of
reform, as the newspapers of the time, and able
speeches yet extant will show. This is espe.
cially true of New York, and challenge denial
from any gentleman upon this floor, that the
election of electors was there given to the peo-
pie under the lead of Senator Tallmsdge. in
consequence Of the intrigues Of Martin Van
Buren, with the legislature, to secure The nomna-
tion of Mr.. Crawford of Georgiu. 1t was,
again repeat, in consequence OF his proposals to
brbe and corrupt that finally carried the measure
through the New York Legislature / know
that it has been frequently alleged in this State,
that the election Of electors Was given to the
people in the other States by the struggles of
party Tor power. This is in some sort true, but
the proposition is not fairly stated, since the
party or parties who effected the reform in all
the other States urged its necessity to prevent
corruption in the Stale legislatures.
ISAae significant fact, WHICH goes to strengthen
iHy asseIonNb5ethis eErGeN was given to the
people ifte etg1 Starpss 70 prevent the patron
age and p6a rofthe FeaetA Government from,
eorrppliag aid operating. wtN Undue INFLUENCE
upon the laniaI'enreeffS> th@A1;a"a an.t nf tHs'
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09

I refer everything TO the Trench revolution ant
the French revolution to everything (laughter.
! Now think The French srevoutinn has been I
great God-srnd to collegn boys at least, for be
iore that startling evenftit was fashionable tc
refer everything to Greece and Rome, anc
Greece and Rome to everything (laughter.) anG
fully expected when the gentleman touched
upon the days of the gTiotine and the reign Of
terror that be would 60 off to Greece and Rome
next (augher.) But seriously, if the gentle.
mans objection te the tBill be we'll founded
that the people cannot govern themselves-Tthat
they cannot make wise choice Of Presidential
Electors and that therefore their Legislature
must do it for them, hoa is it that the people
have intelligence, virtueand judgment enough
generally, TO elect efliclsnt police officers and
good representative, t8make their laws! II
free institutions cannos: long survive popular
elections, would like exceedingly to have him
tell me how much freedom there is where no
popular elections exist e Or how much freedom
there was in Rome whether Senate, which had
the chief appointing power to- Office could be
bought and sold? or ifshe prefers, how much
liberty there was in Venice when The Council
Of Ten" did all the yospg, made all the lava
and attended 10 theitsSecution The gentle
man should not haxesHtsrred to any branch of
the Celtic race for faclssh history to sustain his
position. If he wiIk$Sad De- Leber's Civil
Liberty, he will there Ind the information, that
no tribe of the Celtic f46ily ever enjoyed Liber-
ly. They go not for liberty and union, but too
much for anuy 1t is from the Anglo Saxon
race that we have sprung. 1t is their example
that we are accustomed TO cite and follow in
political science. The,gentleman did cite the
evils of popular elections in some of the "hire-
ling States" as he caird them and in which
epithet fnlly concur. esBut did not my friend
from Abbcve (Mr. N6ble) challenge him to
give an instance in thessoulhern States where
danger had occurred from giving the election to
the people. He did notdDsit, and defy him now
to do it. On the contraSSI wherever the elections
are given to the peope,sspirit Enquiry is arous-
ed and inquiry provoGes discussion, discus
sion stimulates lhoughtsthoughtp produces speech,
speech produces action and wise action. 1t is
not the least Of The Arguments which may be
advanced in favor of ghiag this election to The
people, that it would ;ihstrucL Them. As things
stand now, our people know comparatively moth
ing of State politics, while they are perhaps
better schooed in federal affairs than those of
any other State in the Unitn. It. is the busi-
ness of the parish gentlemen 10 gag the ncwspa-
pcrs and divert the attention of the people from
their own domestic aAsirs and keep their eyes
ever directed to the co81plious and misdeeds at
Washington. We refore always SEQ The
mole in Uncle sam,1eye, while we overlook
A.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09
THE EDGEFIELD ADVERTISER,
IS PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING BY
W. DURISOE & SON.
HHSBRNH9o

