The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-10-18
THE SITUATION.

The New Orleans Crescent, which IS among 'he
very ablest conducted journals of the country has
well digested article upon 'The Situation," which
we transfer to the columns of the Intelhgencer:
The Southern people cannot be Indifferent to the
general politics of the country. They are inter-
ested observers of all that is occurring at the
North. They may not appear to take any active
part in the exciting discussions which are now
taking place on that arena but their fate as well
as that of the whole country, is In the balance,
and they watch the result without feverish excite
ment it is true, but with the deepest concern. line
vindictiveness of sectional feeling have subjected
them to the injustice of being temporarily elected
from the congressional councils. Their voice Is
no longer heard in the legislative halls of the caP-
toll In common with every other section they
have representative in the chief executive, but
they can give official expression to their voice
in the general legislature to sustain the wise acts
of the President. Mere spectators of the contest
in which their own interests and the welfare Of the
country are SO deeply involved, they can only give
expression to their regret at the mad passions of
The hour, and applaud the herculean efforts of the
chief magistrate to stem the wild torrent OF fanat
csm, and preserve to the people of the whole
country some remains of that liberty which it cost
so much to acquire and which has been the boast
of so many generations.
The influence of Capitalization has not yet rob-
bed the people of every vestige of that inherent
right to local legislation which has been so long
enjoyed. Sectional war is waged it is true, against
the enjoyment of that right. Inroads have been
made upon it. The right has been seriously i'm
paired but supported by the executive regard for
the Constitution, this prerogative Of the people,
though it has been invaded has not yet been over
thrown. The assaults of dominant faction, whose
ambition will dare any act of temerity which may
tend to the perpetuation of their power, are con-
stantly directed against the bulwarks Of constitu-
tional liberty These have been shaken, but they
find still strong support in the President, whose
courage and assiduity are applied to repair the
breaches already made and to strengthen the safe
guards of liberty, which so constantly assailed
Conflicts of authority are not infrequent. Fed
eral legislative encroachment trcads more and more
heavily upon the rights formerly conceded to the
local authority. New England has thrown down
the barrier that formerly separated these distinc
tive authorities and is attempting to overthrow the
whole fabric of State government which has here
tofore sheltered individual rights from the storms
of sectional passion and unreasoning fanaticism.
The judiciary, now as in every previous time oi
our history still combats these encroachments upon
established rights. That great conservative power,
Mt least is not sectional It's voice may occasionally
be drowned amid the tumult of conflicting pas
sons but in every lull of the storm its pleadings
are heard in behalf of the sanctiy of Constitutions
But ii too often happens now, that its announce
ments are but the voice of entreaty and OF protest
and are no longer the authoritative exposition o.
principles which must be observed. When Mar
shall enunciated from his high position living
principle and issued the mandate Of the court, II
went forth, commanding respect and obedience
from all. No organized battalons were under his
control; but such was the respect for the sanctity
of the ermine, and such was the regard for law,
that IN entire people stood ready to enforce man.
date which was but the expression Of their OWE
will, in conformity with the Constitution OF the
country. Individual rights were then secure
Washington, o jefferson or o Madison would have
~1''
aud to execute it's constitutional interpretations.
But now, alas, it is different. Since Mr.. Lin
coin defied the mandate of the chief justice and
placed himself above the Constitution, individual
will has asserted its supremacy over the wishes o
q whole people as expressed in she fundamental
law which was established for the guidance OF oil
A supposed military necessity, which regards
rather the comfort, or the supremacy of an indi
vidual, has too often superseded the more JUS
ideas of public welfare as expressed in the supreme
law of the land. The voice of justice has beer
often silcnced by theroll of the drum, and the man
date, even of the chief justice, has ceased to com
mand respect even from the Junior ieutenants ant
the rank and file of colored regiments.
l. But while the ambition of faction thus openly
dsregards the restraints which the Constitution
has imposed upon power as protection to th'
rights of the citizen, the spirit of the reyolu
ton which has sapped the foundations of State au
thority under the Constitution, in one section, ii
actively employed in melting other State auhori
ties to defiance of the general law. Radicalism il
organizing throughout the North armed insured
ton against the General Government, mean:
of forcibly subverting Constitution which they
have not the means of legtimately changing. The
legitimate executive of the country will not be g
tool in their hands to overwhelm the country under
the rains of republican government. He asserts
and persists in maintaining the rights of the peo-
pie. He labors to yindicate the Constitution and
to maintain it in its purity He is, therefore, al
obstacle in the way of the revolution; but an ob-
stacle which the reyoutionsts seem resolved to re-
move.
This seems to be the situation. It is surrounded
by clouds of portentious blackness The liberties
nf the whole nennle are oil stake but the Northern