The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1856-10-17
Calhoun's Work on Government-The
Relation of North and South.


editorial in the Orangcburg Southron:
Tho faculty for which Mr.. Calhoun's
wonderful mind was almost distinguished,
was that Of rigid analysis. In nothing that
ever emanated from his pen, is this talent
moro strikingy exhibited than in his "Dis-
QUESTION on Government" Here, in few
brief and weghty sentences, we have ,levcl-
opct, those great fundamental laws which
direct the course Of governments, and
which we are silently, though irrcSistiblv at
work underneath those secondary anl su-
perfcial agencies upon which alone. the
vulgar attention iixoS itself. but which aic
in truth, but the effects of deeper causes.
That same faculty Of dcc"mpoaiug complex
ideas, and resolving them into their simple
clements, which had been brought to bear
with such wonderful success upon tn. in
tricate question of the Currency, the Tariff,
Notification, the Veto, anil others, has been
directed here, with equal, if not greater sue
cess, to the great question of Government.
Tho great practical truth enforced in the
"Disquisilon' is, that popular government
resting on the basis OF the mere nurncral
majority, tends to dcspois;n. and that too
in obedience to the law of the moral world,
as certain and as uniform rs that Of grav-
tation in the material world and that this
tendency can only be resisted hy such an
organism of Society aS will vest in the
weaker interest the power Of pro:cr'n"
themselves against injustice and "rprr>>inn
Suffrage, the great panaccn III our day. for
all political mala,|ic$, will n". :n%",r.-
The only effect OF suffrage is to transfer
power from the hands of thc rulers to those
of the people, 10y establishing the rr>ponsi
bility OF the Representative 10 the con>ttu-
ent. This is all it can effect no,hin"
more. Having changed he scat Of ll,.
power; laung transferred it from the r.-
lcrs to the mass OF the community, il l"rvc>
it there, just as unlimited, Just a> liable
to abuse, as it was before so that :hc only
effect of suffrage, SO far rs constitutional
restriction and limitation upon power are
concerned, is that, instead Of a ,cspo'Sm
in the hands Of constituted authorities,
We have dcspotiSm in the aggregate com
munity, welded by the numerical MA lori
ty Of that community, whose representa-
tives thus become mere ministerial agents
to register its DEGREES
Now, that this dcspotism, thus transferred
by the operation of sutfrayc>, from the con-
stituted authorities to the mass of the con-
munity, will be seized upon hv the stranger
portion, and used against the weaker fer
the purpose of plumber and oppression, is
not only the testimony of history anil rxl.e-
rience, but the result of inevitable laws.
One Of these laws is the irresistible tendcn.
cy Of all communities living under popular
governments, to divide toto two great par
ties. Diversity and conflict Of in,crcs,
lead to the formation Of such PARTIES and
the same diversity and conflict of interest
which lead to their formation, lead also TO a
struggle between them for the contro of
the government. If no single interest is
strong enough TO assert and maintain its as
tendency, combination will be formed Il
mong those whose interests are alike and
this combination Of interest having once
obtained possession of the government.
will WELD its power for its own amgrandize-
ment, with little or no respect for the rights
and interests of the minority. Indeed, SO
inevitable is this division of the people into
two great parties, that in the absence OF
every other motive, the mere fiscal action
OF the, government will always lead to their
formation, dividing the people into two
classes-the one consisting of ,hnSe who
pay the taxes and support the government.
and the other of those who consume the
taxes and arc supported hy the government; {;
III word, into taxpayers and tax-consu
mers-the one deeply and directly inter
ested in the reduction Of taxation and dis
bursement, and the other equally interested
in their increase
Does not the present relation Of the
North and the South most favoral!v illus
trate the truth of our position and slate
mcnt! Has it not long illustrated it ?
And are not these causes permanent, accu.
mulatlng, and irrcvcrsibIe in their very
natures And when, by the agency of some
or all OF these causes, the people, as now.
bave become divided into two great parties
parties hostile and struggling. the one
tor ascendency, and the other in scIf.tefnce
and Tor selfprescrvation, the inevitable Of:
feet must be that the stronger will, ulri.
nateIy be victorious and take possession of
the government; and when thus victorious
and IN possession, suffering as we have al
ready SAID, furnishes no more Of guarantee
that 1t will not abuse its powers and use
them tor its own aggrandizc,ncn. at the
expense OF the weaker party.
~
lHE DUTY OF THE SoUru IN THE Evrsr
OF fREMoNT's ELEcrIoN.-Wc have come
to turning point in the history of Amer;.
ca, when such opposinr nrinc;,,I.s ,,o.. a. -.