The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-01-26
The Dnty OFfhe American Pa
triOt i'm this Period Of the
COuNtry's Career.

The DHty Offhe American Pa
triOt i'm this Period Of the
CouMtry's Career.
We publish in another column, an
article from the Winnsboro Ne,os, on
the subject Of the new party that it
advocates. At tho same time, We
write this editorial to refute the pro-
positions advanced by our cotompora.
ry; and thus we shall give to our
readers, at once, E'thc bano and the
antidote." The Ncws says, with ap.
parent earncstness of feeling Good
save us from such practical anti-radi-
calism as tho Columbia Phunic COM
1ncnds in the Democratic platform OF
Indiana" In ourjudgment, the News
might, with far greater propriety, call
upon llcavcn to save it from its own
fatal error of policy and still more
serious sacrifice of political principle.
1t is serious thing to undertake to
give direction to popular sentiment
and popular action. 1t is a momen.
tus undertaking to inaugurato poll
cy for n commonwealth. Has the
News seriously reflected upon the
policy that it recommends Has the
News considered where that policy
begins, and where it ends? It NAV
give the News food for thought when
we affirm, tbat in the judgment of
many thinking men, its policy has no
outlet, but begins in gloom and ends
in disaster. The very ground upon
which the News starts out, is, in our
OPINION, utterly erroneous and untena-
bic. 1t makes, in the very begin
nlng of its argument, an assumption
which we deny, and thus, its premises
being Incorrect, it follows that it's
conclusions are equally so. The News
takes it for granted that the principle
Of State rights is gono and gone for
ever. We take issue with the N Ews.
There Is q "lost cause" but this is
not it. We admit that it moy %
down beneath the surging waters of
Capitalization. We admit that it
reels and tottcrs beneath the blows
that it is receiving. The country has
decided against the ''right of ,seocs-
sion," but there are State rights and
there is State sovereignty short of
secession, and thore are great States.
North and South and West, that still
cling to this vital doctrine, and there
IS, too, great party that still puts
this forth as its cardinal creed. No,
not yet, have we despaired of the re-
public.-c.itical rs its case may now
be. Not yet, have we given up the
cause OF constitutional government
and OF free and co-equal States. 1t
may suit some men and some journals
TO take the current, as it passes by in
its mad career, and with it's turbid
waters, and call it their irresistible
fate so to do. But not so with others
of more hopeful and faithful. souls.
They intend to struggle with s'the
storms of fate" They intend to
"takc arms against a sea of troubles,
and by opposing end them" And we
Will remind our friend oil the News
and all others Of 'iitile faith" that
scattered all over this broad country
from the lakes to tho gulf, and from
the ocean to the ocean-arc good and
true men, mostly of the Democratic
party, who, with the cooperation of
patriotic recruits from other parties,
intend to mako a persistent effort to
overthrow tho dominant party and to
tring the country back to its normal
condition. Nor to do this, do we
need such q party as that suggested
by the News. On the contrary, wo
need party based upon principle
OF government diametracaHy opposite
to that advocated by the News. We
hold that the strongest, tho truest,
tho best principle of the Democratic
party, is it's fidelity to State rights
and State dignity and State control
OF domestic affairs. And no new par.
ty can commend itself to our support,
that docs not base its policy upon this
essential idca.
The whole policy Of the News IS |
based upon the assumption that the
popular sentiment Of the country has
lrrovocably endorsed radicalism, and
that, therefore, consolidation and 9TH
or conconitants Of radicalism must be
fully accepted. Upon this hangs the
policy of the News. This we deny.
That some Of the acts Of radicalism
nave passed beyond the domain of
debate and become ''fxed faots," wo
frankly admit. But to oonfound tho
spirit and tho work of party leaders
with ths fixed sentiment of tho ooun-
Try, IS great mistake. And this is
tho mistake that we attribute to our
,otomporary. We diffor from the
NEWS very decidedly on this point
1t does not SEQ in radicalism so much
% condemn as we do. It has over
md again denounced its follios and its
Olunders, but it has also sought to
'xcuso and palliate its offences. When {
t regards radicalism as following in I
no wake of sfate," we regard It as ]
'ielding to the spirit of prejudice,
ongoanco and hate. We oppose it
ecause of its "consoldation princi. $
les,' because Of the foul wrong it @
as done the race to which God. in h;a a