Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1876-10-19
GEN. GARY'S RIDGE SPRING
SPEECH.

GEN. GARY'S RIDGE SPRING
SPEECH.
FELLOW CITIZENS One hundred
years ago, the great experiment ol
self.government was inaugurated by
our patriotic, brave and honest an
cestors. The failures in the old world
TO establish and maintain Republi-
can form of government threw no
cloud over their hopes, nor did it for
a moment check their bold venture !;
self-con6dence became the inspiring
genius of self-government.
The Government of the United
States was formed for the protection
of life, liberty and property. The
great difficulty that the statesmen of
i776 had to contend with was to Gre
ate a Constitution that would pre-
vent officials from abusing the pow
ers of the Government, and yet to
give them sufficient power over the
lives, liberties and property of the
subjects to suppress tumults, riots
and domestic violence; to repel inva-
sion by foreign enemies to preserve
the stability Of our political institu-
tions. This great desideratum could
only be effected by a recognition Of
the sovereignty of the people
the responsibility of the rulers to be
ruled the giving expression to the
will of the people. through the elec'
tive franchise, and the establishment
of constitutional Government with
proper checks and balances.
When rulers become obnoxious to
the people they can be removed in
two different ways: First by the
force of reason and justice expressed
through the ballot-box. Secondly, a
resort to the bayonet and sword. The
ballot to constitutional government
is what the sword Is TO o--as.1=sabsolute4
government. 1t is only when the
ballot-bo is so corrupt that it ceases
to afford the medium of redress for
the grievances of the people, have
they right or will they be justified
by resort to arms?
The distinctive difference between
the Republic of the United States
and those of the Old World, consists
in the Federal character of our gov
ernmert, the application of the rep
resentative principle with its two
houses to contederacy; the Federal
Union being formed by the powers
delegated from the original thirteen
States each State revolving around
the central governmentunder its own
fixed and well.defned laws, resem-
bling in the harmony of the organi-
cation, the great solar system that
controls the union of the spheres.
The cause Of this formation of our
government was taxation, without
representation; the one is the CORE
lative of the other; this principle is
admitted wherever Anglican liberty
exists; it is the "germinal idea"
from which the civil liberty of Amer
lea has been developed. 1t is the
idea that has kindled the present
blaze of patriotism from the blue
caps of the mountains to the white
caps of the sea of the Atlantic ; it is
written upon the hearts of our peo-
Pile; it is emblazoned upon the ban
ners of Hampton and Simpson; 1t Is
the idea that elevates the electors OF
this State above party issues and
party success; it is inscribed upon
every plank of our platform, and ev-
cry honest man, white or black, can
stand upon it, irrespective of past
party afiliation it is the idea that
will find an echo in the hearts of all
honorable men, and thus will redeem
our PROSTATE State.
In this the Centennial year of our
government, why has it become nec-
essary to discuss the "germinal ideas
that underlie our liberties Why
are we compelled to analyze the ele-
ments of our government that has
thrown the egis of its protection
over every American citizen, at home
and abroad, for one hundred years |?
The answer to these grave questions
is to be found in the recent history
of the government On the goth
day of December, A. D. 1860, the
State of South Carolina, in conven-
tion assembled, passed an Ordinance
of Secession, by which she attempted
to sever her connection with the
Federal Union. Her example was
followed by twelve Of her sister South
ern States.
In Judge Blacks ablele to Mr..
Garfield, Of Ohio, he shows that the
idea that State hsd the legal right
to withdraw peaceably from the IN
ion, originated in the minds of the
politicians Of New England, as far
back as the war Of 1872; that John
Quincy Adams advocated this right
in 1889 and that Abraham Lincoln
did so in lS47. 1t is well known
that Mr.. Calhoun, Mr.. McDufie and
Mr.. Rhett contended for the exer-
else of this right of peaceable seces-
sion on the rart of this State, as did
most of the Southern leaders. When
the people of this State and her sis
tiers attempted to reduce this theory
to practice, the Republicans and Dem
ocrats of the North did not bid the
South ago in peace" but they deni-
ed the right Of q State to secede from
the Union, This made up, the issue
that led to aSfeur ears war. When
the warended, the people OF this State