Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-03-24
HON. JAMES L. ORR.

| The Marion (Ala.) Commonwealth recently gave cx
preston to certain very unjust filings ut our lisa
gushcd ieow-citizen, allulins to the fact (as stated
by tho Charleston Courier) that he hud declined
reelection to Congress. 1t would not have been
necessary in South Carolina to have replied to the
fcctions of the Commonwealth, had they not lwcn
printed within our Sate and seemingly endorsed in
moro than locality. Such having been the case
it occurs to to he due not only to Gull 0nR, h e
the people ho represents, that tho charges thus ins
tuted should be briefly examined. The remarks d
the Commonwealth are these:
"Mr. Orr has long been better representative o
national Office seekers than Of the politics of his OWE
State. There i. no State in the Union whose polit
clans NJ general rule regardless Of Federal
patronage or honors as thoss Of Suuth Carolina. In
that State alone, has the theory of State supremacy
over the Union, practically triumpLcd. To Mr.. Orr
more than any other man, may DO charged the pres
seeming departure of his State from its older pre-
| cedents.
We have not heard such Thing ntuated by the
Press. but the circumstance alluded to by the Courier
il, perhaps, Oninnns of Of two facts The c1rse
uf Mr.. Orr either does not meet the sanction OF his
constituents, and lie fears defeat rs candidatc or he
has secured tat pnce under the Federal Government
The future will show whether this presumption is true
or false"
Such is the drift of our Alabama cotemporary's
chargcs-or perhaps they might more properly be
termed opinions, as they are unsupported except by
the writer's naked asseveration. Now let glance
ut them seriatim:
~ N. Orr has long been better representative Q,
nntionu office seekers than c the poiics If he or,
| State.
If this imputation has any thing to rest upon, il
can only be the fact that Col ORR has succeeded in
reaching the high position Of the Spenker.hip; for
this the only Federal Office lie can, with any degree
Of fairness, be suspected Of having sought But is
this tho kind of national oHceseeking with which We
are accustomed to associate ideas Of mural corruption
and political proHisacy7 Can an ambition to occupy
tho high and responsible post Of Speaker Of tho Aner
can House Of Representatives reflect upon any mans
patriotism or virtue, ehor in or out of South Caro-
ma Il? Is such promotion the fruit of fawning syco.
phnncy? Is it IL gift Of Federal patronage? Is it
not rather the award of the representatives of the
people Of the United States7 And does it not const
tute przo which my may covet without hlush
When we add that Col. ORR his elevation TO the
unitod vote of tho South and only such Of the
North as hud proren hemseres true TO the consuton-
al rights Of our section, is any thing ose needed to
exhibit the fact Of his having honoraby achieved
distinguished success? And shall it be said tlat he
is on this account in any representative Of
national oficc-seekers Yet this appears to be tho
only kind of national prominence which, by any sort
of rational construction he be accused Of having
sought to reach thus far If there is aught else what
is it? We challenge its mention.-As to the other
branch of the proposition, which is by impcation)
that COL ORR does not represent the politics Of South
Carolina, we ask tho Alabama editor and his endor-
ser what is the political attitude Of sate if it be
not ono Of calm resolve to stand by her Southern sis
tors and cooperate With thom for the bost whether
that best be in the Union or outside of it? What
is her fixed policy if it DO not to watch the progress
of events and shape them so far as she may to the
triumph of the South under the Constitution What
is her present political ulmatum, if it be not TINT
embraced in the Georgia platform Of 1852? AID is
not this the attitude this tho policy and this the ulti-
matum, which COL 0RR represcnts7 Assuredly and
aynwedly so. How idle and weak then is the entire
allegation of tho "Marion GqmmQnpealth."
(2) "There is no State in the Union Who,e ,,oliti-