Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-08-14

al. And it did seem as if his power was ire
sistibe. No doubt if you weakened Radi
Gals of the South had lived in that day you
would have said, "the Constitution is dead
and we must consent to what we cannot re-
sis!." But John Hampden would not con-
sent. He resisted. He was tried as crimi-
nal for resisting, and was condemned. But
what was the sequel? The people finally as
serted their power. Charles and his minis
ters rerished. The very judges that con.
demned Hampden we're themselves tried and
condemned as criminals, and the very officers
even the sheriffs, who executed the orders OIL
Charles and his courts, were sued by the citi-
zens for damages, and had to pay nearly q
million of collars for executing the processes
of a void, unconstitutional law! For time
traitors held the power and trampled on
rights, but vengeance came, and perpetual In
fanny followed.
So Cromwell and his Parliament violated
the Constitution, and though they also -four
ished for season, they, toe, were overthrown
So James II. tramped on the Constitution,
and had to fly from his kingdom fugitive
for life. In all these struggles good men, for
time, suffered, and bad men, for time,
ruled, but the English race have never yet
failed to rescue their Constitution from the
power, both of traitors and fanatics.
tell you the American people will not al
ways be deceived. They will rise in defense
of their Constitution, and traitors will trern-
BILE. They who rallied three million strong
to defeat what they considered an armed as
sau!t on the Constitution and Union, will not
sleep until {. few hundred traitors from be-
hind tie masked battery Of Congressional
oaths and deceptive pretens:ons of loyalty
shall utterly batter down the Constitution and
Union forever. warn you, boaslful, vindic-
tive Radicals. by the history of your own
fathe:s, by e., inslinct OF manhood, by
every right Of liberty anl every impulse o.
Justice, that the day is coda1ig when you will
feel the power Of an outraged and betrayed
people. Applause. Go On conhscatins!
Arrest without warrant or probable cause
destroy AoJeas corpus deny trial by Jury
abrogate State governments; dcfi'e your own
race, and fippanty say the Constitution Is
dead Go, on, With Jour work of ruin, ye
hell.born riolcrs in sacred things bu. renem,
bsr for all these things the people will call
you to judgment prolonged applause. All
what On issue you have made for yourselves
Succeed, and you destroy the Constitution
Fail, and YOU have covered the land with
mourning. Succeed, aaJ you bring ruin cn
yourselves and all the country: Fail, and
you br,ng infamy upon yourselves and all
your deluded followers! Succeed, and you
arc the periured assassns Of liberty! Fail,
and YOU are defeated, dcspiscd traitors forev-
er. Ye who aspire to the Radical Governors
and Judges in Georgia. l paint before vo!I
this day your destiny. Unbounded applau- j
You arc but towards ard knaves, and the
time will come " hen you will call upon the
rocks and mountains to fall on you and the
darkness to hide you from an outraged pco-
pie. Appause.l
Does it do you good to trample on the Con
stituton-deceive the negroes and ruin the
country? 1t may be sweet now, but tell
you the sui phurons fires OF public lnlamy will
never be quenchcd On your spirits. Ap--
plause pity you from my soul. Would
that the time Lad never come when had to
stand upon Gcorgia's soil and thus talk to
Georcians. i struggle is coming. 1t may
be a long ard bloody one, and you who ad-
vocatc this wicked scheme will perish in it,
unless the people now arouse and check It's
c9usummalion. Let every true law loving
man rally at once to the standard of the Con
sti:u!ion OF his country. [Applause. Come
Do not abaEdoD your rights. Defend them
Talk for them. and ii necd be, before God
and the country, Gsht end die for them
Enthusiastic and prolonged applausc.l De-
,.ot talk or think 0; secession or disun'on, oui
come up to the good old platform Of our fatn,
ers-the Constitution. Let all. North and
South, come and swear heforc God that We
will abide by it in good faith, and oppose eve
ry-thing that violates it. Tie man who loves
the Constitution now and is willing 10 live
and die for it, is my friend and brother
though he come from the frozen peak Of
Mount Washington; and the man who is fol-
trampling upon it is my enemy, and | Shall
hold him so, though he come from the sunny
cline Of the orange and the cotton bloom
That is my issue.
O! how sorry a creature is the man who
cannot stand up for the truth, when the coun'
try is in danger. There never was snch an
opportunity rs now exists for man to show
of what stuff he is made. How c:n You &c
about the street and say, Gall is wrong, but
cannot help it!' You want courage, my
friend You are q coward You lack cour
aye to tell the truth and would sell your birth
right for q temporary mess OF po'tase, even
for little bit of judgeship or bureau Gill
GERS place.
But some orc says: How will you resist
it?" will resist it first BY not approvingg, IT.
If everybody would DO that it would be eitee'
tusliy resisted so far rs we are concerned
But the so-callcd Congress has provided a
cover for itself in advance, under which to
hide from the odium attaching to this scheme.
1t has provided that you can vote either tor
or AGAINST convention and again vote ior or
ooainst whatever constitution it may frame.
It is sought to make as responsible Tor what
ever may be the consequences, ana relieVe
Them. after a while when youbec alarmed
at the results, they will say, " We Gid not 20
this; we only gave you cfance and You a'o
it.n
But if we defeat this, it is said, military
rule will continue. Certainly-untl wicked
men shall bc driven from power, But let 1t
be so. General Pope seems to be gentle
man, and | infinitely prefer his rule to the
rule of such men as you will get under this
scheme. Besides, the new government, If IN
augurated will not be able to live day with,
out military protection. It is safer to be gov
erned by power than by treachery.
Perhaps you will think l have overdrawn
the picture of the fearful consequences OF
accepting this scheme. ] recollect an Incl
dent which occurred over six years ago, when
I was urging the people of Georgia not to
secede, because the country would thereby
fall into the hands of Radicals, and predicted
war aud its attendant sufferings as the result
though then deemed visionary. | would be
almost ashamed now to read my remarks of
that day-my picture would be SO tame and
So far short of the dreadful reality that has
sollo.uod very nrominent gentleman re.