The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-24
THE CHARLESTON MERCURY.
The Proprietor Bids Farewell to its Sub.
scrlberse

scribers.
Tho following farewell address from the Pro.
prictor OF tho Charleston Mercury has beer
printed in the form Of circular, and is
now in process of distribution among the late
subscribers to that journal
A Far. well to the Subscribers of tho
Charleston Mercury
After the suspension of the Mercury, few
weeks since, expectations were termed OF Its
renewed issue, with larger capacity for useful
ness. 1t is proper to notify the subscribers o.
the paper that these expectat tions have proved
abortlve, in order that they may turn to other
sources for information and instruction as tc
the events and transactions of the day. The
proprietor, having exhausted ali reso urces
would now take leave of the subscribers to the
Mercury. That communion which o daily
press has SO long established is about to be
| severed; and al parting, our trionds WILL par
don us for offering few last reflections upon
the condition and prospects Of the south.
equally failed IN obtaining the avowed objects
of the war. The South sought independence;
the North the continuance of the Union Of the
Constitution. The Union, dissolved by seces-
sion, is not restored. 1t no longer exists, but
has perished with the constitution which es-
tablished 1t; and q consolidated despotisnl,
without any Onion OF States, constitutes the
government OF the country.
But few weeks since, the Slate Of Oregon
sent resolutions to the Senate Of the United
States, requesting her senators to resign their
seats, because they had voted for unconstitu-
tional measures. On the present alton Of these
resolutions, the Senate passed q resolution re-
fusing to receive them, and ordering them to
BE returned to the State of Oregon as ''scan-
dalous and impertinent." Under tho old gov
ernment, existing before the war, senators
were considered to be ambassadoral represen-
tatives. Whel instructed by the States, they
usually obeyed or resigned. And even when
senators refused to obey the instructions OF
their States, no one, however wild III his con-
solidation, ever questioned the right OF 81 ate
to express and send up to- the Senate it's opin-
ions concerning the constitutionality Of laws
or to instruct its senator's The right of the
people to request anything of thcir represeu-
passed by Congress as unconstitutional, to
this day has not been questioned or denied
Why then is this right now denied to a State
Simply because, under the new governments
there ls no such thing as State We have
lived under complex government, and there
is but one stride from liberty 10 despotsm
Strike out the States, and assume for the Gen
eral Government the reserved rights guarap-
teed to them through the constitution, and the
whole system of government established by
the constitution is gone. It leaves q tcaput
neo1tuuno" of despotism, which no bravery of
words no hypocrisy Of LANGUAGE, whether
The revolutionists Of the new government in
the Senate thoroughly understand this and
covet the powers they usurp. Hence they deny
that the Legislature of State has anything to
do, either with the senators or with the laws
they may pass. The States are nothing more,
under the new government, than convenient
circles for local legislation; but possessed of
no political power. o. course. if there are no
is gone with the old Cover lment, and there is
now nothing but centralized, constituencies
despotism. of majority in Congress, ruling
the United States by secret caucusses, where
"a tn 20 NJ, IL. .1zl
dependent legislative or political power, and
all responsibility to the people is merged IN
party. The grand professed object of the war,
therefore, on the part Of the Northern people,
by the very means used to obtain it. And what
have they gained by war but despotism and
debt, and taxes-and North and South seeth-
ing craters Of hate?
MED by the revo,utionists, who have compassed
them. According to their vocabulary, they
have saved the life Of the nation" The ma
ton That word was contained in Mr.. Ran
dolph's scheme OF Q. constitution, submitted to
the august convention which passed the Con-
stitution of the United States, and it was
stricken out in dozen places. The trainers
OF that grelt instrument fatty repudiated the
Proposition S to make the United States q
it, So far as foreign affairs and foreign
nations were concerned they were to be
nation; but in their internal affairs, and
With respect to each other, they were to be a
Confederacy Of States, united on the terms of
the constitutional compact. and exercising in
common, through the General Government.
The powers therein granted and agreed upon
But what does this historic fact matter with
men who aspire not only to manufacture
words, but constitutions? The life Of free
people is embodied in their fundamental law
Within the sacred form Of their cons. tuition
are ncarnad the vital elenents Of all their
| taken out of the Constitution Of the United
States. AS existing at the commencement =.
the war, it is thing Of the past, and a new
government, clothed in the habiliments Of the
dead-a CHASTITY counterfelt-a mockery on free
government stands in it's stead.
The revolutionists deny, too, that they have
set up despotism over the United States.
They are aaning lovers Of liberty Are they
they affect to think is the prime criterion Of
all republican governments. On this account.
they are now arraigning the constitutions of
the States which do not tolerate negro suf-
1rage, as not republican in their form of gov
ernment. Yet the only great nation which has
practiced universal suffrage, that we know of,
! Is France; and there it has created the inne.
| rial despotism Of Napoleon the Third What
universal suttrag can have to do with the leg al
and constitutional limitations on power. which
| alone can constitute freedom in governments
1t Is difficult to perceive. Swelling the mnti
| tudes to vote or to rule does not make liberty.
In the light OF common sense, it is inconceiy-
UoSDOClSm
cause imposed by many, rather than bv q few
or by one man. Liberty is not boon enjoyed at
the will Of one man, or at the option ST a ma
lority Of the people, And the burden Of in
er imposed by one tyrant at headquarters. or
by ignorant and irresponsible mum bers scat
tered ter IN different sections Of vast country.
or Of South Carolina, il they are ruled abso..
lutely, whether it be by majority in Congress
elected by no matter what kind Of suffrage
who ara totally irresponsible to them), or by d
same? What is despotism but irresponsible
power? What is free government, but gov.
ernment legally guarded from the exercise Of
people ruling their affairs through their own
agents or representatives, chosen by them
and responsible to them? The trainers OF the
Constitution of the United States perfectly
understood these plain and simple principles
and therefore granted. by its provisions, pow
era to the General Government il established