Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-10-13

a narrow range of action. Vain hope !!
On the Erst day Of the session a delegate
from one Of the small parishes moved a
resolution calculated to fix such limit
1t was unceremoniously sent to the table.
On the second day one of the delegates
from the parish Of st. Andrews and st.
Michael-the city of Charleston intro
duced another to the same effect, but
more carefully worded This was debated
an hour. and then killed by two majorty.
That settled the parish system. The low
country was in favor OF doing as little
work as possible /; the up.country was in
favor of doing as much as possible
When the proper time came the od.par.
ish system was swept away by two
thiras vote, and political power was trans
lerrcd from the hands Of the low-country
to the innovatlng hards Of the up-country
1t may seem small matter to careless
observers OF State action but the fact is
Of grave importance. The parishes gov
crned the State in the one sole interest Of
slavery, aud though the up-country will
not govern it just yet in the interest OF
freedom, the proportion Of negroes in the
!ow-ceGntry districts is very much larger
thar in the up-country districts. The in
hahtants OF the low-country are of for.
ei.n descent, with monarchical and aris-
tocraiic tendencies; those of the up
country came riginally from Pennsylvania
Maryland, New Jersey, &c. just in
what respects the change of power will
affect the character Of the State lcgisla-
ton no one can yet say but all men
concur in saying it is matter Of very
serious import.
Ooc q. D. Ti!lnan, man of immense
frame and very considerable abilities,
genial and off baud, WHO has lived in
South America and California, and now
halls from Elgiicld District, who has
served six years in the State Legislature,
and two years-for mansaughter in the
State penitentiary. who quotes philosophy
from De TocqueviIIe and historical max
inns from Gibbo,i-ths man, who makes
friends with everybody, and at whom the
gentlemen" so-cailcd, of the low-country,
affect to sneer, is u very red republican
in his disregard Of what are called FAN
cient. ri shts anl privileges" Sitting with
great bIuc-gray eyes that seem always
half asleep, he is always alert and wide
awake souchias along with rolling
gait, he is careful and earnest utterly
wanting in the power Of ofatory or rheto-
ric he has made more poi.ts than any
! other member Of the convention, and has
carried all Of them but one, and that Of
minor imnostancc. lie is the leader Of
the advance line Of the up-country,not so
much by any election as by the inherent
force of necessity. lie led in ,he open
field fight against the St. Andrews and
! St. Michael resolution: he WAS pre-emi.
nently the restless and uutilin5 enemy of
the parish system; he it was who strcuu-
! lousy resisted the effort 10 include the
blacks as an clement Of population in
giving the bas, Of representation in the
lower house CT the Legislature, because
it would result, finally, in giving the con-
trol OF that body to the Iower-country:
and yesterday he fired his last shot in the
shape OF u provlso that after the year
1869 10 district shall have more than l.
representatives, which he carried through
by I'll to i5--thc point Of it being that
i Charleston nov has, ard always has had,
twenty. His object is to cripple the
power Of the low-coUutry in every posi-
! bic way. He viii take no bond OF fate
he builds his walls Of offence and defence
Oh the Constitution itself. lie represents
and typiies the spirit Of the up-country
towards the law-country-iutensllied and
exaggerated, Of course, BY much reading
and much brooding. That section has
certainly, through his vigilance and good
humorel slecpIessnoss, availel itself OF
every opportunity.
The spirit ct the convention towards
the general government has been indica-
/ tel in what was said respecting its action
ON the clause Of the Constitution dcclar-
ing slavery abolished. 1t has been very
clcarly shown in some other matters
The famous ".Aldrch resolution so
callc /, brought it out on the first dry OF
the session. He introduced it as soon as
the conreniqn was organized - Resolv-
! ell That under the present extraordinary
circumstances, it is both wise and polite
to accept the copdton in which we are
/ placed to endure patiently the e"'ls
which we cannot avert or correct; aud to
calmly and patiently await the time and
opportunity to eject our detferance from
Unconstitutional rule" The spirit OF this
resolution is unmstakable, aud 50 was
the action OF the convention ia respect to
il. There was very Iittle debate. alt
doesn't become South Carolina to vapOr
or swell or strut or bras or blaster or
] tire t or swarser," SAID old Gov. Flck-
ems "she points to her burned cities, her
/ ,!csolate plantations, her mourning hearths
her uunumbcred graves, her widows and
her orphans, hes own torn anl bleeding
body this, she says, as Tie 'eorh q
acar and she bids us bind up her wounds
aud pour in the oil OF peace--bids us
cover her great nakedncss, and we must
do it. even if it needs that in 50 doing We
90 backwards !" This was the spirit OF
Que section of the convention. The other
section found voice through Gen. Sam
McGowan, many times wounded, once
lett ~ the field lor dead, land yet carry
, ing tha bullet Of Union musket III his
body Il protest with all the earnestness
of nv nature against this resolution. 1t
is not true that South Carolina carries
/ l ,.1.o, ,,nlarnaoth her yestm nnts She