The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1861-05-22
Political Remarks.
by "N.n

Should the Government at Washiu c,o,
imagine itself capable of declaring wa
against the Confederate States; or, with
out any formal war, engage in hostiilies
under the pretence OF enforcing its Laws
maintaining its military posts and garri
sons, and retaking those which are now
in The possession Of those States; how will
it conduct such war, or prosecute those
hostililes
As Government, it has no abundant
treasury nor has it any system Of taxa.
ton, which can replenish it, except by the
imposition Of duties on commerce. This
depends on the continuance of peace
From whom will it borrow money OF
what does the boas,ed wealth the North
and Northwest consists Whatever il be.
IT is result Of trade; /; and is little else but
vastly extended credit !; dependent on
state Of established order throughout the
whole sphere of that credit. Let the Gov
ernment venture on general interruption
OF the course Of trade, and shake the bal.
ance Of justice, ana that wealth, on which
it relies, will be arrayed against it. The
influence Of the pernicious Union. which
it is proposed to re.es,ablsh and perpet.
ua'e, has concentrated the wealth of rast
regions and multitudes Of people in few
large cities. In them it has increased
their natural tendency TO unwholesome
inequality, and tluctuation in .he distribu
ton Of that wealth. The consequence is.
that there is no established class of the
rich, who are connected by rank with the
Government; while the evil OF numer.
ous poor population, without LOYALTY TO
the Government or interest in it's insti,u,
tions, is more glaring than in any other
civilized nation upon the earth.
The wealthy have no other employment
Tor their accumula,ions, than trade, spec.
uiaiions in public and private credits, and
wasietnl extravaganza. Will their marble
and brown stone balances, and princely
furniture, and pompous equipages their
French cookery and profigacy, furnish
supplies for al army2 A country is veal.
thy when its capital is invested in produc.
tive labor, as is the case with the slave.
holding States; but among The free States,
money, as it is called. ia in antagonisrn
with labor. The people, who produce,
accumulate very little; and they have
nothing to spare for patriotism. They are
Kept from turbulence, in the employmcn,
furnished by the public and private works
OF ex,ravagance which only CRAFTY the
love Of vanity and display, and a.s unpro,
ductiye. Yet with all this, what is the
boasled condition Of the large cities, ia
which the necessary means Of war are to
be obtained from timid mammon, and IL,
usurious speculationsi They have moth
ing redundant; and the poverty, immor
ali'y, ignorance and brutality cf the mas
es, correspond with the proAigacy, and
the earnest cooperation Of the people
which II alone can produce, are now here
to be found.
The reason why they have ever advo
Gated the consolidation Of the Union. is
because they have 90 few elements oi 40.
cial consolidation iu their own State.-
There is sad conviction among them
selves, that their social order is dependen
on the Federal Government. Yet the
power Of that Government has been con
temped among their people; ard within
the sphere Of their own self despised State
Governments, their Legislatures have bean