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Those desiring to advertise by the year do so on
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For announcing Candidate, Three Dollars, IN
ADVANCE.
For Advertising Estrays Tolled, Two Dollars to bc
paid by tho Magistrate advertising.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09

that if .opFs taxation were levied rightly: and
equally, the districts would be entitled to
severil more lnehDe on flfiis floor Tim they
are noH, but leave that for more fitting 90
Iscasiprt spassaon to the othGrf house,
at th,tgssl fsssnd aef capitol! hope
Mr.& santss f5fnsy isfsEsio that body in
that SaF2s was saiia8 tssfdur the other day,
for alluding to it by its proper name, and by
the way, think we ought to alter the rules of
the House in that respect. II is rule that we
have adopted without any just reason from
Great Britain, because AZ the House of Lords
once governed the Commons, the latter enacted
the rule in self protection. But this is digres-
sion. In the other end of the capitol there are
twenty-three senators from the parishes and only
twenty-five from the districts.5 / trust we shall
have tWenty-three after while. Our upper
House is organized upon the principle that each
election district shall have one senator always.
Each of the judicial districts in. the up-country
is also an election district and therefore each of
the Districts proper, has only one senator. Each
of the judicial districts, Beaufort, Colleton,
Charleston, Georgetown, Orangeburg and Sum
ter 10 sub-dipided into election districts called
parishes. Beaufort by this arrangement has
four senators, Colleton. three, CharlestoRs Ten,
(she always takes care of herselfD Georgetown
two, Orangeburg two and Sumter two. The
districts proper have above $4,000 square miles
Of tai paying terdisl1f iltf fltaff
They also possess above 100000 more white
inhabitants. above $1,000 more slaves and above
$53,00O,OO0 more of property according to the
last federal census, and the last annual report Of
the comptroller general, and with reference to-
the FIVE items of land, live .atock, implements
and machinery, town lots and slaves, estimating
the latter at $500, per head and counting the
wealth of the City of Charleston as so much
parish property, The five items of property to,
which have referred are the only Legitimate
indices of the relative wealth of the two Sec:
tions. have purposely excluded any account.
of household and kitchen furniture laughter
plate, jewelry, ready cash, bank and railway
stock, merchandise and the like, of which the
districts undoubtedly have more than the par.
shes Now this excess Of territory, white pop
ulation, slaves and property in the districts is
virtually without representation in the Senate.
And just as much senatorial representation ms
the parishes have more than they ought, just
that much less have we got than we ought to
have. Hence if senatorial representation be
based upon either territory, white population,
slaves, or property of the State, the excess of
either in favor of the districts as before given
must actually be multiplied by t0o to ascertain
how much of either basis is unrepresented in
the Senate from the districts to give them equal
senatorial reprcsentalion.with the parishes. The
know this and hence the tenacity with
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09

On several Bills to gire The Election Of
Electors Of President and Vice President
to the people, delivered in the House Of
Representatives, December Z 1855.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09

=. l0r no man,
power vol.
i!niqffist ! age
he parishes
ing else re.
two ltou.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-09
Gbt Weeklq Mlnnesotiun,
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1856.


We had occasion to speak of this evil ten
dency in our Legislature few days since.
Something looking to correction we are
happy to state has been applied in both
Houses during the past two days. Our re-
ports show the passage of resolutions, Of
fered in Council by Mr.. Ludden, and in the
House by Mr.. Buck, which place the thou
sands of Ferry Charters and Road Bills in
the hands OF select committees. We are
pleased that this move has been made; and
it is source of qualification to us that it
comes from the political side it does.
That Territorial roads should properly be
provided for, and that Ferries are necessa-
nv public convenience, no one of course de-
MES. But when you come to contract a
Territorial debt of one hundred thousand
dollars at least, merely to pay surveyors and
commissioners for laying out roads running
past every mans farm in the Terrific
~, and robbing the peoples treasury
of the taxes incident to ferry priv
ileges when regulated by county action, we
think it duty on our part to endorse any
action which looks to the checking Of such
inordinate and reckless legislation.
If the committees do their duty, we have
hopes yet OF avefting, in measure, the ca
lamity by which the people are threatened
with premature burial beneath special grants
and special privileges.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-09
The Republicans in Congress.

