Year: 1867

and secession. TIE party was
torn asunder because its Northern
wing could not adhere to the prin-
ciples Of the party, and breast the
storm Of popular sentiment that
was raging there. Accordingly,
Northern Democrats began to trim
their sails to the winds, tack about,
and finally abandoned, as the South
thought, the principles Of the
party in order to retain power.
The result was that this sacrifice
of principle destroyed the unity
Of the party without accomplish
ing the end proposed. 1t would
indeed be strange after al this, that
We should now. hinge our hopes
upon this party. But the truth
is: the party now hss no. power,
and never will have any: until the
South is restored to the Union
and returns to its fold, We can
not, therefore, rely upon it to aid
US in the present emergency.


have now gone over the ground
which I intended to occupy in this
communication.


What I have written has not
been done with the expectation
that it will have any weight in de-
Gliding this great question bat if
it should be the means Of aiding
any one in coming to a proper
conclusion as to his duty in the
trying circumstances which sur
round US; l shall be much gratifed.
I have no purpose to serve but my
country's good. Ny country! I
may be told that I have none.
But 7 have. The State Of South
Carolina is my home, and I feel a
deep, abiding interest in all that
concerns her prosperity and the
happiness Of her people. She was
one Of the Old Thirteen who drew
the sword in rs, and threw off the
dominion Of the British Crown.
And Notwithstanding her peculiar
position in the past-her isolation
in the great struggle Of parties
which convulsed the Union in for
.mer days-and although she was
the first to attempt it's dissolution,
her people now desire that she
should be restored to her old COM
panions, and that a genuine and
lasting reconciliation may follow,
that Restoration. They are re-
quircd to rccant no political creed
nor to adopt a new one. They
may remain State-rigAtS men or
Democrats: as they like. All that
is required of them is to be good
citizens, obey the constitution and
the laws, and faithfully execute
them-to protect the rights and
liberties of all who are entitled to
protection. They feel now that
their rights are insecure-that a
government has been established
over them which is contrary to all
theideas offree government which
they have inherited from their
fathers-that no government is
free where the military power is
the ruling power, where it has
ceased 70 be the instrument 0ff,
and subordinate to, the civil al
thority-that however mild and
just may be it's sway in the hands
Of him who now holds it over them,
there is no security for the future
that the tendency Of al irrcspon-
sible power is to degenerate into
tyranny and oppression-that it
may fall into the hands Of those
who will abuse it and extinguish
the last hope Of freedom. They
therefore are prepared, in my
Judgment, to make an earnest eli
fort to escape from existing evils,
and take refuge again under the
broad agis Of the Union, in the
hope that d brighter day will dawn
npon them-that the country will
enter upon new career Of pros
perity-that society ard govern
ment will settle again firmly upon
their new basis, and that all the
great interests Of the country will
revive and fourish-that its agri-
culture and commerce will be re-
suscitated-that all the arts OF
peace-that education and moral
Improvement, will again scatter
their blessings over a smiling land,
and that a united people, under a
powerful government, will march
to the fulfllment of their
great destiny.


Let rs Danish from our minds |
that stoicalindiference to Our fate.
which disappointed ambition or
despair may have engendcred. 1t |
was an old Roman maxim "never
to despair Of the Republic" True
herolsm consists in meeting our |
fate with a brave and manly heart. |
True patriotism consists in stand
ing by our country, for veal or for |
woe, and in devoting ell the power !
ana energies Of our nature to Sc
cure its greatest happiness and
prosperity,


Yours &C.,


A. G. DARLINGTON.