The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-11
RADIcALIsM AND AGRARIANIsM.

hOSL SUCCESSFUL VI ooA N"J
eration says, in his Life of CESAR, that "the
success of superior men depends much more on
their ability to profit by circumstances than ON
that presumption sufficiently blind to make
events to be born which are in the hands OF
Gop alone" We are all the creatures of cir
cumstances, and the only difference between the
great man and the small, is that the great man
seizes the circumstance rs it arises, while the
man of inferior capacity lets the opportunity
slide away and allows himselfto be left behind.
The fool alone thinks that he can create events
or that he can prevent certain effects from iol-
lowing certain causes. The world moves by
fixed laws. There is logic in events 1t is
easy to arouse passions, but it is impossible to
prevent the consequences Of those passions
AARON BURR on one occasion expressed this
idea strongly and forcbly. At the time of nulli-
6cation in this State he said to gentleman
from this city, "there are men enough in South
Carolina who can raise storm, but there is
not one in the State who can quell that storm
when raised"
The contest between the North and the South
has terminated in giving q marked develop
ment to the theory of blind majorities. Under
that theory minorities are entitled to no protec'
ton. They are defeated. They must be
crushed. Carried out fully it means nothing
more nor less than Vs VictiS, woe to the con-
ouered. You are defeated, let the car pass
over you We are the majority. 1t is our Will
and pleasure. You should not complain. You
made the fight and you are conquered This
may be right. This may be proper. This
may be just 1t certainly is not wise. To-day
the victor tramples under foot his victim. To-
morrow, the victim having gained strength and
learned the lesson from his conqueror, In turn
plays tyrant and tramples on his former op-
pressor.
There are other and more dangerous results
growing out of the theory that the blind Will OF
the majority is the law Of the land. The nrst
and necessary result is the total loss Of liberty.
This loss, it is true, takes the shape in the first
place of despotism of the masses, but where
ever that despotism exists the distance Is not
great from anarchy on the one hand, or one
man mower ON the other. Our fathers foresaw
this. They were not only wise men, but they
were animated by pure and noble instincts
Well versed in the policy Of the past they were
determined to frame government which would
avoid the shoals and qucksands on which other
Governments had been destroyed. They knew
that a race of born kings may become effete'
and they determined that their chief executive
officer should be elected. They knew that long
possession of power made men forget their re-
sponsibility to their fellow men, and they elect
ed their president for short term They had
seen oligarches oppress the people, and they
avoided anything approaching to arlstocracy'
They had. seen turbulent democracies Danish
and ostracse their noblest and best men, and
they guarded jealously the rights and privileges
of the humblest citizen. They had seen the
bad effects of the union of Church and State,
and they provided against the possible union OF
religion and politics. They knew that small
States would certainly be oppressed by their
stronger and more powerful neighbors' and
they established a perfect equality in one
branch of the legislature of the nation. Theirs
WAS a government of perfect checks and
balances in which the smallest minority was
protected by a written constitution, from the
most powerful and passionate majority. Under
that government three millions of people rapid
ly increase ten-fold commerce, arts anu the
sciences fourished. Every man with health
and industry found bread, and with ordinary
prudence could lay up surplus. Their gov
ernrnent was loved at home and respected
abroad.
Human vanity, however, and human passion
can and often does destroy the noblest work
The war came and with the passions of the
war the Radical party acquired power. Set
ting itself up for teacher, arrogating to ifself
superior wisdom, rejecting the lessons OF the
past and the light of experience, 1t declared
that change was progress; the Constitution OF
the United States an instrument which should
only endure so long as the majority would per-
init. and that the will of majority of the
American people is the supreme law of the land
This is the policy now actuating the dominant
party,-in nothing exaggerated. This Is the
platform laid down by the most prominent and
certainly the most honest among their leaders.
Let us see to what results this policy will lead
unless the sober sense of the American people
should in time drive back the current.
There is debt of near $4,000, 100000 to be
paid. The population of the United States is
&c, ,0Oo, 900. Of that 3G,0O0,OOO about half
million are owners of the debt Suppose
that each owner has family of four
persons in addition to himself, and we
would have two million and a half of people
enioyinr the labor and the toll, and bene-
fitting by the sweat of thirty-four million
five hundred thousand Majorities should
rule, say the radicals. Their Will is the
law Will it be the will of fourteen men,
taucht to believe that no social compact is bind
ing any longer than the majority desires that 1t
should bind, TO labor for LIE tor the support VI
one. If the radical theory is correct there can
he no faith in politics; their own party must as
II necessary consequence Of their principles,
advocate rcpudiation.
One proof of this is to be found in Mr. THAD.
STEVENS "mild confscaton scheme extra
constitutional as he admits it TO be Mild con-
Gscation God save the mark One might as
well speak of mild highway robbery, mild
arson, mild murder. 1t is true that this
scheme is today intended to operate on the
South, but if it succeeds it must eventually be
carried into the North If it is the will of the
majority to take away. land from the landowner
in the South, and give it to the landless, will
not the question lie asked who are in the ma