Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-02-20

intelligence, our citizens in other States
may bear the palm from US in these high
national rirtGcs; but if we are to judge Of
patriotism and political intelligence by a cor.
rect knowledge OF the principles under which
the government should be administered, and
by genuine love of country uniufuenced
by party ambition, then may our own people
challenge comparison with those Of any
other State in the Union for those cnnobling
virtues upon which rest the stability and sue.
cess Of our republicans institutions. 10 deal
out slang from the stump-to propagate
party falsehoods and party extravagances-
to indulge in idle ordinations and re.crim.
inalions--to pcrpetuatc bitter, personal ami
mosities from year TO year, and from aye TO
aye, is FIR from being the most eiectunl way
to instruct and 10 eulighteu the people. Yet
such is the political schooling in many Of
our sister States in the party warfare car
ricd on during Presidential CANVASS. The
public mind is there too often thrown into a
morbid, diseased state from constant lactous
excitement; and in this condition truth is
almost wholly excluded from its chambers.
The searching information the calm judy.
mcut, the unbiased feeling so necessary 10
form the patriotic and enlightened rcpubli.
can ciizen-and the profound study, so es-
sental to The Development of the great states
man, are una,tai,lablc in the hot.bed Of
party strife; and the people there have
wcll.nigil lost their once high-soulcd ahhor-
renee to tyranny and aggression amid the
fierce scranbics for party spoils, and the
ambitious schemes Of selfish, time serving
politicians. What can we promise ourselves
by following examples so little recommend.
ed by wisdom and propriety! What make
this change simply because others have made
il! Shall we follow the multitude, to do
evil? Let US not, pray, suffer ourselves
to be betrayed into an experiment so dan
gerous and unnecessary.
It has been again said that this election
should be changed, in order to avoid cor
rur';oa in the Legislature; and argument is
employed 10 show, that the great moneyed
power at Washington could so use its cor.
ruptiHg Influences rs to coatrol the election
Of President III &ll tie States in which Eec-
tors may be appointed by the Legislatures.
Now, in tie FIRST place, this argument is al
together hypothetical; for in 10 other State
except this, are Electors appointed by the
Legislature, and Judging from the signs OF
the times, no other State is likely soon to
initiate OFF example in this particular The
argument is then at once reduced to cor
nuptiou in our~owile:tcgisaasures7seteus
anayzc this matter Il little. How is our
Legislature 10 lie corrupted! Ey tue money
and c!lice held out 10 lis supporters by the
caa,Iatp ipr tie Presidency! What! buy
up ii: the vo.ts OF AL the members Of the
Legislature upon ni2re e%pcctation!' But
what will ll!s avail, unless the Electors be
also bongiit up! for after they are ap-
pointed, may they not choose to be honest
and cast the vote OF the State in accordance
with the wishes Of the people against the
vii! Of tie corrupt neIuLcrs OF the Lcgisa-
ture Bul if tie ELECTORS rlust be corrupted
too before the end eau be attained, would i!
not he al act of supe.erosation Oil the part
of the Presidential candidate to attempt to
corrupt the !hcmbers o! Tie Legislature also.
Why not comGHe his seductive arts to the
Ei.g!0rs, WHO actual y east the vote for Prcs-
dent! The electoral college consists OF
about 10 persons: tho members Of the
various Legislatures Of several thousand In
our own state we have s Electors, and ITO
members OF the Legislature. Is it easier to
corrupt one hundred and seventy, than eight,
persons! ii SO, it might be easier to cor.
rupt the whole body Of the people than the
members of the Legislature. But the argu-
mcnt implies that it is easier to corrupt the
Legislature than the people, because it is
smaller body. Hence it would be easier to
corrupt S Electors tlau ITO members of the
Legislature. Aud it is reasonable to sup.
pose that a Presidential candidate would
scarcely endeayor 10 corrupt SO large body
when lie might ellce! lis purposes at so
much less trouble and expense.
But this is attaching undue Importance TO
Il limsy objection, which might he urged
with double force against the plan recon.
mcndcd by the advocates Of change. Is no
corruption cllargeable unon the prevailing
system olnominali9g Presidential candidates,
and OF clccting electors. WHO compose
the party caucu%cs anu conventions that now
choose the candidates for the Presidency?
Somc good men, ii is admitted but gener.
aliy parcel ol broken down politicians and
aspiring dcmagogues, who arc sclt.consilu.
ted agents for this business, without any
regularly delegated authority from the people
.l'or the most part irresponsible and reck-
less men, who seek, by intrigue and faction,
to retrieve their broken fortunes; men, who
ike and breathe i'll tie very atmosphere of
corruption and chicanery; and who, disre-
e,:;rdiug tic qualifications of the candidate,
unite their energies 10 bring before the peo-
pie for the highest office in the Government,
Il man unknown to fame, aud almost
destitute of any. positive merit at all.
Has any great man flied the Presidential
chair siuce tho origin of those party conven-
lions! Is it no: notorious that availability,
negative and not positive merit, is almost the
ONLY consideration Of choice in determining
upon their candidate! Such is tue charac.
ter usually o.. Your great nominating con-
yrntioas, in which The master spirits are es-
prciaiiy devoted 10 the great spoIS principle,
aud knuN not what it is to use their talents
without the rich reward Of office and gain.
From !hci7 grand political Sanhcdrims-
these nominating conventions--thcy come
back before the people, aud with all the
skill they can employ in party machinery,
exert their efforts to elect to Office the man
VINO is to reward them for their honest labor.
And this is the body, and these the men,