The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1867-10-17
FOR THE CAMDEN JOURNAL.

FOR TIE CAMDEN JOURNAL.
Reform.
We are so much interested, perplex-
ed and distressed by our own political
troubles, that we are apt not to consfd-
er the condition of the other great na-
tons of the world. True to- human
nature we suppose that we are the only
people on the earth, who are in the
midst Of the revolution Of society, and
the uncertainty and distress resulting
therefrom. The southern people, who
are the victims of the republican theo-
ries at present asitating us, arc disposed
to look with longing glances towards
the government, whose lion was once
our glory and safety. They sigh for
King or an Emperor, government. sta
bic, stloug and respectable, beneath
whose wings they may hope for peace,
quiet and prosperity. Eut is there any
government, which now enjoys this
elysian state Of being, which holds to
the ancient landmark, and does not
try to advance in this age Of progress
Is there any society which is not now
distracted, if not convulsed by the doc
trines ofthe rights Of mankind, over
which enthusiastic demagogues run
mad, and wild theorists rave? We
NAV rest assured that we are not alone,
that we have companions in our mis-
cry, that there are others who like us
though they may wish to see all invest
cd with and enjoying all the natural
rights allowed by law, and the rights
of the society to which they belong yet,
with gloomy forebodings, see looming
up in the future, q time when all law
and government will be set at naught.
When every man, however degraded,
and vicious he may be, finds himself
his own governor-ieels and knows
that he may frame the rules which are
to guido his actions, and restrain the
indulgence of his natural propensities,
will he not make those curbs as gentle,
and those reins as lax as he desires ?
And is not such q condition Of affairs.
incompatible with the existence of So
ciety and order? The man who looks
at the workings and effects Of the doc
trine Of manhood suffrage" with So
berness, and intelligence must shrink
from its application in this country and
in Europe. But all that, he can do is
to protest, argue, and perhaps, give up
in despair and disgust. '.The people"
must have their rights, Of which they
suppose that they have been robbed;
they must govern Themselves, or at-
tempt to do it, and happy is that man
who can fold his arms and calmly wait
for the development Of events. From
the time that history begins to emerge
from the darkness of the Middle Ages.
and assume definite form, so that we
may trace the progress Of nations, we
find that the struggle was always be-
tween the people and the government
In this contest our sympathies are nat
urally with the people. They strove to
free themselves from fetters which
bound them in body and SOUL which
deprived them of the liberty which was
! due to thom, which rendered impossi-
bic all elevation and improvement by
preventing the development of the
mind, and the advance of science and
art; and so far they we're right. We
must admire and approve that inde-
pendence and boldness of thought,
which freed mankind from debasing
superstition. But in our day, the scene
seems to have shifted; the conflict now
is between government and the people,
the subjects wish to rule, and the gov
crnment must obey, and that such is
the case, will appear from an examina-
ton of the politics of the world.
IMPORTANT PRopOsITIoN.-The
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