Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1861-04-03

t, your b,nly i1r confirmation. therefore,
nos r SpecllullY relcr to YOU this nomination
for Your confirmation
Ii will be seen by the report from Tie Trea.
sury Department, that our expenditures have
been $GlO,3l7 (six hundred and forty thou
sand three hundred and seventeen dollars j
OF this amount $4,000 WAS expended by
the Ordnance Board. This includes what has
Leen expended for ordnance aud munitions
of nj! kinds. AS to all expenses incurred
since the 2Mh Of December last. tie day on
which South Carolia seeded from the old
Confedcracv, take it for granted the Gov
ernmcnt of the Confederate States will become
responsible to us for the amount: as II was
| incurred in defence of . common cause, and
particularly as the Confederate Government
expressly assumed jurisdiction OF all ques.
lions hctwceu Us and anv other governments
relating TO dc!cuces and military operations.
1t will be perceived that, through com.
munica,ion from the Secretary Of War at
Montgomery. was particularly requested to
turn over all arms and munitions received
from the Arsenal Of tic United States in this
city, and also "a! other arms | might think
proper. suppose the ordinance and arms the
State owned itself, which We're purchased III
lsjO and 1851. might with great propricty lie
retained by the state now, AS also some small
arms in the late Cnitcl States Arsenal, es-
s,ntial to arm our volunteer force il called
into service, ought to be retained but all the
ordnance aud munitions of war procured and
purchased recently, might be very appropri-
atelv turned over to the Confederate Govern.
ment, and most respectfully call the aten
ton of the Convention to this subject as con.
ncctcd with any arrangement they might
make in reference to tie transfer OF our regu.
lar opoes to the Confederate States.
herewith transmit the Ordinances and
Resolutions OF the different States that
have seeded, and would call attention to the
obvious propricty of providing Tor them
together with our own Ordinance on the same
subject, some suitable place of safe deposit.
They are simple, but authentic records of
events we'll calculated to produce profound
nprcssiot upon the future destiny Of our
country.
Heretofore in tue history Of the world, the
great struggle has been to secure the personal
rights of individuals. In former times, the
power of government absorbed all individual
or personal rights Of citizens. But eur Eng
lish ancestors, by their sturdy virtues, en-
urafted at different periods, such grants and
restrictions upon the British Constitution, rs
eilcctualy secured personal rights, and as far
as that branci. Of liberty is involved, they
made it as perfect rs in any other country.
TO secure the political rights OF separate
and Independent communities, required a
higher and broader range Of political expert.
cncc. The guarantees for personal rights in
England, was great advance over the old
itudal system OF Europe and it was then left
! to the Sc; arate States Of America to develope
:. higher experience over larger extent of
;erri,ury in those guarantees necessary TO sc.
cure the local rights of separate and indcpen-
dent communities, united under one common
government
The old Constitution was intended to effect
this advance in the science OF government, and
if it had been properly administered, would
have continued to develop the mighty reSour
ces and power of wonderful people. But,
under the combination of ambition with IA
naticsm, they attempted to organize the great
j asses Of the people, so as 10 act together in
Il consolidated majority, and administer the
common government without regard to the
sacred guarantees by which the local rights
and interests Of separate communities should
he preserved under the absolute control Of
their separate governments. This, of course,
reversed the whole philosophy of our peculiar
system, and if permitted to become success
tul, would have given us no advance over the
European system Of government. In fact, it
would have placed us behind them in pro-
grcss, for many Of their enlightened aal pow
erlul governments have asserted the docsriI e
and acted upon it, that governments and dy.
nasties can be changed by popular sovereignty,
expressed through universal suffrage, in indie.
pendent communities: and they avow this as
\ substitute for the. old theory Of divine and
hereditary right.
Under our old articles of confederation the
government had failed, and the Constitution
of the United States grew out Of the force ol
circumstances, and was adopted in orde! to
secure, at that period. more perfect union
to enable us to resist foreign aggression. We
have outgrown that state Of things, and the
danger lately was not from foreign aggrcs-
sion, but from internal corruption, and from
an assumption in parts and majoritieS, of alb.
soute government over other parts. without
reference to the limitations and reservations
of the compact. Thus, that Constitution ran
its career and fulfilled It's destiny, under tic
perverted and vi,iated idea that we were 0
a consolidated people. Under prejudices fos,
tered by designing men, and under the worst
passions utlamed by bad men, an absolute
majority was created, who assumed that lheil
will must necessarily be the government, in.
stead of the fixed principles oI the Cunstitu'
,;o 1nl l,p
rights and interests OF the separate and in
dependent communities which composed the
Cunicdcracy Of States.
Our State. true to the great principles upon
which the Confederacy was formed, and true
to those great and progressive ideas which
were so identified with American Indepen
dcnce, was forced to resume her original pow
crs of government; and it she succeeds in
rngr;liting the fundamental right Of a separate
and independent State to withdraw from any
Confedcracy that may be formed, whenever
her people, in sovereign Convention Assem-.
bled, Shall 50 decide, then she will have made
another advance in the scienceoi government
and added another guarantee 10 the great
principle OF civil liberty. And if this princi.
pic could be secured without an appeal to
arms anu Dlopu, IL Wouiu SNOW lhat t!le
country has progressed in civilization and in
tclli iscnce; So l;.r rs to be able to settle all
controversies and issues involving political
rights by an appeal to reason. to interest, to
free discussion, to Conventions, to treaties
and covenants, rather than by an appeal to
brutal force.
True, We have encountered miSrelresenta-
ton and abuse, ana for q people, So small in
we did WAS full Of danger and difficulty.
But no people are lit TO be free, unless they
are able IL treat dcnuncation with indlllcr-
cnce, and to meet danger with fortlude.
From peculiar circumstances, South Caro-,
liza as called upon to take the first step in
this march to independence. SHE had to Ell.
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