Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-11-01
For The Advertiser.
Mr.. C. D. Tillman: .

rclali.i {" grave and important subjects aad cr-
r"n,"us Impressions were made n!."n the public
luird IN reference tn my course in the Convention,
/ therefore raAe the ibrty to address you through
the press. / will erieavor to be brief, aud will
nor elaborate The argument.
S. In your speech to the people at Liberty Hill,
ALMOST ut its icsinbins, you asserted broadly,
Ha,ly and emphntioal!y that the Constitution OF
the United States was dca6, and nIiratile dieia,
tn Drove it, you'invoked The palhority df cer-,
tain mameless Yankee Colonel You;alsO asserted
thai South Carolina was no longer State, but
merely : big county, and bore the same relation
to the Federal Government that Edsefield District
did t. the Government Of South Carolina. About
tho close Of your speech you broadly; fatty and
emphaical!y tDId The people that debts could not
be abolished, because the Constitution of the
United srates,forhade it. ii is probable that n
Chinese Jugslsr could have blown The breath OF
life into the Constitution more adroiuy than. did
Yourself; but hold it to be utter impossible for
even the Prince Of Jugglera to have performed
| the samc feat more audaciously, or with greater
sany Troid than you did on that memorable occa-,
| sion.
I, in the few remarks I made On that occasion,
attracted the attention of the people to thisglaiing
/ inconsistency in your speech. Subsequently, ia
your speech Mt Richardson's, you gave evidence OF
change, or at least of material modification OF
your views in rslpion to this important subject; /;
but you failed to give the reason thcrcfor-nor
!. {be liUht that
Illuminated! your undorsta nding,p Nevertheless,
7 will lnot.comp]ain,g gbut beg TO express the hope
that the reformation commenced at homo will be
completed in Columbia. The Constitution Of
South Carolina, to nrdain and establish which
YOU assisted, p.escribes tho oath of Office, and
that oath requires oil officers to swear to prrscrre
protect aud deJead the Constitution io this Stats,
and Matoftac Uiited States. To swear to prcserrc,
protect and Ggead something that is dead; sons
? thing that is not in existence, is simply absurd.
This oath, as Senator for ElseGeld, you have ta-
keu. You will therefore doubtless see and feel
? the necessity Of yonr Immediately perseo:ing
your reformation in regard to this grave subject.
In truth, Sir, there is no escape for you you are
sworn to advocate the C6nstitutiou,-you are
bound to plant yourself upon tho Cons sstuti7n-
for it is the true platform, and it is The platform
Il..ve, since.tEo South ceased to fight, in season
and cut of season, so oinduslriously preached. !
repeat Sir, there is no escape for you unless In
deed you violate your oath, which viii not con-
lecture, and which do not suppose possible. No
Sir, would cot wnutonly iInpute so base, So foul
crime not even to tho vilest wretch, the meaDcsi
criminal that the revolution through which VIC
hnye just passed.; muy have spewcd up or may
hereafter spew up from the lowest depths of igno-
miny and shame to the surface, nnd perhaps Las
elevated or may hereafter elevate TO high places
Enough has been said TO prove you inconsistent,
and will now briefly address myself to the merits
of the subject When you said that the Consti-
tuition WAS dead, and that South Carolina was but
County, you enuuciatel n grave error and
, eviuccl no great craftsmanship. Hyou had said
, that the Constitution was suspended you would
have come. nearer the, truth. Had you said
. that civil law WAS suspended, us to the South,
/, You would hayc been critically correct In poin!
, of fnct, civil law has and i: suspended in many
respects at the North MS we'll 1T the South. But
it has been suspended according to the forms OF
the Constitution ard as provided for by that in
st1ument. Clause 2, Sect. o. Art. ], reads ms fol-
, lows: " The Privilege of rhe Writ of Hubeas Cor.
i. pus SHALL not be suspended unless when in eases
Of rebellion or invasion the public safety may
REQUIRE it," II is we'll known that there Was Mt
f the timo tho writ was suspended war, invasion,
and, according 10 the theory Of the General Gov
ernlncnt. and the opinion Of the dominant party
North, there was rebellion. 1t would therefore
bc correct to suy that civil law had been suspsn-
dci MS provided for By the Constitution. PreIi-
dent JouSsoN has been democrat,-the demo-
cratic party has always been Constitutional par
ty, and it is believed at the South that President
JOHNSON is devoted to tho Constitution, true to
its principles, md friend Of the South. Ltherc-
fore firmly bclioyo that the President will, SO
soon Ms all the seeded States take the proper
steps to restore thems selves to the Constitution
and the laws, restore the Writ of Naleas Corpus,
and proclaim civil law and peace throughout the
length unG breadth of our long distracted coun-
try. God grant that it may speedily come =
Constitutions arc made to protect tho weak
against tho strong to protect the minority against
!. the majority. The Government is stronger than
tie South, therefore let US cling to she Coastitu-
tion. The NOrtb is moro populOas than the South,
therefore lot, US mnintain the Constitution. The
warrior bold but wary, wouldnot, while confront
ing thc foe, break into fragments and fling from
him tho only weapon left liim for self defence.
1 The Statesman wise and sagncious, would not
finding himself pressed on every side by ditlcul-
ties, cast at hs feet tho onyshield that interpo-
ses itself between his people and certain dostruc-
tion. The Constitution is our only weapon, and
it is our only shield. ndays gone By it has bcon
of service to US, and it may be of service in time
to come Let us at least resolveto preserve, pro-
toct aAl dJrend" it in good fifth. ALI tat:cfod,
all' torn, though the Constitution. of our country
mny be, let tbo our: part with careful: haEds to
adjust its parts and cement it together With a.
lilies devotion, for remember it is the work of our
sirss An aood, all bloody as it is, let US bold
italoft that he pure Lrcczos Of upper ether may
blow upon it and purify it, that the rays Ica~ens
sun may shine upon it and bleach it and make 1t
white and in our efforts 20 purge it Of its gore,
let US invoke the aid Of Heaven, for remember it
istha; work of your sres. Thought low IN the
4