Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-04-08
THE STATE AND HER POLITICS.


heerodo1icai notions another; that she is yet DASH
ing on in the old bee-line policy that cannot and will
not turn aside to cntch any advantages Of wind or
tide; while third conceves her to be steering eau
tiouRly but resoutely towards the great haven OF
Constitutional Justice with the design of casting
anchor there If It be possible, but f not of putting
on nil sail for the port Of Southern Independence
To outsiders observing this curious diversity of opn-
ion among our sennel-mcn, this condition OF things
muat suggest the idea Of dismasted barque, floating
on without pilot or rudder any such thing neither
giving assurance Of hope to her ctew nor to any one
beside. What reasons ask, are there for placing
ourselves and our beloved State before the country in
this ridiculous light? Towards ascertaining whether
thero be evon the vestige Of we would venture
few practical interrogatoros as we'll for ourself as
| for others.
What has been the aim of South Carolina in all
her periods of excitement and indignation, if not the
securing fair and constitutional administration Of
the Government of the United statss' Has she ever
been desrous of disuniOn from any other cause' Has
she ever made it known as part Of her policy that
disunion was to be sought simply TO secure the per-
manency of her slave institutions without regard to
whether the government was administered justly or
unju.tly? l. not this idea Of itself and hetero-
| duxicnl?
What is the politics Of South Carolina, if it be not
| Democratic? Was not such the politics of all our
leaders hitherto from the greatest to the least from
Mr.. CALHOUN down to the smallest 'spouter' in our
State Legislature? Are We not thoroughly Democratic
still! Did Whiggery ever succood In lifting It's head
amongst us and what prevented it but the purity Of
our Democratic school Of politicians? Was not Know
Nothngism ignominiOusly crushed out FROM our midst
in its ncipicncy md what did tbut the faithful adhe-
renee of South Carolnss heart to her Democratic an
teeelents? Are not al our members OF Congress to-
day Democrats, professely and emphatiealy! Are
not all our papers to-day Democratic in principle and
feeling? Do they not ull desire the success of the
Democratic party amy other, now exissnt IN the
country? Were they not all satisfied with the nd
miuistration Of President PlbncE? Do they not hope
to Le 70 with that Of Mr.. BrcMANAS? DO we not
ul agree that tho South has gained much in tho last
four yenrs? Do We not agree, that in connc1ion with
the Democracy Of the United States she occupies
now II vantage ground which she has not enjoyed in
this Union for more than quarter Of century! La
not the State now willing, are not her people now
ready, to enact her and their part chcertully and
srtedly with the rest Of the South in the great work
(rnplly progressing) of occurring equnl rights and
privileges to all parts Of the Union! If in this light
". may style ourselves Southern Democratic, and
such we all are does that imply any enmiy to North
ern Democrats who are with US, any hostility to
the rights of that other section of tho Union! Is
Southern Democrat anything more or less than q
Constitutional Democrat? And are we not all in
South Carolina Constitutional Democrats?
Again, is there in our State at this time any such
party as Disunionists per Sc If so who are its
leaders and where its battalons? Is there any Sc
csssion party-we mean any c1stant active party Of
the kind with specific aim? Is there any other par
ty whatever than the Democratic? Call us Carolina
or Sopthera Dcmocrats,-or National Democrats if
you vii, we aro yet all Constitutional Democrats.
Are We not?
Why then should we wraugle and impair the just
influence of our State among her eonfederates of the
South? her just influence in tho country at large
While we are Democrats, every mnn Of US stands
ready to signify his dissent from every act Of the
party which may ut any time present itself in the
light of departure from tho correct faith Of that
great political school. While wo uphold the pnrty
that upholds us and our rights we not to
fee ony jot of principle. We net with that party,
and will aet with it, while yet may demur to some
portion of it, probable policy. Wo will do this, until
it shall appear that its impngements upon the 'truc
creed overbalance its defence of our immediate and
vital interests. There he wrong in this, no
deviation from either tho line Of independence or Of
prudence. We are acting with the Democracy now
We could not act with the Southern States otherwise.
W. hive been with our sisters and noghbors to the
Cincinnati Convention. We will meet them again
in the Charleston Convention. 1t s unnecessary here
to discuss whether the State is is not by large
majority in favor Of this policy. We firmly believe
she MAS, and il, and will be STILL unless some great
reverse in the expected current of events shall coon
take lace. And is South Carolina to be taunted with
this as departure from her former mastery nactiv
ty! Is she aluac to fold her when the fight l.
up and the wind Of victory is carrying on to gor-
Gus the very principles whose defeat in past
years caused her to draw herself within the castle Of
her sovereignty in patriotic Indignation? Should not
the triumph Of those principles now induce her to
step forth among the legons that are noby battling
for that which she has regarded the prize Of
her high calling?" Who slys that this course will
carry US into the scramble for Office and federal plum
der? Does that man believe what he saya' Is there
nothing pure-. nothing more patriotic, nothing more
chiyarous feft in the minds and hearts Of people
than such gross propensities would justify thr pre-
dicton against our fur fame? Does he who utcrs
the thought believe that himself would become the
slave of such temptations: If not how dare he ac-
cuse brother Of the pitiable weakness? Not is
fnlse assumption. South Carolina is not risking her
honor in going into the contest that now shakes the
country CALHOUN, McDuprIE, HAYNE, and all the
rest Of our great dead would 90 into it heartily and
boldly if they here and they would fling behind
them in disgust tho pulling senmentality that might
be ready to them against the loss Of their mdo
pendence or the contamination Of their good names
from such cause. If we have not the intellscts.
have We not yot the magnanimty of these departed
Carolinans? Or are we so degenerate, nS to need
guardians for our weak virtue and uck-ups for our
vicious proclivities7
Would that tho South Cur"ina Press (oursclf in
cluded) could see their way on. Of the miss that
vacuting state-leadership has brought upon us and
upon the minds Of our people! Would that leaders
could bring themselves to give us pointblank policy
Of some sort or another We believe the great body
of the people throughout the State want something
like what have indicated in the foregoing reaec-
tiUns.