The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1880-09-22
OUR GOVERNMENT.
now TT M.tY De IMEROFED IND
PEItPETUITED,

Address of tho Democratic state I3Arcu
tive Commit tee, Presented by u Forn,cl
Son of Fairfield,
Gen. JUO. B,Wft0n, Chairman iStUtt
Democratic h'recutice Committee!
DEAR SIR: Your address to the pco,
pie Of South Carolina has arrested my
attention. Though not in political
life, yet my educational work does not
prevent me from observing closely and
attcntivcly what is transpiring in the
politics OF tho country. Allow mo to
congratulate your Committee upon
striking the kcy-notu Of the campaign,
upon striking the philosophical princi-
pic that undcrlics the issues between
the two great parties that divide the
country. Constitutional Government
or Centralized Daspotisu is the true
issue of the present Presidential oam-
paign. II, however, it is thought that
the triumph Of tho Democratic party
Woull cure the evil that threatens the
dissolution Of our form Of Government
must Respectfully dissent from such
a.vicM. The triumph OF tho Dcmoc-
racy would doubtlcsG palliatc tho evil,
and would promote largely tlIc good
OF tho land; but something more than
Il mere party triumph is necessary
The reflections that L wish through
you to offer, with due respect to TIC
STATE ana the country at large, will
appear in tho condensed view that I
here give Of our Government rs it was
and as IL is, and III the suggestions OF
~ Convention Of the States to provide
now guards for our future security.
do not dcludc myself with tho idea
that m! views arc likely to attract
much attention, but in giving them
expression, | Shall ut least cnioy the
consciousness of having discharged a
d ty, not tho less obligatory because
scii-imposcd.
1t may bc-ntlirmcd that the Govern
lEcnt Of this country, as originally es-
tablishcd, is tho .rNndcst political
achievement whereof History gives
any notwithstanding aboyo ali oth-
crS more skill, more wisdom and q
higher standard, in his profound
work on the history Of Ellropcan
Civilization, NJ. Guizot, with obvious
truth, remarks: "Of all the systems
OF government and political guarantee,
it may be asserted without fear 0!
contradiction that The most difficult 10
Establish and render ciirctual is the
1cucratlrc system; u systnln which
c'nSi SIS in leaving in cnoh place or
province, (StatcD in every separate
society, all that portion Of government
which can abide there, and in taking
from ii only 50 much Of as is indis-
pcnsablc to general society, in order
to carry it to the centre Of this larger
society, and there to ombody it under
the form Of u central government
This fcdcratiyo society, theoretically
1llc most simple, is found in practice
the most complex; for in order TO rc-
concilc the degree Of independence, OF
local liberty, which is permitted To rc-
main, with The degree Of general Or
der, Of general submission which in
certain CASES IL supposcs and cxacts.
evidently requires u very advanced
state OF civilza!ion--rculircs, indeed
that the will Of man, that Individual
liberty, should collrl,r in tho establish
incnt and maintenance OF The system
mHch more Chan in any other, because
IL possesses less than any other the
means OF coercion.
~ hc ic,lcrativc system, then, is one
which evidently req uuircs the greatest
maturity OF reason, Of morality, OF
civilization i'll tho society to which it is
applied"
This kind Of government, if difficult
to construct, is surely high, The
statesmen Of the feudal ago tried il
a"h failed. The Statesmen OF oul
revolutionary era tried il and succeed
ea. What the barons Of Europe tailct
To effect, the barons Of America sue
cccdcd in conslmmating, And this
Is the great glory Of tho constitution
makers Of 1857.
The Constitutional Government Of
these States composing the Amcri ical
Union was peculiar in It's origin. 9th
or constllution>-and this gives tc
them large adyantagcs-havc been tho
product Of favorable circumstances
the result Of long-cXisting Nnd long
operating experiences, Suoh constitu
tl0ns. crow out Of the body polite as
the skin grows cut Of the tissues Of the
body that il cniolds; and thov arc thus
npt to fit closely and well, neither toe
loose nor too tight, but to adapt thom-
selves to the form and contour of the
country and the people Of the country
licncc the work Of those whose office
1t is to direct the political affairs O
such favored lands is compara!ivcl,
easy. The form Of government takes
care o! itself, at least to great extent
and the energies Of statcsmanship cal
DC directed to The development of the
resources Of the community.
Far different was the origin Of oul
. Constitution, and hence tar more diff
cult was the achievement Of our states
men. Ours had ills origin in tho viii
of the people, The NOR who mot i,
1887 to frame n constitution and to cs
tablish Government for tho countr,
had to build from the foundation ant
to combine within themselves tn,
qualities both of political master
workncn and the higher skill of 20
litical architects, and the yet higher
wisdom of political sccrs who were tt
propcl vision far into the dim rcccssc.
of the future. They were, in another
point of view, mastcr-tailors. wht
were to cut the garment suitable fol
the Young giant Of the contincnt-tt
anticipate rs far rs human sagacit,
would allow how lie was to develop
as he would pass through tho stages o
infancy and youth to manhood |
was a difficult thing to do. It canno
bc denied that the Fathers did thci
work with Il regard for wcll-orlcrct
libcrty--Wilh wisdom and a rranduc