Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-04-15
From the Charleston News.
THE PATRIOT And THE C0URIER-THE RIGHT
OF SECESSION,

The Greenville Patriot, edited by Mai B.
Perry, and the Charleston Courier, which OF
casionally furnishes some of the lucubrations c
Mr. Richard Yeadon, have of late, for their mu
tual and edifying Qualification, INDUCED in poll
tical illusions, and in the intimation of poltica
doctrines, which have been, again and again, re
pudiated by the intelligence and tone of Sout
Carolina. The Co, rier commences by rehasl
of the stale and exploded doctrines of the WIFI
party on the Tariff advocates partial Legislation
in favor of manufacturing interests under th
name of incidental protection ; attributes to tn
resources and industry of the country, all it
prosperity; repudiates free trade in commerce
and denounces direct taxation-the only mode
under which the people can know how mucl
they are taxed, and how much swindled by tht
Federal Government. The noted gentleman
from Greenville, The ePaL.riot Of Carolina politics
the exponent of federal radicalism and conslida
ton combined, the opponent of State Rights
the cardinal points of the Republics compass
follows in discredtable allusion to the Seces
sion party of 1851. The Courier re-echoes by
an apology for a single generous political emo
ton, struck by the aggression OF the Federal
| Government from even its stony neutrality and
indifference, and prudently displayed in response
to general sentiment, and assails the practical
right ofsecession, announces to the world its de-
termination to give its oracular opinion upon
that subject, and finally has proceeded to utter
its dctum.
We partake of the general indispostion of the
press OF the State, at this time, to enter upon
any discussion of topics which lave divided and
excited our people, and knowing as we do, that
the opinion of the above mentioned papers
neither expresses, influences nor leads the polt-
tical mind Of our people, we should not give the
slightest attention to their ill-timed demonstra-
tions on inopportune subjects, were it not that
the young Of the State, probably not convcrsant
with the settlc;S. truths eliminated by the past,
are imprcssible by passing fallacies.
The extremes have, e,met-tlle radical and the
ledcralist. They assume to he Of the triumphant,
and they imagine that they have met in the full
feather of power and succeSs-actually leaders
in the very camp OF the Democracy of South
Carollna-a State Rights Democracy which has,
par excellence, been the standard bearer Of rrin-
ciples which have been embodied in leading en-
positions from the Virginia and Kentucky Rcso-
lutions of 1893 and 1879, down to the Convcn-
ton Ordinance of South Carolina in 1852, and
the late decision Of the Supreme Court. They
take it that it is the triumph Of national party
ism in our midst, and these two consolidation
ists-so from opposite considerations gleefully
bow each other into the fold Of the strong side,
and prctentiouSly sing 10 I'riumphe over the
supposed Sucress in this State Of WlliSgery and
its opposite, under the name Of Unionism with
its centralizing &
4afsIlnessn Ain they RshSr it is the conservatism of
State Rights. which alone can preserve, or las
preserved, u constitutional Union.
If the late decision Of the Supreme Court,
that the Missouri Compromise was unconstltu-
tonal, and that Congress las 10 jurisdiction and
can impart none in relation to slavery, and that
the Southern citizen has the right to 90, and be
protected, with his slavery property, into the
Territories, has any import and scope. then all
agitation and aggressons from 1920 down to the
political fraud and outrages in the cases OF Orc
ron. California, Utah and New Mexico in the
Compromisc of 1850, constituted heinous and
alarming wrongs to the South. They were de-
nounccd by her trlest and ablest Statesmen,
and prorluce,l two ominOlls Conventions at
Nashville. The whole Union was conrulScd by
them. and the spirit OF Abolition oyershadowed
with lurid portcnts the future. Blows were
being inccssantlv aimed at the very vilals Of
Southern institutions, citizens and States, and
no arrcs,ing hand, even Of constitutional au-
thoritv. had intcrycned or could then intervene.
The wrongs were consummatcd, and more were
threatened; and the position and doctrines of
the Secession marty of 1851 in relation to them,
have been triulnpantly vindicatcd by the ST.
prcmc Court. 1t las now, then, been settled
that there 'rcts CAUSE for seceSsloll--a cause as
sufficient To Justify as 1t had been to nurc and
fa tln hlSIs
height of the CUWrhrS argument.
II was under these circumstances, that noble
body of men, well known for talents, character
md spirit, and with no party appliances but the
Justice of their cause aroused themselves 10 take
in 1852 some positive action in defence OF South
Carolina and the South, and were ready to peril
their fortunes and their lives. y State is as to
citizens their sovereign and theirprotcctor; and
therefore the Secession party, and i'll the very
truth of loyalty to South Carolina, through
whom alone they know any obligation to any
Government, called upon her to throw her shield
in front of them, and take them from among her
and their desp ilerS 1t is as to snch mcn and
such party that the GrcenvilIc PMrio', IN
frivolous badinagc with tho Courier, audaclouSiy
uses the following language
"IIow we'll and how painfully do we reme1n-
Der, when in short paragraph, in lSoo, 1t (he
Courier) lowered its crest and dashed theg!orl'
Gus stars and stripes Of the Union to the earth
to be trampled in the mud and filth of secession
and disunion."
We commit that journal to the contempt
which it deserves at their hands.
And it is as to such men, that the Courier, in
complacent assent to the alluson OF the Pdfri0f
and in apology for even one smile OF approval
to them in that trying period, proceeds, in dl.
rect relation to their then proposed action, anc
in mocking disregard of their present calm que
tudc, to assail and denounce the truth oil thcll
position.
The issue thus heedlessly raised is not ont
now of disunion; but it involves the fundamen
tai character and principles of the Contederacy
upon which either Union o" Disunion rests ant
must rest or our system become consolidated
despotisnl.
But the Courier goes further, and assails tn
Ordinance of the constitutional Convention (su
nreme) of South Carolina in 1852, which de
cclares the RIGHT of the State to Secede AT Will
and for any cause demed by her sufficient, 'Oah
out let hiad,ance or molesiation from any pore
whatsoever. It is upon the truth OF its position
(of the SUPREME LAw,) that the issue is nov
made. Standing upon the Ordinance, we vii
proceed to defend, as against the Courier, tn
RIGHT or SECESSION as defined by that Decara
tion Of the Sovereignty and right of South Cal
olina as State.
But let certain material facts be here note'
that tho singular course Of the Courier ma
stand out in all its narrow isolation and prefer
tious dormatisms. The editor of this paper WI
a member of the Secession party, and membt
of that Convention, and he feels himself boun