Year: 1859

in Congress from South Carolina, is one
of the pillars of the Democratic party o.
the South, now the only Democratic party
in the country. He is the political and
personal friend of Buchanan, and a fai:
representative of the National Democracy
as understood south of Mason and Dixon's
line. On the 4th of July Mr.. Rhett
ventilated his Democracy and love ofcoun-
try in an oration at Grahamville. What
be thinks of Union and Disunion, of the
relative position of Republicans and Dem
ocrats on that question, and of the slavery
agitation in general, will be seen from the
following extracts, which we take from his
reasonable speech as reported in Charles
ton News:


"When, in the Senate of the United
States, deemed it expedient, plainly and
frankly to advocate dissolution of this
Union, and the establishment of South
ern CO nfederaey, was not SO ignorant Of
human affairs as not to know that my po-
sition was exceedingly adverse to the great
er part of the people of the United States,
and to none more so than TO the political
abolitionists, the Stewards, the Hales and
Summers of the North. For this Union
was absolutely necessary to theil carrying
out of their policy-the snbjugation of the
South. They are, therefore, Union men
at all hazards. You have made them I'm
ion men. Fer, with nothing in the North
to support their pretentions, they are the
last people to desire a dissolution of the
Union"


"After the compromise of 1851, what
was the result! Have you had that peace
and quietness, that peace and safety which
was told you that compromise would bring
you? Why, never since the foundation Of
the Government, has it been so fierce as
within the last few years? The present
President of the United States is prac-
teal exponent of public opinion. In the
controversy of 1852, he wrote a letter to
meeting in Philadelphia. In that he
says: The agitation at the North on the
subject of domestic Slavery will have its
day. We have already reached or passed
the crisis. Should this prove to be the
case, the country will be the better for the
agitation, and the atmosphere be purer. >
That was in 1852. But how is it now
Mr.. Buchanan was elected President of the
United States, and before the first Con-
gress met, bis administration prostrated on
this very subject of slavery. Then was
got up the Kansas compromise, the most
discreditable and most disgraceful that was
ever brought up on public occasion"


So much for the notorious English bill.
Mr.. Rhett further said:


"My friends, prognostics of a Union in
the South are not without encouragement.
There are premonitions of moral as well
as physical remedy. Did you hear the
mutterings of the tempest on the eve of the
Presidential electicn? 1t is true hereto
fore our policy has been submission. In
that policy we have lifted up some of the
North. 1t has been in vain that such as a
Dickinson and an Everett have told them
you will dissolve this Union. Are you
willing to be ruled by such men as the
Wilson's, the Chases and the Summers Of
the North?


Let us make up our minds; the North
becomes sectionalized; we will sectionalize
for our defence. We have done this. II
we do not sectionalize for our defence the,
result is we may be overwhelmed
Throughout the continent of the Southern
States ue see the people of the South uni
ting their forces. The Wing party are
taking their position for the rights of the
South, and the Democratic party dare not
fail"


"If, in the Presidential election, ouI
rights are victorious, then we have guar
antee and an angurv of a better future; if,
on the contrary which think most GER
tain to be the case, then my friends, let us
seperate from the North; let the glorious
day-spring of Southern Confederacy al
length arise upon our trobled counsels."