The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-03-26
From the Edgejfeld Advertiser.
!. The State and tho South.

. VI
hearD Id favor Of uSiyine in any effort
that, may be made, at Cincinnati or else
where, for the coed of our whole country
and especially forsthe security Of South
ern rights. Il is hard to believe that
people, who profess las we do) to gov
erned in our policy BY an enlarged patriot
ism, should turn a deaf ear to the call for
help against the enemies Of constitu,ional-
liberty, which is now sounded along the
whole line Of American States. II * re,
more difficult TO realize the assertion, so
confidently vaunted by few members of
the C,ro!na Press, that the people of our
State have no sympathy with movement
whose main objects (as far as we are to
be 'mnlicated) are the upholding of the
broad rights OF our section and the further
ance Of Southern aftiIiation. To credit Ell
ther OF these propositions, would be 60 as
perse the character of our fellow citizens
for prtfiotism aud comnon scpse; anr
this we shall not do until the facts of the
case compel us to that conclusion. As
matters stand at present, these facts large.
ly preponderate on the side OF propriety
and eSpediency or at least what we con-
slider such. Let it he remembered that.
in what has been done in South Carolina
towards preparing for representation in
the approaching Democratic Convention.
the weight Of mere political leadership
has been largely adverse to any parlicipa.
ton. The most influential journal in the
State too (so, because ofits age, ability and
extensive circulation) has exerted itself to
the utmost in the suppression of all uprs-
lngs OF popular sentiment in favor of Join.
ing our Southern brethren at Cincinnati.
Another Charleston paper of high reputa-
ton and wide circulation-a pnper which
besides exercising considerable control bv
the usual reaSonahleness. anil force of IFS
suggestions; las Also the complete direc
ton OF Whatever Know y oth:ng feelings
exists in different, parts of the State
un'tes with rs metropolitan neightor in
this 'dannpering process. The papers of
next largest and most general scope aro
probably those Of Columbia; and ofthcsc,
one has been bitterly hostile to represen.
tatlon while another 1--WE are sorry to saw
seems to have been chiefly engaged in ad-
Justng It's sails to the weather gauge
Acd'te ehis, that the movement to effect
representation was awkwardly begun
and has not been systematically prosecut.
ed in any part Of our State. Then con.
slider the fact, that much has been done
by the people in favor of, and little or
nothing in opposition to, the measure un.
der consideration and tho conclusion
seems obvious enough, that the State will
60, and go legi,imately, into the great
meeting OF Democrats which is to come
of at Cincinpati in June next. .i.,"... p.
For one, we have based our position in
this matter, from first to asst, MAINLY upon
Southern grounds. At the same time
we hold that, 10y going into the Conven
tion, South Carolina will be giving up
none of her neutrality-suspicious. She
will not be endangerirg her States rights
code Of political ethics. She will not be
Pandering to International sen,iments.--
she will not become moro a scramber for
place and profits than she is at present.
No-she will 60 to fight the battle of the
Constitution and of the South. She will
60 at the call Of her sister Gcorgia. She
will 60 to meet the hopes Of all the other
Southern States She will 90 to prove to
them that she lie ready in good faith to
enact her part in the last act of the great
drama that now approyimates its cons..m-
NATION. In doing tl,is,' she scoens the
false imputation Of unworthy motives.
She hoars with suspicion the syren voice
that lures her back with the tale of a So
caled -" timehonored policy" She will
not be longer withheld from the common
fight: The ea'npitself is in danger, and
none may newsstand aloof frou.!.e thick.
ening engagements ,','.. 10 g..
. Looking at',he, question from this
Southern stand. oint, we ara unable (be
IT honestly confessed) to consider with pa
tience the arguments Of the opposition
Honestly conceiving that our State stands
pledged to all manner Of righteous coop
Grafton with her Southern allies, and firm
ly believing that the occasion at Cincinnati
will be one at which the unitedSouth NAV
be instrumental in shaping (and perhaps
in'fiS'ng) the future destiny Of our section
and' OF our country, we oan see no sufii.
cient reason why South Carolina should
not be there as we'll rs Vagina, Ala baina,
Mississippi and the rest The time hon
ored-poliey' argument might have had
some little weight antecedcnt to tho year
1852. Since then, it has beco,ne but the |
hollow semblance Of an excuse for getting
around the decision Of that memorable |
year, a decision markedly and emphat-
cally conclusive as to South Carolina iso-
lation. But even snpposing that the do
cislon of so had never transpired, the
I" time-honored policy" argument is
pi,iful thing when confronted with the
present commanding necessity for close,
constant, perfect, Ingenious concert of ac-
ton in all Southern efforts that have for
their end the vindicalion of Southern
rights and the triumph Of constitutional
rtpublicanism. Our Wings and Know
Nothings may object that by harmonizing,
with Southern Democrats we do not
achieve etfectual concerted action. All
reasonable Democrats, however, know
this objection. TO be mere CANNON, seeing
that to uni'etl,e powor Of the Democracy