White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-07-07
Picture of South Carolina.

w. II. Trescot, author of several
works on American Diplomacy, recently
delivered an address before the South
Carolina Historical Society, and in an
analysis of the character Of the South, as
changed by the influence of political
strife, deprecated the departure from the
old conservatism. In q few words he
unveils the spirit Of lawless Democra-
cy. He says:
"On the one side we have honest and
true men, gosled by the irritating con-
troversies of the day into fierce impa-
thence, relying to unjust and inscriptions
denunciation, by a rude and unnatural
arrogance that offends friends as well as
foes, who meet one insane and disorgan-
izing policy by another as vicious and
unlawful, for whom a petulant suspicion
has created a restless insulation that
strives to conceal its sense of weakness
by a noisy boastfulness Of strength; who,
exaggerating many of the very best fea-
lures of our character, present to the world
distorted picture Of Old Carolina. For
if slavery-that institution in defence of
which they stand with all the courage, if
not the temper, of their fathers-has done
anything for US, it has made us a grave,
earnest, resolute, just people. Look at
the great men in whom the State lives
the Rutledges and Pinckneys of the Rev
olution men of later day, like Gail
lard, and Sumter, and Judge Smith, and
Lowndes, and Calhoun, and Hayne, and
Cheves, and Drayton, and so many 9TH
ers, not less honored, and who have lived
and died in some service of the State
How strong, and yet how quiet; calm,
resolute men just, and generous, and
firm; men who governed others because
they governed themselves; men who, in
the very tempest of party strife
swOuld love the CLEANS Of good that broke
From either side; nor veil their eyes
while, on the other side, we have
men equally honest, vino, wearied and
disguised with these extravagances, would
rashly destroy those peculiarities of our
State character and Constitution, which
are liable to such mischievous exaggera-
ton who would eradicate our old State
pride; destroy the old conservative cha
racter of our State politics; strip us bare
of all the glorious achievements Of the
past, and drive rs, destitute and dishon-
ored, into fit companionship of a vag-
abond and demoralized Democracy-a
Democracy which, in the language of one
of the boldest and honestest thinkers in
the country, has modified our State
in a Democratic sense; has
destroyed the independence of the Judi
ciary, by rendering the Judges elective
by the people, for short terms of service,
and re-eligible; tempered with the noble
system Of the common law /; assailed the
principle of vested rights; struck at the
very principle of constitutional govern
ment, by asserting for the people in eau
Gus the rights which they can have only |
in convention legally assembled; and
removed, as far as possible, every obsta-
lie to to the immediate expression in law |
Of the will or caprice of the majority for
The time; in a word, which has done ev-
,rything it could to render our Govern
nent an absolute Democracy. as incom-
oatible with liberty as absolute monarchy !
tself.