The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1880-09-22

The Government is virtually u Govern
mcnt of tho numerical majority, which
has Justly boon oalled cruel as death
and rcmorsclcss rs The grave. Said
dc TocquOyillc, That profound writer
and close observer, referring. as far
back as 1888, to tho United States:
"The majority in that country cxcr-
ciso u prodi@ious, actual authority,
and q moral Influence which is scarce
~ less preponderant: ne obstacles cx-
! lst which can impede or SO much as
impede its progress or which oan in-
ducc 1t to heed the complaints cfthosc
whom 1t crushcs upon its path" !"
This Same writer, who looked, per-
hnps. moro kcDnly into American i'll
stitutions than any nthor foreigner,
and with less prejudicc; who sought
to let his just ccnsurcs attend the true
event, adds: "This state OF things Is
fatal in itself and dangerous for the
future. 4 " = y
If the free institutions of America arc
ever destroyed, that event may be at
tributcd to the unlimited authority Of
tho majority; but it will havc boon
brought about by dcspotism."
| What is needed is what VIC have lost 9,
viz; Some adequate means for the pro-
lection of tho minority. No written
constitution-no free Drcss-no rclig-
ioUs sentiment cXisting-no appeal to
tho past=-can be sufficient ior this pro-
toction. There is wanted some re-
straining influence in the organic
structurc=Somcthing to take the place Of
the discarded power of nulliiication
and secession, crushed by tho sword,
but erect in argument, Tho numcri-
cal principle in our system is the danger
that confronts the country, 1t is t'lhe
wild beast tofPlato"--thc armed rhino. :
ccros or the Ilyrcan tigcr' of Shakes
pcarc, Will the country heed the
voices that come from the past, warm
ing it of the danger Of an unbrillctl
majority2 Will it interpret Alright the
signs of the times?
The final question is: What next?
We cannot tell precisely what the re-
suit will be, SO many and SO diverse
arc tho Influences that may spring up
to modify the course Of events. But
this VIC may say, that unless the coun-
try rouscs itSclfto its langcr-unlcss
the virtue and the Intelligence and the
religious sCnso OF the land shal! spring
10 the rescue, We are on the broad
road that leads to civil war and untold
disasters. Unless happily, the spirit
Of compromise shall pcrvadc the heat
cd partisans Of the land, and the States
shall mt OF in solemn c,nclavc to read
juss the machinery ofthc government
and save the fortunes Of this proud i'll
hcritance of ours, than which none
grantlcr was over handed down "rrom
bleeding siro TO sou" in the tide Of
| time.
Well may the thoughtful man say in
political sense. What shal! we do TO
be saved?
Considering The results Of the late
war between the States, and our ac-
coDtancc Of tie changed order of
things, it is admitted that not again
can we consistently invoke nUllitica-
ton or secession as 4 peaceful remedy.
True, the war has not decided that the
right did not exist in tlc Constitution.
We hold that it is clearly dc'lucibIc
from the sovereignty with which the
States were invested. But practically
it has been settled that it cannot be
used as IL political remedy, Hence
unless some peaceful instrument be de-
viscd, the only hope. hereafter, for
outraged States in the Union is in the
right of rcvolutiOn--i the alternative
of an appeal TO arms. TO this COM
plcXiOn we have come at last, and it is
the iact however much tinlid rGasoncrs
may close their eyes to results of rca-
son, and designing politicians blind
the popular eye to the truth.
But from every good citizen in the
land, from every soul that acknowl-
edges lis responsibility to humanity
and civilization and God, comes tho ns-
piration for goodwill, harmony and
peace In this broad land of ours. May
tho peace come! But it can come only
from q craftsmanship that can sec the
country's danger and provide the
means to save the country. The time
has come, we repeat, for the States
which formed This Government and
es ablishcd tho Constitution to mcot TO.
gcthcr rnd reconstruct it agrccably to
the experience Of more than one hum
drcd years. Even the South, as we be-
licve, is not wcddcd to any former
system. lit be proposed to devise
some method other than that which the
Fathers adopted, then let it he so. But
some change in tho present operation
OF tho Government let us have, and let
the oountryin the person Of The States
assemble, and give us back tho glory
Of former days. Give usa central sui,
grandly revolving in its own defined
orbit. Give us tho attendant suns cacl
revolving on it's own AXIS and at tho
same time moving in military ordc,
around the central light. Give us the
ccntripctal and centrifugal forces sc
adjusted and proportioncd that the re.
suit shall be governmental order and
harmony,
The Roman Emperor, in his agony
cried, as we arc told, and repeated tho
wailing supplication: "Varus, Varus
give nlc back my lcgious" logions
romorsclcssly slaughtered by tho Ger
mans Of old, led by grim Armlnius.
So the patriot Of the day, with the
ruin Of our governmental Fabric star
ing him in the face, may well say tt
the misguided party that seeks to break
down all the safe guards Of the Consti
tuition: Givo back, give back to tho
country that spirit which made tht
Union y Union Of Hearts and Homes
and give back to us tho Government a.
administered by the august Fathers o
the Republic. ,IonN p. THOMAS.
Charlotte, N. O., August 2, 1880,
Mark Twain says the only intro
. Il i> l..