Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-07-16
that spirit, that Judgment and that elevated tone,

presume to pay my respects on this OCCASION
Hear patiently, and you shall receive the truth;
and spurn from you the counsel Of the selfish, the
interested, the treacherous and the ignorant
Now, Come and let US reason together" For
The last two or three years have been IN attentive
observer of the agitation here, the question OF di-
viding the District, and am bound to acknowledge |
that have not yet caught the true points OF contro-
versy from any thing that has been said or done BY
the friends OF the cause. What is the practical is
sue or is there any such issue before US? There
is no doubt that many intelligent, good men, in all
parts OF Edge6cld would acquesce cheerfully in
division, if they could see any practicable mode OF
accomplishing it. But feasible plan they have
never seen; and none such has ever been suggest
ed Are the friends of The reform too modest to
disclose teir scheme Of operation on paper. and ex-
plain it to the people? or are we doomed to have
furious, long continued excitement, which is to re-
suit in nothing but failure and mischief, and disap-
pointmentl Are you not, my friend most abomin-
ably dupcd by your advisers, notwithstanding all
your prescience and acknowledged sagacity Wise
men before you have been so deceSed-cnd be-
trayed loo, by the weakest instruments arond them
A creature of a very feeble understanding may
sometimes possess great cunning, and may clrcum-
vent men of the most generous qualities and high
| attanments.
Have not some of as true children as Salrda can
boast, declined to identify themselves with the 7gl-
tation you are now carrying on for the benefit OF
few aspitants, solely from the honest conviction and
certainty, that your movement is l-judged alto
gether, in its inception and progress and impossible
of success? They have no particular objection TO
your having new District, as you desire, but they
have the frankness and honor to tell you, to your
face, that you cannot obtain it as you have begun 10
seek it. They dare to tell you the truth and, Tor
that, YOU utterly eschcw and repudia,e them.
Suppose that an able, honest man should be
candidate for the Legislature, in Edgched District,
who disagreed with you, and you were to PROFOUND
to him certain grave nterrogatories relative to the
fareical issues you have been making with the COM
mon sense and decency of the voters OF the District
How would he respond 1t would be thus: VI
am not convinced OF the praclicabity, and hardly
of the necessity of division, and | see no plan Of
proceeding. In truth, no one has seen plan that
could command the support Of the citizens generally
and could not venture 10 embark in an enterprise
until its purposes were clearly defined, and was
informed uf the point or end to which my exertIons
would tend" Any man can, exeaIm u am lot
Division" and his exclamation means nothlng,
and counts nothng for he can modify the conditions
of his adhesion The project to suit any event ssa'
may take place but let the undertaking De present.
ed 10 the people in shape to pledge lis advocates
or opponents one way or another, and will assmue
,ny grounds As things stand at this Juncture, lhe
friends of division are liable to be humbugged. IT
favor the scheme am liable to be humhugged
Therefore, will not pledge myself to course o
action that do not understand, and that, ,h'nk'
no oic else is certain about When an issue is Of
rered will meet it will not agitate without some
sure ground for agitation; and will not enlist un-
der banner whose devices cannot be interpreted.
and the supporters Of which cannot dehne the gFea'
cause for which they are fighting.
or course, will do my duty, as a Legislator and
present to the appropriate Body, any proper matter
that might be placed in my hands-bus will never
suffer myself, either voluntarily or forcbly, to be
made the instrument of excitement, without an as
suraucc that some good results can spring iaom IT,
> II IS UUrU uTlrI rfr'
motions of any friend to division, or of any you
{ most jealous co-adjutors impue 10 shade Of dis
, honesty to any Of you. But sincerity is often yer!
b much mistaken, and wholly at war with 1.-THE rule:
Of common sense Integrity, then, becomes very
:, rickety affair, and akin to that spirit which npe'
D the Indian TO massacre the old. the in6rm, woncr
/ chiljrcn and a that the world may be blessed BY
. the total extinction Of his accurscd enemies. have
seen that your most accredited scryants-your nios
trusted agents and advocates are, not only loud in
their condemnation of those in the District who dis
agree with them in opinion, but they censure and
drnounce the Parishes, and the gentlemen repre-
srn,nr the Parishes in the Legislature, whilst, in
another BREATH they declare that you cannot succeed
in your patriotic purpose without the aid or coun'
tenance of the very bogs and fens that you would
sink into perdton. Is that the way 10 propitlale
opposition and enlist support
|, seems to me, that an idiot might see through
so transparent piece of mockery. call 1t Il
nockcry of every thing like good poicy-and ! Am
sorry that vcry worthy man can be so dc!uded as
10 be made the iupe Of such unskllrul management
It might be improved By child not yet acquainted
| with the first syllaLlrs Of its mother tongue.
have thus taken The liberty TO approach you
5 with reason, because think you can conpr. Eend
it. Keep cool, my friend-I must talk to- you little
but no malignant breath Of mine shall shake lock
of your hair, and 10 mpudent intruder shall inter-
rerc with our temperate, dspassionate conversation.
RICHARD.
For the Advertiser.
EpnM KANSAS