Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1861-12-04

scarcely be written in a time either Of civi
freedom or of ayowed military rule. Tho
present state Of affairs ct once temptS trans
grcssion, and encourages rcmonstrancc II
would be much better for all parties if Presi,
| dent and General dealt 1T once with the State
authorities as Admiral Putiatimc has lately
| dealt with the ministry of St. Petersburg. Il
rulers have made Up their mind to dissolve an
assembly. it is a grea; saving of temper, and
involves no compromise. of principle: to dis.
solve it at once by a regiment Of cavalry.-
But there is :, reason why our Northern
friends shrink from proclaiming openly that
Maryland is in military occupation. Such q
proclamation would reveal, in Il new and
startling form, the magnitude of the task they
have taken. 1t would be seen at once that no
earthly power can hold the States together if
they choose to be disunied. If active, though
further suppression, supported By military
force, is necessary in compact, conservative
Maryland, what must be done with the
swamps OF Florida; the jungles Of Mississippi,
the almost rathless forests Of Texas? The
belief in the existence of a strong Union party
in the Southern States is now well nigh cX-
tinct. 1t is seen that the advocates Of slavery
are more united among themselves tl!an its
opponents. There is no division of principle
in the Southern camp like that which is typi-
fled in the Northern army, by Gems. MyClcl-
Ian and Fremont.
If the President were master Of the whole
South tomorrow, and had the "pecnliar in
sti;ution" I" in his grasp, he would not know
what to do with it. Some of his supporters
would dcmand that it should still be rccog-
nized as the law of the land others would
bid him cast it from him is an unclcan thing
How much hctter would It be if the North
while it held to the justice Of IFS cause. re-
nounccd the impossible cndeavor to coerce
the South 1t would then no longer be the
same thing to advocate peace and TO support
slavery. Those who arc free themselves, and
wish others to be free, would then ha2y 2
manly and straightforward course before
then. They might say to their Southern
neighLors: We consider slavery as & curse,
and you uphold it as !; blessing. We cannot
administer your affairs on our principles, and
you shall not administer our affairs on yours
live cannot agree, We must part; the land
is large enough for Us beth. But the guilt OF
separation lies with you. We wished 10 pre-
serve the Constitution which You have shat
tered. For time We were more sarsuine cf
success, but the first heat Of passion is over.
Let the Providence TO which NC both appeal
decide between you and us. We will not at
tempt to cn$lavc YOU; in order That VIC may
l.be:ate your Saves
The followin. extract CT private letter.
written to a friend in England. By a gentle
man Of fNIarylanl, gives a melancholy picture
Of that Stac:
You will Lave seen that ny hopes of q
peaceful solution Of our troubles were not
realized. In COMMON with many Of our poo-
pie, was mislcd by the pacific declaration Of
Mr.. Lincoln but, alas! our eyes have lccn
opened to TIC melancholy fact that ::hc PARTY
il power prefers its own narrow-mnaed, see
tional. selfish, and iinatica interests TO the
welfare of tic country at large, and VIC are
now plungc; in:o q civil war which might
have been avoided by little common sense,
and Christian charity. The course Of the
Administration has been marked by want oC
truth, homer, lore OF country, and everything
which an Englisllman would understand by
patriotism. All has been sacrificed to the
interests o: vulgar anaticism. We lIayc
Grilted since April lasi, into cold-bloodcd,
cruel unprinc;plcd, military dcspotisn.
eve have lost freedom OF spccch-frec-
dom of the prcss-frecdom from illegal search
es-thc right Of h!Jcas corpus--thc right OF
trial by jury, and the right to be confronted
with accuscrs. Our first and purest men arc
now lying imprisoned in the Gastie {Iort
Lafayette our women arc seized on suspi-
cion, imprisoned and subject TO ndigniles
letters are opened in the postoices, and ;,ll
odious system Of csponagc fastened on tho
country; indeed, we only need the gallows
and the guilotinc TO have rc.cnactcd i.er" the
worst scenes Of the French revolution; and
this. believe, &c would have if the party in
power va: no: fearful Of retaliation ON the
part of the Southern Confedcracy. fhcy
op at nothing t. accomplish thcir ends.
Yol will be panied 10 hear that our friend.
Mr.. -, is one OF Tie victims Of this tyranny.
lie was seized on the 18th September, i,
midnight, harricd from his family without
war'i.g Or an opportunity Of arranging his
aiairs, dragged first TO one fortress, then to
another, and s now prisoner in the Bastie;
aaG this without warrant, without form Of
law, without charge, simply on the ipsc diei.
an irresponsible officer; and there is tic
redress. Tie right of h0Jcas crpas is sus,
pcndcd--no trial is allowed, and he must lie
4 tlcrc Z prisoner unii il mav sr,i. thn o,.,;,,