The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-09-15

Tuesday Morning, Sept, Is, 1858.
'Ths Danger. Ahead.

The Dangers Ahead. S
All good Governments rest upon
wellregulate public opinion; indeed,
We may go further, and lre-afirm in
broad terms, that all Governments
must ultimately rest npon the consent
of the governed. The Roman EN-
pire, throughout the centuries of its
glory and power, was sustained by
the pride that the Roman felt in call
ing himself a Roman citizen; and the
authority and power Of the British
Empire of to-day, results from she
just pride that all Englishmen feel
in being considered British subjects.
Destroy this national sentiment, and
where would be the boasted supre-
macy of that great power upon the
land and upon the seaa More parti-
cularly is this true, in respect to q
Government like ours, founded upon
the consent and affection of the peo-
pie. Withhold this consent and
ALLEVIATE that affection, and what
would be the Government of the
United States? What would be the
Union itself? An enforced Union is
snare and reproach. Some things
are plain. Ours is pre-eminently q
Governmenta-of of opinion-not the
opinion of one section domineering
over another section, but the opinion
of all sections combining to make mp
a united whole. Many of the North
ern people, in, this, the day of their
prosperity, seem to have forgotten
the counsels'o of the past; they seem
to think that ours is D Government
of power, and not a Government of
consent. They seem to forget that
enforced obedience is death to the
spirit of our free institutions. For
more than eight years AYE, for more
than thirty years there are those who
have been utterly oblivious Of the
rights of minorities,, and seem to
understand nothing but the might of
majorities. The Congress of the
United States seems Of late TO have
forgotten that the great object of
Constitution, is to protect minorities
against the tyranny of majorities,
and that they are bound by the Con-
stitution. They seem to think that
no matter what may be written in
the bond, obedience not to the coadi-
tion. but to the penaly, ia to be en-
forced. Principle means nothing;
power means everything. This made
the late war. Hence, too, since the
war, we behold the country breaking
loose from her moorings and drifting
to ruin. ~ There is really no such
thing as calm statesmanship left in
America. Passion, hate, prejudice,
unscrupulous and lawless acts-the
known characteristics of the mere
mob-are the order of the day, and
shape the policy of those in power.
The question is not whether rnea-
sure is wise and prudent; not whether
it is statesmanlike; not whether it is
humane Oh, mol the only question
seems to be, is il itsuficiently extrava-
giant, sufficiently yinaictive, sufficient
ly revengeful, sufficiently sensational
and sufficiently leyeling? If it fails
in these particulars, the cry is. away
with it, and let us give to the screw
another turn. Yes, they talk of Go.
vernment as so screw" and they
speak OF running it, as machine.
These people seem to materializt
everything. They act as If they want
the support Of the people e.etortec
from them, and value il only when
it is mingled with the cries of the
torture. They want no such siclklS
service rs comes from the warm
but rational affection of the people
which can only be fostered by q wise
and merciful administration Of equa