Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09


ties of transportation to market, it is quite
probable that the up country as whole,
from this time forward will make two dol.
lars in wealth for every one the parishes
may be able to accumulate. Now, why
should the tide water or rice and long staple
cotton section have negative on the other
three. Would there not be as.much justice
in giving each of the four sections a mega.
tive as any particular one, and if one only
must have it, which one shall that BET the
parishes of course suppose. If the princi.
pie Of negatives holds good in one case, it
holds good nall, and therefore why should
not our Senate consist of say forty eight
Senators, twelve representing each of the
four sections. Virginia once had three or
four negatives in her Senate upon similar
principle, but the march of republican insti-
tutions has swept it away and with it all
chickering's, all jealousies and what might be
styled national antipathies; for the principle
Of negatives, based&upon geographical lines
in the same government, virtually makes that
government embrace, as many different ma.
tions or governments as it has geographical
negatives. South Carolina now has two
distinct States and peoples under one gov
ernment, and there are hearts burnings and
strifes as fierce between the Two sections as
if they spoke different languages, and never
met in the same Legislature. We have no
legislature and no legislation except what
the parishes choose to grant US. They ad.
here to old laws or pass new ones only
at their supreme will and pleasure. The
Missouri compromise was geographical
negative, and what has been its fruits, but
to make two nations of the American peo-
pie! go for a. concurrent negative, or
rather concurrent majority in the language
of Calhoun, if understand what he means
by it, and think | do; but can never con.
sent to any geographical negative. All the
southern Atlantic States had it just after the
revolution, and they have all abandoned it
Virginia, as before said, has done it, and
surely South Carolina can follow with safety
the lead ofthe State which gave birth to Wash.
ington, Jefferson, Madison aud Monroe, and
which adopted and has adhered to tue reso.
luions of 1859. The parish or geogra.
phcally negative system, had its origin in
the union of church and state before the
revolution. Freemen every where in Amer.
ca denounce this union as an unholy ALI
ance, and what does the word "parish" re-
call to the mind of every intelligent man but
the priest ridden people Of Euglandl AL
though church and state are severed in theo-
ry with US, yet in the continuance Of parish
representation in the Legislature, just as it
was before the revolution, with only slight
notifications, our people are groaniny in
mighty throes under evils as oppressive as
those they felt before the revolution, in the
actual union of church and State. A geo.
graphical negative cannot be defended upon
principle. The controlling party necessarily
become insolent and domineering. They
imagine themselves better than those over
whom they hold sway, as is the case now
with our parishes. They have saint this,
and saint that and saint the other, until they
really believe themselves saints, as we con-
tinue to submit to injustice. From all this
conclude that the very reasons which made
the compromise of lSOS perhaps right, now
make it wrong. We should remodel our
system of representation, or at least expand
and extend it to provide for the new circum.
stances around US and to relieve the evils
that press upon US. In short, the time has
arrived, when State SectionatSm should be
effaced from our governmeut-when each
election district should have its Legitimate
representation and no more, and according
to any basis rather than geographical one
Our people are as homogeneous in interest
tastes, habits and pursuits as any State on
earth, and localized antipathy should no
longer he permitted to exist.
am aware that Mr.. Calhoun's great
name is often quoted, and especially his "a
NOUS letter to Col. Orr, in support of ou1
parish system, and in opposition 10 giving
the election of electors to the people. There
is no man whose memory | reverence more
than do that of MIR. Calhoun. am proud
that be was my countryman, and prouder
still, that am native Of the same State
which gave him brth-which loved to honor
him, and which ho delighted TO honor in
return. But sir, great as he was, he was
still but man, with some of the traitieS
incident to humanity, and am greatly afraid
that he wanted to continue in the Office o
United States Senator. He knew that il
he sided wholly with tho parishes that the
up country would oppose him, and that il
he, went wholly with the districts that the
parishes would oppose him, and perhaps fol
this reason, he pursued medium course
1t may have been, too, that he desired to
keep South Carolina united, while he carried
on his gigantic warfare in the assertion o
State Rig hts with the federal government
1t would have not been wrong in him as a
wise statesman to use pretexts even for stay.
ing the hand of discord here under the cir.
cumstances. History is full of such exam,
Piles, as where wise aud great men have Civ
en- only show motives for a minor policy in
order to effect greater purpose. | confess.
sir, that. if that letter embodied his real
thoughts on the subject, | cannot think that
lie matured them well, and he admits that il
was written hastily. That letter is in direct
conflict with the principles of the mans
whole life. No where else can find, in his
speeches or writings, any argument, princi.
pie, or thought in, consonance with that
letter. | will give you two strange inconss-
tences in his views of government, it he felt
what he wrote. We all recollcct, that he
denied to the last Benton's calumny that he
had once favored the Missouri compromise,
and that be based his opposition to it as an
American Patriot and Statesman, upon the
ground that it was, geographical line; and