Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-06-26
The Issue.

The truth IS coming out aS last !
/ ,--~~
The Issue
The motto of the Radical purity appears to
be (" Whatever is, is wrong" instead Of the
opposite and moro comforting doctrine. In
deed there is no principle of government that
is not put in jeopardy by this conflict The
contest, stripped of all subtcrfuges, narrows
down to death struggle between the old
Constitution and set Of what has appregsiatc.
" been termed hszy and impalpsble shco.
1t is to be tested whether tho AssNrican
people have really become tired of their An.
cient Organic law, and desire to change the
form Of Government, under which they have
so wonderfully prospcrcd. That law was the
product of extraordinary legislative ability,
sharpcned and heightened into acutcncss and
prchcnsivcncss, by tho most exalted and
selfabncgating patriotism. Can tho people
Of tho United States have become SO bcsot-
ted as to think that such men rs Butler, Bing-
! ham, Stevens and Sumncr,-all men of qucs-
tionablv probity, (to use the mildcst term in
the political vocabulary arc fit instruments to
undo the proud fabric wrought SO patiently
by the wise heads and good hearts of Patrick
Henry, Thos Jefferson, James Madison and
John Adams
These were men without fear and without
roproach'" Against tho shining dig,sty Of
their ilustrious characters tho shafts of de-
traction could not be hurled without reboun-
ding with crushing effect upon the vilS das-
tard who cast it. Are Butler, Stevens, and
their cotcric wiser mon ? Arc they better
men? Are the principles of Republican
government better understood to day}tbau
they were then?
Are not the writings of Madison, Jcnerson
and contemporaries considered reservoirs Of
political lcarning-of wise, justa and sagaeious
statcsmanship.? Did not the country pros
per when administered in accordance with
principles which they established or approved
But one thing mcnaccd the security apd
ponce to which thot Law govo boins. THAT
thing was not pcrSc cause of danger But
| tho agitations of wicked fanatics made it so
and the result we have experienced. The
cause of disagreement being rcmoved-the
cas"s dclti being inferred in a grave dug by
hlrclins bayoncts, what prevents the old Law
from operating with perfect smoothpcss p
The .jar in the machinery is gonc-thc "in.
cubus which weighed down tho spirits of a
great nation" 1--WE quotc) being removed by
the mailed hand Of might, why not 90 back
to the plain teachings of tho Constitution I?
NY, there's the rub, chy not? Had that
Constitution been kept il letter or spirit the
war could never have occurred Davis and
other leading Southern men while recorniz.
ing in the last resort the right of people to
form another government, when the one un-
der which they have been living fails to Weld
due protection to their persons and property
two Of the main objects for which govern.
mcnt is formed loved that Tn.
ion dearly and left it with bleeding hearts.
Impcllcd by severe sense of duty to them.
selves and to tho principles of constitutional
government, they acted as they did, Tho
South was really fighting for the Constitution
during what is termed the " Rebellion -
Look at the instrument she enacted in lieu
of the one whose plaincst provisions had been
wrcstcd to her injury. Those who have can
didly compared the two documents cannot
fail to discern tho supcrioity of the Confede.
rato Constitution over tho old ono. But un.
der the cry of the "Union tho Constitution
and the enforcement of the laws" I'VE wero
ovcrslanghcd, and nov what rcmaiDs of tho
boastcd Constitution Do they Observe it
Or, do they not desire its total oblitcration,
and the formation, of new government, rec
ognizing fundamental principles essentially
diffcrcnt2 Alas we have fallen upon owl
I, times,
DEMoREsr's YOUNG AMERICA. OF all tho
neutrality-suspicious., Dcmorcsts Young Amcri.
ca is the only one that has really madca distinc.
tive name and place. It's pictures, Its games,
its puzzles, render it universally popular
among the little ones, while its varied and in.
structiyc character equally rcccommonds it to
the attention of parents and teachers. Tho
series of French lessons, or tho music, which
is feature, arc alone worth several times tho
cost Of the book. $3.50 yearly, w. JENs.
INds DEMoREsT, 473 Broadway, N. Y.
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