The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-02-02
WlNNSBORO, S. G.
E.0c;aI state Gov
CrNllCnt,-A Escj0iladcr.

We earnestly adcocato "indepcndcnt
Local State Governments" not, how
ever as Sovereign right of the States,
as it once was, but as u pTrilcgc
to be wisely extended to the States
by the one Sovereign Federal Govern
mcnt that has emerged from the
smoke of war. In this, We are not
Democratic, but We are most assured
ly thoroughly anti radical. The
Radicals aim at the supremacy of q
party, and in this We arc thoroughly
opposed to them, but we regard the
de Jafto suprcmacyc the Itderal Coz.
crnmcnt as simply The normal deuelop,
mcnt through war and blood, Of the
lmericom Representatives Syyfcm State
Sovereignty, in any proper sense Of
the term, does any longer exist. We
arc willing to follow Calhoun upon
this subject. His wonderfully logical
mind secuted the very notion of a di-
vidcd sovereignty. If the States aic
sovereign, then tho Federal govern
ment is an agency. But if tho Endc.
raj government is sovereign, then the
local government of State is the
privilege withno remedy ola prov iucc
or department, not a right, with u
'cmedy, that cannot be modified By
tho central authority.
We assert, moreover, that the
cause Of State Sovereignty uu$ "thc
lost cause" and tho whole country,
with the exception Of tho Charleston
| N,ps and the Columbia Phunic, now
secs it.. The popular mind did reject
it, has rejected it, and will coutinuc
to reject it and any party that cling,
to it. On Il is latter point there is,
however, difference of opinion, to
be expected under the circumstances.
Bat in proof Of tho first point, we
would beg the editor OF the Phmnic
to hunt up and read by far tho ablost
State paper that the war produced on
the Southern sidc---w we refer to the ad .
dress of the Secession Convention of
South Carolina to the other Southern
States. If State Sovereignty was not
"thc lost cause" called to assert it..
! self upon the unfortunate special is.
suo of slavery, we should like to be
told what "thc lost cause" was. We
need enlightenment.
The error of tho Southern mind, at
present, in contemplating our govern.
mcnt, springs from tho lofty fidelity of
tho Southern character. Il sill.
clings to that venerable paper that
sprung from tho brains of Henry l..
| Pmckncy and James Madison, the
Constitution Of the United States.
with Quixotic devotion. Now II. Il.
/. and j. M. were wonderfully wise
men, and their work proves it. But
ten thousand Madisons and Pinkncys
cannot stay the progress Of national
growth, nor reverse the law Of nation
al progress which p,cscribcs, that q
nations government must change, and
as tho nation changes, and that sover-
eign power cannot be confined, by pa
per bulwarks, within unchanging chan
nels, but will burst out and make
channel for itself and that tho poll
cy of States is and ought to be in the
main, self created out Of the circum.
stances Of the present, and should ro.
fer to tho past, only tobo enlightened,
and not controlled, in legislating for
TIE future. Tho American Rcprescn-
iative system is in State Of growth,
not Of dcoadence. There is no
"glroai" iii this vic.. And we gre
really hopeful Of grand results from it