Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-09-16
President D avis and his Assailants.

:
il,nt Davis, and to destroy the confidence of the
people in his adl,f,is.ralion. We most respect
fully aad dispassi..aatcly appea' to the sentl.in@n
conducting these papers, aaj AK what goo1 'hc.
c.n reasonably expcc. 20 accomplish ~ lnis !
course.
Let us consider G-ct uhat"aro the chrrsoS
a;aiu>tlhc President, and SLat the evidence to
,a,..stanLi.te lhnss ckargaE. judging from the
;..ierce and cout:Euvus ratufs nt these attacks
oue w.'d .uapns, that Prcsiaen: Davis !" as sure
ly guilty Of high cri.rs AID msdencanors against
,hc Constitutions: If. in truth, he has been guilty
II violating his oath Of Cice, and betrayins the
trust rcppscd in bin by the cuun:ry, wo shall be
second to none in demanding his punshmen..-j
But if tie President is thus guilty, the Corstu-
ton; We bciivve, points out the mode in Hhcff>be
shalt be dealt with II, then, these gentlemen
i,avo eviionoe Of Mr.. Davis guilt, let them give
information, aud let him be impcached and tried
before the constituted authority. No man in this
| country is beyond the reach of the lnwj and we
sled-c ourselves that our. feeble MD shall BOT be
withheld in bringing Mr. Davis to the bar OF JUS
sice, and making him answorablo for his crimes,
whenever he is properly indicted.
We presume, howevo1, that there is no enc
who seriously believes that the President has
made himself liable TO impoa:hm mt; bnt 1t
| mar be said that his offoncos, while they do not
wa; rant an, liz pcachEent, ore yes # sdcn s'r5
Gus character rs to demsud: somc noIics-thut
they are Injurious to the country and ought tn be
reformed. THIS may or may not he true; but
let us ndmit for moment ,its truth, and then see
how 9sr this fact may justify the course Of Mr.
Davis assailants.
1 Wo will suppose, then, that the President is
guilty of conduct which, while it does not make
him obnoxious to impeachment, is still highly
INJURIOUS to the country, and should be reiurmcd' )
and the professsd object Of these papers is to sf-
C. CT this reformation Tho question then arises
aud question Of vital inportance-isth the course
pursued by these papcrs the one likely to effect
the proposed ebj.ct? l. it such us ordinury pru-
dence and discretion would dictate? What is the
ease? You see man doing wrong-you believe
that his course is highly injurious 10 himself and
the cruntry-you desire to turn him from the cr-
rvr OF his way-and what course do you adopt?
What is the course that wSe man would ADOPT
|
ronsly tho evil ? lie would 60 to the man alone,
or, if personal Interview wa. not practicable, he
would 10 some pirate way appeal to this mans
good sopse and good feeling; in a frank, kind
and respectful manner, point out to him the errors
Of his course, and the reasons for altering it,
This he would be careful to do in such way as
not to excite the errins mans passions or p'sju-
| - ;yt- al
the nursery, that you have no influence with
man after you havs excited his disploasure aud
prejudices. This statement must be self-esidcnt
TO every enc. How does it apply to t6e cssc we
are csnsiicripg--President Davis and his assail
ants? What course are tbey pursuing, and-wi'h
what likelihood of doing good to the country p
They undertake to reform the errors of the Pres
ilent How? BY private aud friendly renon-
STRANGE? Gy frank, kind and respectful appeals
through the press? N.ither-cnytEiag else OF
the contrary. Fierce, bitter, unneasured denun-
ciationis the mcaus they adopt to reformt he Pres
ident. Injustice, irnbccility, ohstinacy, want Of
courage, and want Of intellect, are the znilicst
terms they apply to biz. --=-.--,------
Now we would seriously ask, do editors pursu
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by this denunciation? Do th:y thin. thu; Mr..
| Davis will be induced by vituperation to change
his cenrso7 We fear that these gentlemen arc
putting .hoz,se!Tcs in an awkward position be-
fore the world. The uncharitable public will be
apt 10 conclude that they sadly deficient in
the necessary sagac;ty to accomplish their end,
il that end bo the public gool ttat the mems
used constitute really tho end in vicw-na,ncly,
the denunciaton of the President.
That Mr.. Davis has made appointments of in
competent men to Office, we do not at all deny
ba, it may bothat he had no better man to pat in
the place, and it is not surely expected Il 81 he
will create Generals if there in the coun-
try, or admitting that Le had better men. thon We
sGy that no one supposeS Mr.. Davis to be iufalii-
be-and donunciatlon will hardly make him SO.
We now make boid to express tho opinion that
Mr.. Davis has administered the Government with
great and signal ab;lityf VIC even presune to
doubt if any Of hi, defunlers could hav. conduct.
ed it with moro wisdom. He entered upon his
Office with empty treasury, without L soldier
or ship, with every port in his Government
blocksded, without guns or ammunition, without
shoes or clothing, or nedicnc, or proper food for
his army. And in this state Of preparation, he
found himself engaged in war of extcrmina-
ton with ono OF the most powerful unscrupuous,
bood-thirsty nations vn earth. He has fought
the. enemy two Years md half he has now va
liant and veteran army, fully equipped and able
to meet the enemy upon any field; hc has credit
in Europe; when he assod for fifteen million Eng
ish capitalists subscribed as million dollars hc
has already upon the high .eas four war steamers,
and before January will havo thrto tines that
number. Ills friends may proudly ask Are these
tho Indications OF wea6 aud im5ecile Chief Mag
istrato?
II We look to Europe, hero wo may expect NJ,
impartial judgment, whatdo We hear? Ituas barely
two months ago that Lord Campbell spike of
President Davis in the House of Lords, in terus
which would have been high eulOgy upon my
living man. Such is tho common opinion Of Mr.
Davis in Europe, j, expressed by the Press, both