Edgefield Advertiser

THE TRUE POSITION.
It is thought by many of our "out-side advisers" that South Carolina is on the brink of a political precipice; and that another step will plunge her into a gulph of ruin. Many of her inside advisers also chime in with this prediction, and lift up their hands in holy horror, at the enormity of our proposed action. One would suppose, from their gloomy auguries, that we lived under a reign of Terror, more revolting than the world had ever known, or else, in a period of semi-civilization, where the strength of numbers over-powered the force of Justice and over-shadowed the beauty of Truth. A terrific picture of disaster, of poverty and of disgrace is held up by many as the familiar and fully recognized consequence of resistance to oppression. Even a few of the generous advocates of genuine Freedom, have been led to tremble before the dark coloring of these evil prophecies, and, like timid mariners when scowling clouds portend a storm, are eagerly crying aloud to their public sentinels,
"Watchman, tell us of the night,
What its signs of promise are!"
As a reply to this anxious enquiry, we cannot perhaps express our sense of "the hope that is within us" more aptly, than by adopting the concluding lines of the stanza we have just quoted in part--
"Mariner, e'er yon dizzy height
See that brightly beaming star."
It is the star of South Carolina's destiny watch it with unerring devotion--as long as it sparkles on high, with its present brilliancy, hope for the best and believe that it will come; but when you perceive that its lustre is dimmed and that it is sinking into the low murky atmosphere, now far beneath it, then "flee to the mountains" or hide in the depths of some vast wilderness, if you would not witness the extinction of the only well-grounded hope of Southern Equality and Independence.
These are no high-flown expressions, addressed only to the ear--we design them as appeals to the hearts and understandings of our citizens. They shadow forth a truth, which each one of us should be proud to realize--a truth, which our real friends at the South will gladly admit; and which our enemies, everywhere, cannot gainsay. And it is this: That South Carolina is of all the sisterhood, the most zealous and disinterested defender of our Government as it should be the most fearless and uncompromising enemy of our Government as it now is. And we conscientiously believe, that upon the unshrinking maintenance of this position on her part, hangs not only her honor, but the weal of her people and the prosperity of the whole slave-holding country.
Let us, for a moment, review the general grounds, upon which we have assumed this position, and which indicate the paramount importance of maintaining it to the last. We hold it to be a fact, which does not admit of denial, that the Pseudo-philanthropy of the North, with all the influences it can bring to bear, is determined upon the destruction of the institution of slavery. This is their manifest policy, which, in the pride and insolence of their growing power, they do not pretend to disguise. We further believe that it can be said with perfect truth, that the politicians of the North, as a body, have given irrefragible proof of their disposition to pander to the wishes of this fanatical faction. For it is undisputed by Southern men, that the late Compromise measures were studiously represented to that faction as answering their designs, to all intents and purposes, if not, by special enactment, legislating their will. The gilded pill, which was administered to the South in the shape of the Fugitive Slave Bill, is already producing the nausea of disgust; for it is almost demonstrated, that this bill is futile and nugatory It is, in a word, evident that the Abolitionists have gained by this system of measures, almost all that their hearts can desire, while Southern slave-holders have lost every point in dispute.
We maintain, moreover, that this inveterate enmity to Southern Slavery is not a feeling of sudden and mushroom growth--but one which dates back many years, and which has become ramified through every grade of Northern society, high and low, law-abiding and law-contemning, until it has become inseparable from their social and political character. It is a feeling that owes its existence as much to the rapacity of Capitalists and the jealousy of white laborers, as to the frenzy of fanatics. This enmity was progressing rapidly to the completion of its nefarious designs upon our institution of slavery once before, although by a different course from that now pursued. This progress was checked by the action of South Carolina in 1832. But the feeling of hostility only increased in rancor with this defeat, while it gathered up additional cunning for a renewed attack. Seeing that the abolition party proper (for in one sense they are all so) was gaining strength with wonderful rapidity, our cool-headed opponents determined at once to conduct the game without seeming to participate in the strife. And even now, with the fact of collusion proved by every prominent measure of the Compromise bills, they would have us blindly believe that they are influenced in their deeds solely by friendship to the South and devotion to the Union. Thus have they added duplicity to malignity in their opposition, thereby giving another evidence of their demoniac determination to annihilate our power and prosperity.
One other development there is to which we will briefly allude in this connexion. It is the manifest disposition of Northern politicians to run into consolidation. Here is another cause of distraction, which must tend most powerfully to complete the disruption of the few remaining ties, that hold together this confederacy of States. The creeds of the two great divisions of the Union, are, upon this point, utterly antagonistic and as deeply rooted on either side as continuing anger becomes.