Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-07-15


arc closely identified identified in so fur rs they are
nike interested in the maintenance of the Constitu-
ton and the suppression Of all nnarchical tendencies
But granting that the tide Of Error ovcrhows all con-
servatre barriers the other side OF the COniedera
cy and that the spirit of Black Rcpublicanism rides
the blast in exultant fury, still say that the South
knows her enemy and feels confident Of her ability to
vanquish its endenvors for evil For in that event.
what would be her position? What, but that OF a
united people gathering around ten thousand South
crn banners and burning for the fray The period
would then have como which we think our cotempo-
rary himself prays for tho occasion of that great
uprising of Southern Indignation and Southern pride
which would lead to q Southern Confedcracy, or at
least to some new political fabric within which the
light of Equal Rights should be kept alive with ves-
tai fidelity As to the comparison which the J'rcury
seems to set up between the power of Abolition as
embodied in the American party of that name, and
the same power as exercised by the British Govern
mcnt, We urc almost tempted to refer cotempora-
ry back to the Horn Book Of his political knowledge
But We will not initiate that papers example in step
ping from the line of manly and friendly discussion
to give vent to supercilious nings Every reader,
however, will smile at tho comparison referred to- a
comparison which would have think that there is
n similarity between the nlattor Of Abolition in the
United Statcs,-wherc at the worst it can only come
to the hostile array of m oppressive majority against
free, spirited and n powerful race,-and the
same question in Great Britain, where the mightest
government on earth announced its fatal decree
against q weak dependency.
In accordance with the plan which our limits CON-
pei US to adopt in regard to what we conceive the
more unimportant points of the Mercury, dismiss
the article before us as to its ator portion and pro-
ceed to
The MERcURY's 9TH ARTICLE.
And this article We shall also notice very briefly
The Nrcury reiterates its belief that the South is moi
more united, either in spirit in policy for the pro-
lection of her rights and institutions; than she has
heretofore been; and in reply we reierate our belize
to the contrary, leaving the intelligent reader to de-
eide between us. If we are too sanguine in contem'
plating tho present firm attitude Of Virginia. of Geor
gia, of Mississippi of South Carolina and Other
Southern States our cotemporary must on the Other
hand be considered "doubting Thomas" who viii
not believe though facts stare him in the face. Meth
er does the Mercury care one jot for any platform
past present or to Gomez if it were not Mt this very
moment foreshadowing new platform of its own; O:
if tho English Magma Charta or our own Declaration
Of Independence were not the great political platforms
of their respective eras or as if it were practicable
for any people to act in concert without an established
agreement creed, or, if you prefer it, platform. Ane
in this conclusion the Mercury pays Georgia tn
unique compliment of saying that " has faith in thu
spirit of the people of that State but not particle
the potency of the platform they adopted in 1852
Indeed it would appear that the Mercury has no fatl
in the State pride of any Southern State it has M
confidence in the present union Of sentiment at tn
South on the slavery question and still it believe
that "the great cause of the South will yet arise ant
fight its way through dissensions apathy and :reache
ry, to final and complete redemption" We agre
with the conclusion but its appended qualification
considered, we arc at loss to detect the .hercury
mode of arriving at it. Perhaps great poitica
Apostle is to como forward, who shall reinnoculat
State pride" upon the several degenerate Southern
States who shall read the Southern people lessons up
on their identity of interests and finally take us al
into the port of glory So mote it be!
The latter portion Of tho .Nercury's 5th article il
made up of shrcwd conjecturcs MS to what may Of
may not occur should Kansas apply for admission Will
pro-slavery constitution.
The MERcURY's 9TH ARTICLE.
mIs it Congressional oppression? We have gained
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise" This is thu
next point relied on by our cotemporary to justify hi
contentment with the position of the South in th
Union"
And the Mercury goes on to say: awe have hear'
of such thing as gaining loss, and we very muci
fear this is exactly what the South has gained in gain
ing the Missouri Compromise" Our cotcmporHr.
here makes his great point in the argument between
u.s. Like knight of old, he rises in his stirrups ant
directs his powerful lance full in the teeth Of the Int
Repcal Of the Missouri Compromise. Ono must con
cludc from the fire and energy with which he now at
tacks its merits that he would have preferred that h
Rcpeal should not have been effected; and yet VI
venture to guess that the Mercury has again and agal
argued the unconstitutonality Of the Missouri Com
promise and its gross injustice to the South But nov
that the grievance long inveghel against has beei
removed, the summing up of the whole business is
that the South has yainsd lOss This is blowing no
and cold with a vengeance But how is it loss
We wish the reader 10 mark well the process by whcl
the Mercury draws out this singular conclusions 70
if our contemporary 10 correct a deal Of ink has bcel
sadly wasted, and much southern eoqucncc put fortl
in vain, upon the Compromise in question and tn
measures Of recent date which bear upon it. Wha
then is the Mercmys chief promisc,-thc one in fac
upon which the whole Of his sixth and boldcst artic
depends? Briefly this: that the Repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise is nothing for US, but rather agans
u.s. as now allows the North to settle and seize al
the territory South of $50 3O, ,Ohich could not hap
been done bcfore. This is the stone, this h
base of the remarkable suporstructurc which our es
tccmcd antagonist has been pleased to top of with th'
spiral remark that "thc South has gained a loss.
We were safc, he thinks, below the Missouri line while
that Compromise existed, and by its repeal have give,
up our position of strength and not gained Kan
sas 'ns consideration for that great sacrifice We re-
spcctfuy submit that the Ncrcury has utterly niscon
ccired the nature Of the Missouri Compromise. Tht
provisions of that compromise such positively
to forbid our going North of 3Go 3O with our prop
crty, while they placed restriction whatever upon
Northerners coming South Of it with their property
It left tho whole country South Of the line open
now, to the colOnizing population of the North, IN
cuding emigrnnts from Europe" but absolutely shut
out tho South and her institutions from the immense
territory North Of that line How then the Jcr-
curry say that by the Repeal have been deprived Of
territory. which was any more than it is to.
day7 Tho North certainly has never admitted, even
imnlicilly TINT the Missouri COmpromisc mnde the