The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-19
Our immediate necessity is an honest aud

one can prescribe at this moment. The ope-
| rations of practical politics are like those of
the battlefield. The best general isl often
| times unable to tell what precise moveiaent is
advisable until he sees, the enemy depl0y.
But we can do this-we canthold ourselves
prepared to take advantage of any opportunity
that may offer to promote the grand object Of
governmental reform, and preserving, With
steadfast tenacity, the elements Of true mem
hood Integrity, pluck and intelligence, we
can, when the auspclous, hour presents Itself,
make such move as sound policy dictates. .r,,
In reference to the colored people, we can
not pursue q better course than that recon-
mended to the British nation In couplet Of
the poet by their unriyalled statesman, when
speaking Of American afars,. which they did
not follow and lost their colonies:
"Bsto their faults a little blind;
Be to their virtues very kind"
Such policy must assuredly produce happy
results. The advice of the veteran leader is as
true now as then, because It has Its roots
deeply planted In justice and the philosophy Of
human nature. fi'fi
We are In great peril. Everything. Is at
stake-we cannot afford to lndplgein vain.
up and doing. The present Is upon us and
the future is before us. The State must be re-
deemed, and we are the persons to do II. It
Is certain no Others WILL. Let us bend our
souls aud energies to the work. If one plap
falls we must try another, until we do find one
which will succeed. Have faith in your own
destinies and that Of the State. believe you
will. Do this, and we shall convert the pro-;
found thoughts Just uttered by your distIr-.
guished president into living realities 1t can
be done. Trusting to the urbanity of She
chair to excuse me Tor DETECTING from the
regular order Of the evening" propose this
sentiment: 90 ... 5
The present generation Of South Carollnians
are in no respect inferior to the generations
which have preceded them-willing to redeem
the State, and resolved to do 1t, and to hand
down the family escuteheon to those who come;
after, battered and bruised 1t may be from the,
storms to which it has been exposed while I'M
their keeping, but bright and unsullled as the
dews of the morning. -
The next toast was: - !
The Judiciary-The Conservative element Of
Republican Institutions. Its purity and inde-i
pendence the eurest protection against popular
prejudice or political excitement. r. =
Judge R. F.. Graham, of the First Circuit
Court, was called upon to respond, and said:
To no people can conceive that the senti-
ment you have just heard read is more dear
than to the Irish. They have always stood
forth as the advocates OF constitutional ll5er.
ty, whether living In their native green isle or
In any other land. This nation owes much OF
her greatness to the soma OF Erin, who, by op
preston at home, have come to this land of
liberty. In all positions, from the highest to
the lowest, whether on the battlefield, In the
halls of legislature, on the bench or at the bar,
In the peaceful arts of industry, In trade, In
commerce or In agriculture, they have esta.
bllshed character for bravery, for love of
liberty, for wisdom, for Justice, for elequence,
for honesty, for Industry and for truth. It
would please me much II had claim to
more Of their nationality. have little,
however, and pride myself on 1t. have
enough, too. to cause me to heartily agree
with you that the judiciary Is the conservative
element Of Republican governments, and that
1t may prove effective, and properly carry out
the duties in governments having limited con-
stitutions, such as oure, 1t should be indepen-
dent. Its purity will almost follow, as mat
ter OF course, where its independence Is se-
cure from interference by popular prejudice
or public excitement
independence makes US honest and brave.
ServillIy makes US base and cowardly.
An independent judiciary may well be con-
sldered the bulwark against executive op-
preston and legislative encroachments. 1t is
equally requisite to guard the constitution and
| the rights of individuals from the effects Of
popular prejudice -aad-- public excitement,
Brought about by the acts of designing men,
or the influence OF particular coDjunctures,
and which, though they soon give way to
sober second thought, still they have ten
dency to bring about dangerous innovations
in the government, and serious oppression to
the less Influential, weaker part Of the COM
munity; and 1t is easy to see that 1t would re-
auire an uncommon degree of fortilude In the
Judges to do their duty as faithful guardians
of the constitution and the rights OF indlVidu.
ais, where legislative invaslons have been In
yestlgated or attempted. Every attempt to
,,,{tl, bo tndopondonno nf tho indni.
arg Is q step towards absolutism-the most
oppressive OF all governmenis-andi 1t ls there
| fore duty which every man owes to his
country, his friends, to posterlty, end to him
SELF to maintain, to the utmost Of his power,
this principle In all Its force and strength, to
restore 1t to Its ancient dlgnity-it at all i'm.
paired, to amend 1t whenever 1t Is detective
| tIon OF new Ideas aud theories which, under
| variety of plausible pretences, may, In time,
| imperceptlbly undermine this best preserva-
tion of Republican institutions.
This was followed by the song from 7. P.
O'Neale-"The Harp that once through Tara's
HALLS" which was exquisitely rendered and
loudly applauded.
The filth toast was:
The Press-The bulwark OF free government.
lis purity is It's power, and its Independence the
L, ystone to Republican liberty. lAir-Bonnle
Blue Flag.
The response was by VIM. Tennent, Esq, a
member Of the society. he began with an
historical review of the labors of the press
since the invention in 1450 by an humble ar.
tlsan OF Gottenburg, Of printing type and the
appropriate publication, as the first work of
an engine destined TO spread the light OF re-
ligIon, civilization and humanity, OF the Holy
Scriptures He declared that this invention
of movable type became In the press the
lnlcrum upon which hinged for future ages
the destinies of not only nations, but of hui
manity itself. Through its print knowledge
burst upon benighted world, and from
Strasboirg as locus its bright and genial
rays scintiilated In 6tful dazziiDgs through
the chaos and darkness OF error. The
people oil Europe abandoned the dog.
mas OF Aristotle, and the schoolmen and
feudalsm gave way to the monarcnles
of Henry VII and a Louis &I. Mind was at
work, and it found pabulum ior the digestion
of the many In the sheets that new rom tne
printing press, until mathematical and meta
physIcal reasoning eliminated In the prosper
GUS reign OF the Christian Queen Elizabeth.
Clouds came upon the political horizon, and
Europe was convulsed with revolution and
bloodshed, but again the press burst forth, and
the writings OF Bacon, Milton, Locke, Newton,
Corneile, Racine, Turenne and Conde adorned
the pages OF literature. The press through
its powerful and universal facilities, also gave
vent and ready access to the enterprise
and the materialism of nations. Their
sails whltened the ocean with the com.
merce Of the world, India poured her
wealth and treasures iuto the lap Of England,
| and Addison, Steele, Pope, Swift, Hume, Glib