The Pioneer of Saturday strings together
a mass Of words and epithets of which
might be termed blasphemous- attempting
to show that the Republicans in the House
of Representatives at Washington are res
ponsible for the non-organization of the
House. As usual, the facts and the record
are against the Pioneer. The Republicans
have been ready to organize the House at
any moment upon the plurality principle, and
have so voted every time the question has
come up. The Pioneers party, and its allied
faction the "South Americans "-have
steadily opposed this proposition which OF
course leaves the Republicans no other re-
course than to stand by their candidate and
their principles, and vote therefor till dooms-
day. The Administration certainly would
like to see them acave" and assent to the
election of Nebraskaite or "South
American" The wish of the Administra-
ton will not be gratifed; but it can never
theless organize the House at any moment
it chooses by allowing the plurality rule to
be adopted. Here is where the responsible
ity rests.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-09
Great Men.

There are many great men in the country,
two, of whom the Pioneer particularly noted
in speaking of the Ludden and McCracken
case in its issue of Friday morning. We
"Col. Irwin, the counsel for Mr.. McCrack-
en- opened yesterday morning, for, the con-
testant, in an able and powerful argument.
We have rarely heard more full and mas
terly calculation of any question before any
body or tribunal. His speech, however, was
confined so strictly to the evidence in the
case, and to the legal points involved, that it
would be useless to present full report
without accompanying it with the evidence
itself. The effort added to his already es-
tablished reputation as thorough lawyer
and as an accomplished advocate. In the
afternoon, Mr.. Flandrau, the Councillor from
Nicollet county, made two arguments, one
in reply to Mr.. Setter, and the other in re-
ply to Mr.. Ludden. The first argument
made by Mr.. F., was clear, searching, and
logical; the testimony elected before the
committee was analysed in mastery man
ner, and the questions for the decision of
Council presented, free from all outside
issues"
The Pioneer is certainly entitled to its
opinion in this matter; but the public opinion,
and the opinion of the majority of the Council
is, that the two St. Croix lumbermen, whom
the people of the First District have placed
in the Council, ripped the Pioneers legal
talent "clear over Jordan"
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-09
Gov. Reeder VS.. Franklin Pierce.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 90.
The morning papers contain Gov. Reedcr's
reply to the Presidents Kansas message. 1t
is quite BRIEF as he intends to 60 into the
subject more fully at some future time. He
says:
This is not the mode nor the time in which
to discuss the merits of this message. Ex-
pecting, as [ have right to expect, from the
clearness of the exclusive title am prepared
to show that shall enjoy seat and voice
on the floor of the House, am willing pa
tiently to bide my trial at the proper time
and place. However, pledge myself to meet
and expose the misstatement of facts, and
the errors of law and logic which it contains.
l will show there is nothing but cruelty and
insult in the request of an appropriation to
pay an army or posse to preserve the people
of Kansas from the commission of outrage
and treason; will show that the movement
for a State government is mistaken as to the
fact of its origin and progress, and prove
that all we have done in this direction has
been done under the sanction of the precepts
and examples of all the great men of the
country for the last fifty years /; of the leg
islation of Congress, and other action of the
executive in repeated and well considered
cases; of deliberate opinion of high and
distinguished Attorney General, and which,
as it is part of the archives of the Execu-
tive Department, it is to be regretted the
President Here the wires broke
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-09
Important from Hayii.
NEW YORK, january 2

New YORK, January 20.
Advices from Jamaica, January 10, were
received here yesterday. The Kingston
"Banner of the People" says: "By the ar
rival of the steamer Buzzard, we learn the
expedition fitted out by the Emperor So
loque for the invasion of the Spanish side OF
San Domingo, had met the Dominican force
and bloody battle took place between the
opposing forces. The fortunes of war de-
clared in favor of the Dominicans, and the
forces of Solouque were driven back with
great slaughter.
The Emperor himself had disappeared al
together. 1t is said he ran like a coward on
the day Cf battle. 1t is also reported that
he has been killed by the Spaniards, OF died
from the fatigue of the march homeward.
Solouques mutilated army had not yet re-
turned, but as soon as the disappearance OF
the Emperor was made known at the capital
a provisional Emperor was proclaimed, who
will, in all probability, succeed to the reign
of power.
The steamer George Law arrived at 10
o'clock this morning, from Aspinwall, with
the California mails of January 9th, and
100000 in gold.
She connected with the Golden Gate.
The latter ship passed on the 10th the
Golden Age, and on the 18th the Cdrtez,
both bound up with the New York passen-
gers Of December GOTH