The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-12-25
But the mass of Republicans accept the

merely rs q paln1ul Dut necessary piiSl'hi-
ate though the revolutionary desert to the
promised land of renewed and lovclier
constitutional liberty on the further
shore. ! wish 1 could realize the logical
consistency of their arguments, ahc feel
the consoling calmness Of their hope.
Now, by this majority acting outside
of the Constitution you are making that
law not only of no effect today, but, in
my Judgment, cffectually precuding re-
turn to it tomorrow. For let us look at
the latest phase of reconstruction. 1t is
based on the idea, which is false in fact.
that the foremost men at the South, who
took part in the civil war, are incapable
of seffgovernmcnt (for it would. trust,
be unjust to Congress to suppose distran-
chisement is intended solely as a punish
ment.) and it can look for success only to
permanent civil subsection of the white
race there as :. mass to the black race as
mass.
Here we expect race, degraded by
slavery. and inferior by descent, compara-
lively small in numbers, wanting in intel
ligence, and without education or training.
to successfully rule the more numerous,
able, trained and wealthy class, and that.
too, before the helot brand has worn oil
from its manhood. Such u system will
need, as we all can see, moro than the
ballot to sustain it; an inverted pyramid,
it will topple down in widespread ruin if
not propped by bayonets. But bayonets
i'll accord with republican liberty. Is this
republican freedom? Granted all this,
and suppose the plan, by some miracle,
be submitted to by the Southern whites
and Northern frecmen for five years. /
am ready to test the entire suundncss OF
my objections to the Congressional line OF
policy by the answer of any unprejudiced
friend of the black man, whether if the
whites were neither driven out Dorkillcd,
he would dare at the end of that period
to take the Federal hand off the throat
of the whites and let the two races settle
their affairs for themselves. My friends,
men must have changed more than they
have in eighteen hundred years if either
white or black man population, not
greatly mixed, did not, in six months al
ter tho last national soldier departed,
stand victor Of an internecine war on
Southern soil. Is this then q speedy way
to a satisfaction of our longing for peace,
good fellowship, mutual kindness and the
brotherhood of one common nationality
Can we ever hope for the time so longed
for, if VIC take this away, when we shall
all stand together once more within the
protecting embrace of the Constitution
What we want is peace, good feeling
friendship under the new Constitution
and new Union. And this is what Con.
scrvatism to-day demands. Believing
that time is now too short for temporis
ing, and that the Radical lead has hurried
us almost TO an impossibility Of constitu.
tional reconstruction, we Conservatives
believe that as to this plan of rcconstrnc.
ton it must be stopped. We have tried
the ''pray don't" plan long enough-now
it must be, 'sthus far shalt thou go, and
no further" on peril of your life.
No, gentlemen, the only possible end
will be, that aftcrspcnding immense sums
to maintain armies to uphold the black,
YOU will find you have changed the kindly
feeling which exists to-day at the North,
and rs I believe did exist among the
mass of men at the South but a few months
since, into blind, unrcasoning prejudice
and hatred Then when you have placed
the negro where he cannot, unless nature
has thus far deceived us, possibly main.
tain himself, when you have we'd gcd him
up so by imbedding him in the organic
law of ten States that he cannot be got
out without revolution; and yet you have
exasperatcd the natural revulsion of race
into tanaticism and fury, you must at last
cast him down to be trampcd under the
feet of party which will be too strong
and too hot for argument. In the name
of the negro, gentlemen, and | wish my
words might be remembered, l protest
against this fatal policy. But it is said
We must have guarantees that no such
thing as rebellion ever happens again
And here again say, for Gods sake. yes,
let us have them, and good ones too, fol
after our experience of paper ones, l want
something more. Now, my friends,
think the best guarantee we can ever
find we have got already in the terrible
teachings of war But l think the next
best guaranty is in the hearts Of happy
and contented people, who feel that they
are we'll and justly governed, and entor
tain sincere affection for their frame OF
politv because they see in it one great
source of happiness. They are secure
free and prosperous, and it is not in such
soil that rebellion breeds. But treat a
people as you would treat the Southern
whites, exasperatc their prejudices, tram
pie on their pride, spurn their protests
destroy their property, and remove from
their minds all sense of security and
safety for life or land, and you breed a
breathcss hato which, the longer it is
stihcd. the fcrccr it will burn at last, and
when it does find vent, it will shake down
the tottcring remnant of our constitutional
citadel in utter ruin on our heads.