Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-11-10
VOL. xxIlI.--NO A.


sades have done, has exhausted itself, and that
there is no argument or leader that can keep it
alive Their Peter Hermits, their Godireys,
their Baldwins, their lion-hearted Richards,
where are they2 1t seems that they will
scarcely agree even on their Louis TX. who
shall lead their last pious campaign and suffer
martyrdom.
And let me say that if the abolilionists can
not unite the free States as apurely anti.slavery
party In the presidential election of 1860, and
fail again in 1864, We shall never hear more of
them as political party and it is only as
political party that they are worthy of our no
tice. There always will be abolitionists-for
fouls, enthusiasts, men of morbid imaginations,
bent on mischief, or ambitious of notoriety, al
ways will exist. But the abolition party in
the free States is now almost wholly political.
Do you suppose that the Sewards Hales,
Wades Wilson's, Chases and their associates,
care anything for African slavery, Or are really
hostile to our system of labor, any more than
is the President, Dickinson, Bright, Pugh or
Douglas2 do not. Their object is political
power. They have placed themselves Oh this
spring-tide Of fanaticsm to obtain it. II it
fails thenl-if, at the next Presidential election,
assuredly if at the two next-we beat them,
all this party machinery will fall to the ground,
and the Smiths, TappaIls, Garrisons and Par
kcrs, will be left alone to their glory. Butif
am all wrong-if my facts and reasoning are
false, and my hopes delusive-if, in 1860, they
beat us-wlat then2 These are questions that
may well be asked. And the answer is obvious.
We must be prepared, and the very efforts we
must make to prevent such results will better
prepare US than any course we can pursue that
| cap see, We must be prepared, say, to take
care Of ourselves, whatever may come. IT y
clear that the slavebldiug States Of this cons
federscY, whatever hazards they may choose tg
incur By remaining IN alliance with majority
of non.slaveholders nav no !nhsmed against
them, must ever and vt al times bold their
deslines in their own hands. They can, neYep
permit any foreign power to 'leeis!ats in Wier.
ence to tGeir peculiar industrial system, Whether
to abolish or to modify, or impose undue burr
dells ON it. Such legislation must be scslsted
with all our means, and without regard TO any
consequences. If it should so happen that the
free States of this Union, beingnoV, and always
to be, in majority, do establish political lihe
between the two seotious and the two systems OF
labor, leglslate upon it and uaintainit then they
will form poweras foreign to us asany nation in
the world, and We cannot submit to it. Whatever
the weak and defenceless colonies Of other coun.
tries may have submitted to, before these south
ern Ststes will he placed in the condition of St.
Domingo or Jamaica, or. 0ne at a! approxlma-
ting to it, they will PEND this Union into lrag-
menta aud plunge the WORLD in r,yu: u Is in I;
their power to do both, for the world cannot get 7
on without them and, if ruthless efanaticisms
and brute ngsef under eyer Ra.nes D
'sissii aitiS aESt m
they will carry with them, the pillafs d: thasa
temple of civilization, and force common tate
on all mankind. i-e;ls < Il .ss,,
There are many who believe that some such
a catastrophe is inevitable. 1t cannot be denied
that, from appearances, here and elsewhcre,lt
is entirely possible, and it may not be unwise
for all of us to suppossit probable. Although
think that the ranks Of our enemies are broken
and tue moral victory won, am far from pro
claiming that the battle is over, anu that we
have now only to gather the fruits Of our sue
cess. Many battle has been won, and lost
again, by overweening confidence, by reckless
pursuit, or by turning aside for the sake OF
spoil, Let us fall iuto mono OF these errors
for we are still in the very heat and turmoil OF
this great conflict, and all might yet be lost.
What wish tu impress upon you Is, that there
is hope for eftort-triumph for union, energy
and perseverance.
1t has fallen upon the Shareholders Of the
South to conduct this question Of African slave
ry to its final conclusion. Such is our fate. 1t
is inevitable. Let Us cheerfully accept and
manfully perform our destined parts and do it
with no distrust of God with no MisgiyingS Of
our cause or Of ourselves; with no panic; no
foolish attempt to Ay ir'm dangers which can
not he avoided, which have MT been proven to
be insurmmmtable, and which |, for one, believe
that we can conquer. After what has been
achieved by divided South, now that tits al
most thoroughly united; now that 5ye have \
President and bis Cabinet; majority in both
Houses Of Congress; Supreme Court OF the
United States; and still hosts Of allies in the
free States, all substantially concnrring with Us
in our construction of the constitution, and nn-
.ler its obligations earnestly battling with us
for the maintenance of our rights and interest,
we owe it to our country, to ourselves, to the
world and to postcrity, to cast aside all weak
fears; all petty Or impracticable issues; oil
mere wrangling and viluperaliMi, personal and
sectional, and move forward with the dignity Of
conscious strength and the calmness Of undoubt-
ed courage, to tue overthrow OF every false
theory of government, and every sentimental
scheme for organizing labor; carrying with tts
Tue CoH~tiLullon VI oui iaSuSiSj oi'o, - W StAS
their Union.
But the slave States constituting, and as
think forever to constitute, numerical mlnort-
ty, can, however, accomplish nothing in this
Union, without the aid OF faithful allies in tho
froe States. It haa been Of late two much tho
bsbjt In the South 10 tnistrust oil such allies
to disparage, " denounce and DRIVE thefn from
u. Nothing could bu more unwiss or more
unjust. It is distrlsting the truth and justice
o, our own cat,,e, or ralumnlatlhs human ma
t,lrC, tu doubt that thsrc ate in the free States
thousands Of soind thinking, truc-learted and
Gallant liien, who concur essentially in our views,
and are rcadi to make common cause with us.
Nay, it is falsifyins history and fact. During
the late session saw men acting cordially and
vigoruu ,ly with us against the'positive instruc.
tions of their excited constituents, at the haz~
ard of political martyrlon; and in two instan-
ces that martyrdon was consumnated before
the adjournment. Shall we do no honor to
such men2 Shall We pay no tribute to such
heroic deyotion to truth, to justice, and the
constitution Shall we revile them in commons
with all northern men, because many revile and
some have betrayed us2 To be truly great,
we must be not only just, but generous aud for
bearing with all mankind. Let US place our =
selves in the situation of northern public men
in this great Contest consider their dangers and
and making every allowance for
human weakness, do homage to the brave and
faithful. e s.,5..5
And this leads me to say that, having never
been a mere party politician, intriguing and
wirc-pulling to advance myself or Others, am
not learned in the rubric Of the thousand slang,
4