The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-12-18

The Great Presidential Issue
Negro Supremacy or Negro
Subordinations
In the rapid progress Of events
in this age Of steam, electricity,
general intelligence and an indie
pendent public press, most of the
political questions of the time as
sumo new phases from day to day,
and while old issues are constant
ly disappearing, new issues are
constantly coming to the surface.
For instance, from the agitation of
the money question by the leading
politicians and party Journals on
both sides, it was only the other
day apparent that, this important
+! issue Of the reconstruction of our
I national financial system would
swallow up, like Aaron's rod, all
/ other issues before the country in
our coming Presidential contest.
Since the meeting Of congress,
however, we perceive from the di-
versity of opinions and theories
among the leading minds Of the
Republican party and the, Demo
cratic party, among the. Radicals
and Conservatives, that no def
mite programme on our national
finances can be expected from
either party as Presidential plat
form. In all probability, there
fore, we shall not have any broad
ly defined lines Of party demarea-
tion on the money question in this
approaching. Presidential cam
paign.
=. But there is another question
which looms so boldly and broad
fly in the foreground, and which
| | has assumed shape so definite
and substantial, and so urgent and
| alarming, that it cannot be
changed, evaded or postponed.
We allude to the negro question
the question Of negro supremacy
or negro subordination. The old
slaveholding oligarchy, in it's pride.
and insolence, for long time cons
trolled the government in all it's
departments; but, falling at last
to control it, undertook the ex-
pertinent Of a separate slave:hold-
ing confederscy by force Of arms.
This rash experiment resulted in
the extinction Of this. Southern oil
garchy, with the institution upon
which it rested. But now, in its
place, we are invited to the ex-
pertinent of its four millions Of
liberated African slaves as a new
Southern balance Of power in our
national politics on the basis Of
universal suffrage.
+ This is the sum and substance.
of the reconstruction policy Of this
Radical. Congress now in full opera
tion in the ten unrecognized rebel
States. The experiment has been
developed sufficiently to produce
already a popular reaction in the
North, so powerful, indeed, as to
suggest the necessity to the Radi-
cal party of -hurrying up their
work of Southern reconstructien
on this basis Of the negro vote, in
order that these ten outside rebel
States may be restored in season
to turn the scale Of the coming
Presidential election against an
apprehended Anti-Radica' -lJori-
ty from the electoral colleg>~ Of the
North. We expect to see this pur-
pose carried ont, and when carried
ou5 we expect a Northern reaction
hardly less decisive than that
which foreshadowed the speedy
annihilation Of the Democratic
white oligarchy Of the South in
the first election Of Abraham Lin
coin to the White House.
There is something so repulsive
to the American mind, so antagon-
istic to the genius, the spirit and
the manefest destiny Of our polIti-
cal and social system, in this thing
Of a Southern negro balance Of
power, especially as it is estab-
lished on white acknowledgements,
that in cannot last. 1t is a COM
pound Of Asiatic despotism and
African barbarism, so monstrous
that it's first submission to the
general verdict Of the country
will result in q Judgment decreeing
the authority and the instruments
for it's overthrow, Put it to the
test, and the majority Of fifty
thousand against negro suffrage
in Ohio, for example, will be main
tanned against this experiment Of
a Southern balance OF power in
Congress and our Presidential
elections, resting upon universal
negro suffrage and white disfran-
chisements. And so it will be in
Now York and throughout the
North, excepting, perhaps, only
Vermont and Massachusetts,
It was supposed at the time
that tho suspension ofStanton and
the removal Of Sheridan and
Sickles-three Of the leading fig
ures Of the war-would operate to
strengthen and solidify the Repub-
lican party in our then impending
fall elections. But the results
have shown that the ewes of the