The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-03-09
ImuaaRrasior,.
Mr.. EDITOR: In the various upheav-
ings of governments and society. that

A@enhBEokk0ns -
Mr.. EDITOR: In the various upheav-
ings of governments and society. that
arc periodically w;slssssia w;lssssia ;a ..is ..sis.sozJ
of the so-oalled civilized world, ills bat
natural TAFT there shoalg be outbakstsfe
indignation fromthe tkoughtfnl and -
1eoting portion of tho Inhabitants, !Sas
we'll as some suggestions as remedies for
prevailing evils. The redemption from
political evils, as we'll as the Machine
tions of designing men, Of governments
having any claims to civilization anterior
to the state of the present era, lead us
almost to believe that God in his proyi-
dencs has interfered directly, either by
permitting the man or men equal to the
times to be born; or a combination OF
circumstances that would overthrow the
party who had conspired against the
established government and the public
welfare. Rome had it's Cincinnatus;
Prussia its Frederick; Russia its Peter;
France its Robespierre, Marat and finally
its Napoleon; England its Cromwell; aud
last, but not least, America had its Wash
ington. Some of the above named men,
who were brought to the surface by po-
litical and social convulsions, were not
good men, but they doubtless were in
strumental in bringing about n better
state of things, both politically as we'll
as socially. History seems constantly
repeating itself, and it proves conclusive
ly how little progress has been made
during the last 1870 years that the world,
claiming the front ranks in civilization,
has proited nothing by the past. The
10 1,D
Christian era, was q better one. than we
are living under to-day. Their adherence
to IN oath or compact was far more te-
nacious, and regarded in many instances
as more sacred than life itself. It has
been web said, that .the best govern
ment is the ono bestl administered. I"
Prominent and leading men of the party
now in power have openly proclaimed
that they are acting without the
Constitution of the United States. !"
And, further, as the cause Of the
South has SO often been proven in
accordance to the divine will of God,
they have declared that "there is higher
law than the Bible" This party term
themselves progressive, because they
have gradually and successfully en-
croached upon the Constitution and the
Bible, and in the prospective hold out
the inducements that they cannot be
overthrown, because thus far they have
been accorded the right by the voice of
the people, and that revolutions never
go backwards" It would lengthen this
article too much TO 60 into the history of
parties as they have sprung up and passed
away, from the days of Washington up
to the present. will only state some
facts as now conceived by me, in reference
to the past, present and future condition
and prospects of South Carolina and the
other Southern States.
have, for many years, been Of the
opinion that-a Republic, in its purity,
such as ours was in the days of its found
continued TO give birth to pure men OF
mastery intellect, such as the public
could confidently look to as men capable
of shaping their political course. The
masses of mankind have always been
exceedingly ignorant, and we cannot
confidently look to the period when more
is promised the well-wishers of human
kind. This fact, together with the i'm
mense crowding, great want and beggary
in large cities, leads to bribery and such
corruption as would more than content
the vilest politician. The fact is, great
political and social convulsions never can
be avoided or prevented in any country
where there are great cities; and have
no doubt, las expressed myself anterior
to the late war; that if all the large cities
of the United States had been destroyed
and their inhabitants forced to become
agricultural, that there would have been
no war; and all our political difficulties
would have been settled after the forms
prescribed by the Constitution. It was
doubtless the degeneracy, both physically
and mentally, together with great politi-
cal and social upheavings naturally Incl
dent to densely populated cities, that
caused the destruction of Troy, Athens,
Thebes, Carthage. Babylon, Jerusalem
and Rome; and there is no doubt, ere
long, all great cities of tie world will
undergo the same desperate ordeal.
Mr.. Calhoun was one of our purest and
greatest men, and as 1 was brought up a
Democrat, could not help being one of
his many and great admirers. But there
was one great defect in Mr.. Calhoun's
political history; and that is, while he
was eloquent, earnest and persistent in
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