Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-07-08


paid by the Magistrate advertising.
From the Charleston Mercury.
THE EDGEFIELD ADVERTISER.
at is urged that the South is beset with such
difficulties as have never before encompassed
her. that her enemies are thickening on every
hand, and that as things 60, her doom OF de-
struction is fixed And yet it is notorious that
her position in the Confederacy is at this very
moment more powerful than it has been for
many years; it is well known that the Federal
Executive, the Federal Supreme Court and the
United State Senate are on the side of her con-
stitutional rights; and it is altogether probable
that such will be the controlling tone OF the
next Federal House of Representative"
The above extract contains the first position
of the Advertiser we shall notice.
And first we beg leave to clear away little
coloring as to one of our POSITIONS which, with
out intention doubtless, the Advertiser has
thrown into its picture. We have never said,
because we have never thought of the South,
that, under any of the circumstances we have
deprecated, cher doom of destruction was fixed"
Despite the apathy-the blindness-the treache
ry, which have distracted her counsels and pal
sled her energies, we have ever been confident
that, in due time, she would rise above them
and come forth great, free and independent
people, made so by resistance. When speaking
of the destruction of the South, as the conse-
quence of any policy carried out, it has always
been under the hypothesis that she submitted
and continued to submit. We have urged as
essential to her existence, with her institutions
and form of civilization, that she must control
her own destinies and, to show the necessity OF
her doing so, We have, from time to time, laid
before our readers the facts on which we believe
that she is "beset with such difficulties as have
never before encompassed her." and that her
enemies are thickening-not son every hand"
as the Advertiser charges, but in the directions
we have indicated.
The Advertiser denies that the South is be-
set with any such difficulties, or that her ene-
mics are thickening," for "it is notorious that
her position in the Confederacy is at this very
moment more powerful than it has been for ma
ny years" Our contemporary then gives its
facts to support its allegations: 1T is well known
that the Federal Executive, the Federal Supreme
Court, and the United States Senate, are on the
side of her constitutional rights, and it is alto
gether probable that such will be the controlling
tone of the next Federal House of Representa-.
tives." Here, now, we have the assertions of
the Advertiser of its faith in things as they are
and the facts by which it supports them. If its
facts do not support its allegation, its position
fails.
Our memory may not be as good as that of
the Advertiser but, if it serves us correctly, We
remember no period of our history in the past,
in which "the Federal Executive, the Federal
Supreme Court and the United States Senate
have not been on the side of the constitutional
rights of the South, as regards the general sub
ject of slavery. During Mr.. Fillmore's Admin
istration, he was quite as conservative and anti
slavery in his Administration as Mr.. Buchanan
will be- He acted with Democratic Senate;
and the Supreme Court was as faithful then to
the constitutional rights of the South as it is
now. Yet it was during Mr.. Filmores Admin
istration-with the Senate and the Supreme
Court all just as they are now-that the Adver-
tiser believing the South "beset with Difficult.
ties and that I" that her enemies were thicken-
ing," advocated secession from the Union by
South Carolina. 1t is plain, therefore, that
these facts are not by any means conclusive OF
the position assumed by the Advertiser. 1t is
quite possible-our contemporary itself being
the judge-that We may be rig ght in affirming
that the South is beset with difficulties, and our
enemies are increasing, notwithstanding full
admission of every fact brought forward. They
simply prove nothing.
But we wish to deal with our cotemporary in
O spirit of liberality. We desire to give it the
benefit of all constructions which may favor its
allegations and positions. The Advertiser may
mean to contrast our present with our former
position. 1t may mean to say, that in 1852 the
Federal Executive and the Senate of the United
States were against the constitutional rights Of
the South, in the matter of squatter sovereignty,
by which we were swindled out of California
but that now, these are changed We admit
the facts, but we deny the change. According
to our conception Of things, the Federal Execu-
tive and the Senate of the United States, as
regards Southern rights in the Territories, are
exactly now where they were then. The Kansas
act passed by Congress and MIR. Buchanan's In
augural Address, prove our position beyond
question in principles whilst in practice we are
now being swindled out of Kansas by squatter
sovereignty under the management of two South
ern National Democrats, exactly as we were
swndled out of California. We do not, there
FORE from these facts perceive, "it is notorious
that the position of the South in the Confedera-
cy is at this moment more powerful than it has
been for many years" We submit, if these
facts prove any thing, they prove US to be far
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Kansas is wrested from the South, it will be
done, not by the Northern men-not by Aboli-
tionists-but by Southern men, National Demo-
Gratis, under the auspices and government of an
Administration placed in power by the South
itself Taking in any light the facts brought
forward by our cotemporary to prove the South
not beset by difficulties and her enemies not
thickening, they appear to US either to prove
nothing, or directly to prove the contrary of his
allegations and positions
We might here leave this first point made
against US by the Advertiser; but, to make the
matter clear with our cotemporary, we ought,
we suppose advert to the '.probabitity' brought
forward to sustain its very great moderation
its anti-ultraism. at is altogether probable"
it says, "that the controlling tone of the next
Federal House of Representatives will be on
the side of our constitutional rights" Alto
gether probablel' What mighty ground for
confidence and consolation What an indie.
structible foundation, on which to erect vast
dormitary for the accommodation of political
sleepersl Altogether probabler' If it is only
probable that the Federal House of Representa-
ives will be on the side of the constitutional