Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-10-30
Dulitttal.
From the New Orleans Delta.
THE POLICY OF MENACE.

THE POLICY OF MENACE.
It is undeniable that the nomination Of
Fremont has proved benefit instead of an
injury to the people of the South up to this,
by arousing them from condition of shame
full apathy, and compelling them to take a
position foot to foot and face to face with their
relentless foes. The malice, hypocrisy and
persevering audacity of the Abolitionists
have awakened oun citizens at last have
called forth the best energies and talents of
our journalists, and compelled our public
men to assume decisive and unmistakable
attitude, inside and outside the walls of Con-
gress.
The violence of the North, born of abys-
NAL hell, has been thus far benefcent in its
effects, for its rapid outpourings and crafty
designs have compelled our people, in des-
pite of the interested remonstrances of Of
fce-holders and partisans, to drive final
nail into the coffin of Compromise and bury
it so deep in ignominy and contempt, that the
plummet.line of the most persistent old fogy
can never reach it. The era of compromi-
ses is over said Mr.. Seward, short time
since Amen, said the South in reply, and
the response rose from the very depths of
her heart. Heaven knows, she has had e.
neugh mpromises-from the Missouri blum
der to the Clay delusion, from the $3.50 line
to the eternally outraged Fugitive Slave Law;
and so being fully assured of this fact, she
became self-reliant again, and the energy of
her own people was her only tangible hope
of continued political existence as Power
and Dignity in the land.
The growth oe this spirit in our midst, for
which popular gratitude is chiefly due to the
stern and unhinching course of the Southern
Independent Press, has staggered the ag-
gressionists of the North and forced them to
falter in their premeditated career. This
fact was evident in their conduct on the
Army Appropriation Bill. AS long as they
believed the South could be bullied into sub
mission, they persisted in their fanatical and
unconstitutional designs; but, once convin-
ced of the solemn earnestness of her people
and her representatives, they sneaked from
the stronghold of their majority, leaving the
gates wide open and permitting the real in
terests of the country to enter and take pos
session in quietude and peace. While we
appeared before them brandishing wooden
swords, like cohort of stupid Chinese, they
laughed at our warlike demonstrations and
marched onward without impeachment but
the glisten of genuine steel had very diff
ferent effect, and with an ignominious saure
qui peut, they incontinently took to their
Congressional heels and left the field to us.
A pumpkin with lighted candle in it, stuck
up upon hedge, had no terrors for them
they were too sagacious to believe in any
ghosts except those which knock over our
tables and smash our chinaware but when
they found the object before them was not
an Illuminated pumpkin, but sharp p-shooter
armed cap-a-pte and peering with remarka-
bly, watchful eyes over Mason and Dixon's
line, their feelings underwent an immediate
change and their surplus bravery oozed out
at their fingers ends. So far, so good.
But there is one terrible mistake, natural
and facile enough after such successes as we
have lately enjoyed, against which the press
and the leaders 81 the South must be con-
stantly on their guard. They must not fall
into the errors of their enemies They must
not presume that because the latter succomb-
ed so readily in one instance, they are will
ling henceforward to do so in ALL They must
not surrender the policy of earnestness for
the policy of menace, or substitute merely
sounding threats for genuine, robust and in
vincible facts. 1t is folly to hollo, before
you are out of wood, and worse folly to
exult over an enemy whom you have barely
'Scotched not killed We must remember
that whatever has been gained by the South
since the commencement of the present
struggle was the result of sincerity and de-
termination alone, not of pretencc or of mis-
representation, or of humbug or sham. When
we said that we were prepared to 60 out of
the Union if the North were determined to
force that necessity upon us, we meant what
we said and herein lay the real strength
and impregnability of our position When
we declared that slavery should have fair
field without asking any favor in Kansas,
our assertion was founded in honest convic-
tion, and subsequently backed by the rcsolute
bayonets of Missouri.
With Southern troops under arms, COM
manded by able and prudent men, confident
of the justice of their cause, and determined
to assert it if they had to march through an
other Red Sea, the North could no longer
question our truthfulness, and accordingly
suspended her purchases of Sharpe's rifles,
and shut-to her bibles for awhile. The Vi
tality of the movement consisted in its COM
plete and undertaking adherence to our pub
lished programme. We stated in advance
that we preferred to remain in the Union, if
our political equality with the North and the
equilibrium of the Senate were permanent
ly secured but that in the absence of such
security we were prepared to shake the dust
of Washington from our shoes, and pursue
an independent career in the future We
were ready for either fortune; ready to full
fill our destiny as we understood it; in war
or peace, prets d accomplir. The North,
accustomed to overmuch Southern boasting
in former years, was slow to believe our words
but the logic of events compelled it to sur