The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-11-13
Address to the People.

L
veution to the people Of South Carolina
is All important and wclI-considcred docu-
mcnt We regret that limited space pre-
vents its publication entire in this issue.
The address begins with q reference to
the necessity for counsel among the pco-
pie at this time, and :Indcs to the evil Of
Misrepresentation North and South. 1t
then proceeds to show that the cmancpa-
ton policy of the Government is The Pan
iora's box from whence springs the thoa-
sand evils by Which we are cnvironc'l. and
declares that the cultivation Of ottnn ami
rice. under the present system OF labor, il
the most uncertain the least rcmUncra
tive and most llarra>sng employment OF
the world. The exports Of cotton and It's
controlling influence On foreign markets.
prior 10 the war, is contrastcd with the
condition Of things now, when the compc
titoli from East India countcrbalanccS
the importance of American cotton. For
all this there is probably no immediate
remedy, but the address urges the people
TO give up the dclnsve hope of growing
rich by the cultivation of cotton advises
HE raising of brcatlstntl>. more attention
to stock of all kinds. aud every other ct-
tort to fill the land with plenty. and inan-
guratc new system Of agriculture
Manufactures will follow. and to be sue
ccsstul, we must Begin at the beginning.
and work upward, as our population and
wealth increase. The declaration is thcn
made that tie people ot the South would
not now rc-cstabli>h slavery, and while
we cannot and would not recall the past.
-"ct the dead past bury its dead. hut
let us not Lc entirely hopeless oi' the iu-
lurc With something like good govern
ncnt. our necessities will give rise To new
cx,rdicniS. and to conquer our difficult
ties. we must meet them with patience.
orliludc and courage. The great qucS-
ton OF government is next considered.
and the address proceeds as follows:
70 admit aS n fact. as has been assumed
10 he the result of the war. that the 'iuv-
crn.ncnt of the nilcd States is supreme.
and that the States have no rights: or il
they have rights that they are suh"r'li-
nate to the Government ot' the nited
StatcS or which is the same thing. sub
ordinate 10 the will Of majority having
control Ui the Government is lu almlt
the aLr"gltipn al the Constitution. amt t"
ignore The facts oi history In other
words. it is To acknowledge tli"t we have
Il Government of M."trtc ipwrr>. in>;r;.d
ut Il Government ol' iimilc,l and 'crralc'i
uowci<. 1t >aInillr,l. that ANY Govern
mcnt. howcvrr limited. may tor Il iin:e
n>u,p ail power. y single man may rise
up and Sav. II am the State. Any as
>cmIllv o! men may. for q season arr"@a!c
"a themselves ;lIl powcr-cXccullvr. lrIl>-
lalvc aml Judicial But the question re
ours. is this law. or is this u>urIation. j.
this governments nr is il revolution: Mere
physical force is nol law. 1t HAY compel
oIr,li~ncr but ii cannot give Ia lis acts
the sutclion ul law; unlcss il he in those
countries where the will oi ;in absolute
dc>pol is the recognized law o! the i:lad.
To admit that The VIII has established
such Il power in the United States. is To
admit that all constitutions. @nvcrnnrn
is at IAN end. and that rs S>;.tr>. or a> in
,livi,uaIs. we hold onr lie. liberty and
property at the will and pleasure of any
majority. Which lor the time being. may
ho:d tie power Such. Today, may he
practically the condition OF ten States "i
thc American Union. But are we pre-
pared To endorse these proceedings and
rngrall 50 mon>trons Il proposition int"
our government pnIity? That is The
question that the people of the North. rs
we'll rs u the South are called upon
lo consider. The great object laws.
ni constitutions and oi government. is
lo protect the weak against the Stron.c
to shield min"rilic> against the eli.
crnarhmenl> Of mai"riiics. il is 81 p"lii-
cal apholiSm tia! Il majority can protect
ir<rIt. .\ctius by the sheer exercise of
arbitrary power :. majority may. Tor Il
Time sci mt nau.ht aII laws within these
Stalrs-it may cntorcc ;n obedience To
military dccrccs. from which there is no
anpral-it may administer Il purely mill
lary government accnrdngtoits own will,
and rs $orh it must be oheycd. But when
wc are called upon to Sl"rf'o" such gov
trnmcnl Us being i'll accordance with the
constitution and the laws. WE have 4 right
to ,r,! the question according To the rHl'
nrn,m,Sr.l aud To- wilIlhnl, our assent We
admit the t,irt that martial law exists in
Snnlh Carolina hnt we do not admit The
principle that martial law has the ri thl
10 impose civil government upon us
without orr consent. Far he it from us
to rais, II factions opposition t" lhr Re
construction Acts oi Congress. We hr
lirvc that those acts and thr measures
they propose are destructive, not only 10