Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-03-12
TIE
ELECTORAL QUESTI0 N.
IN THE PEOPLE, iOF EEDGEFIELD DISTRICT
Concl | II d e d.

In these efforts, Fellow Citizens, t.
change the basis of our Representation, ant
the long established usages OF the State, w
see rising, among US, sentiments dangerous
fear, 10 the peace and order ol society
Men seem, in this fast age, to be forgetting
the plain, old.fashioned doctrines, taught by
our fathers of The Republican school, aud te
have now about as much relish for pure
Repu6licanism, as for an old garment quite
out of fashion. In some parts of these Ull
ted States, where, under the standard o.
Black Repubcanism. all regard for consti
;,utional law is sunk in the slough Of 3
:" hisher.law" rule, the notion is fast gaining
ground, that the old time element Of proper
1y, SO long held as the basis Of order aud
liberty, is to be discarded by the trainers o
our laws, and that the mere counting o
heads is all that is necessary in building ur
!and sustaining the edifice of government
Numbers, irrespective of any interest they
may have in the soil and property OF the
.couu,ry. are there held forth as the political
anasters OF the land, by whose lawless touch
constitutions, and the most sacred charters
oil iiIpes.y crumble and iall-and before
whose ,capricious will, patriots and states.
mau, citizens and soldiers, are expected to
bow as to ahe sceptre Of some omnipotent
Demigod Such notions never entered the
plain, honest minds Of the founders of our
Republic; and as they have not hitherto. so
i raast they may never, become popular
,snaong the Republican people Of South
Carolina. They are the very s'cm of agra
rianism. Under the prevalence of such
sentiments, no law, no constitution, no re-.
ligion can he Of any practical efficacy; and
property, liberty and government will be
tossed about, the mere sport of tickle pub.
lie opinion The only sure basis OF free
and stable government is fair property and
geographical representation in the l.egisla.
tive Body. Suppress this, and all will be tur.
bulence, faction and revolution. Order and
liberty can be preserved only where the
rights TO property are fixed and sale; aud
how are this certainty and security to be
gained, if they, who make and possess tine
property, have no in voice making the laws
that regulate and govern that property In
giving representation to property, population
aud geographical sections, our noble consi'
tuition has hut Incorporated ore of the great
principles of perfect representative govern.
Inent, and of wise, sound State policy. In
this particular, at least, may itnever undergo
change.
That advocates for these changes should
be found in the mountain regions Of our
State. and, to some extent, in the city Of
Charleston, may not appear unnatural, hut
that thew should be numerous in the middle
and lower Districts, in which reside more
especially our great slave and planting in.
,terests, might we'll excite surprise and ap.
prehension.
In what am about to say, there enters,
| am sure, no feeling of !, local nature. |
am no sectionalist, at least in South Caro-
lima. go for the State, and the whole
State-nay, the State as il is, and all its
institutions, and all its people. In my feel
,ings, know no up.country-no low-coun.
try. wish to be regarded only as South
Caroliniam. honor aud respect our noun
,tain population. | like the bold, manly
spirit, which usually characterizes them; but
the fact is not to be disguised, that, at no
ureat period Of time, their interests will ma.
terially diverge from those Of the middle and
gower Districts. Cotton and slaves are even
now comparatively Of no great Importance
to them, and the more their natural resources
are developed, and the denser their popula.
ton becomes, the less will The slave interest
there prevail. 1t is usless to tell us there
will be no danger Of improper sentiment
from this source. Man is selfish all the
world over, and his sentiments are nearly
always the offspring Of his interests. Had
it been possible to make cotton and rice
fields flourish ip the bleak regions of New
England, who doubts, lbat, even to this day,
slavery would have been there lavorite in.
stitu,ion? Show me a country, or section
of country, where, by the operation of naip.
raj or political laws, theins'iulion of slavery
is rendered va'ueless, and will show you,
among its people, sentiments, dangerous to
the existence of the institution itself
While, moreover, they who breathe the
mountain air, are generally actnated by a
bold spirit OF adventure and of liberty, they
are, likewise, easily affected by the new
tangled theories and extravagant dogmas Of
the times. They often delight also to be.
come aggressive in their movements, and to
propagate with zeal their moral and polit-
cal tenets. appeal to history for proof Of
my assertions.
Now, at this present time, more than one.
fourth Of the voting population Of the State
live in the five contiguous Northern Dis
trcts, viz: York, Spartanburg, Greenvil'e,
Pickens and Anderson. These Districts
would, therefore. if the above change be
made, possess moro than one.fourth of the
Federal power Of the State; and if other
changes now desired by some, should be
effected, these five Districts would hold
more than one.(ourth of the ordinary legis.
lative power of the State, and would have
more than oDe.fourth of the voters in elect.
ing all our general officers. Such is the
case now. But, in fifty years hence, per.
hans in less time, or if you please, in a cen.
tury to come, with i4e gradual development
of the resources of that region, still more
numerous, thriving, white population will
spring up; while, in the mean.tlme, from
the expansive force of our slave population,
and OF our cotton interest, the middle and
lower Districts, will have comparatively
small increase among tho whites (ip some
Districts indeed the whites are actually de.
creasing;) whereby great Inequality will
arise between the two sections at the ballot
box. Now, with our present distribution
of power, this inequality will produce no un'