The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-11-05
The Issue Before tho People.

Etd The ISSUE Before tho People.
g It is O remarkable fact in the pre-.
sent political agitations, that the
leaders and orators of the dominant
party are conspicuously silent on the
one great issue that is to be decided.
Either these men do not perceive the
momentous changes that the nation
is called upon to accept-either they
do not appreciate the real character
of the political struggle they have
forced on, or they fear to point their
followers to what may be the conse-
quence of adhesion to their political
fortunes. They cannot state their
own platform in terms that will not
damn it. All the radical political
strategy consists in making diver
aion-in attracting the attention of
the voter to some other point than
that really in dispute. Hence we see
radical orations filled with stale
clamor against the Executive, and
the Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives can content himself with
talking two or three hours to an
intelligent auditory, and never once
touching on the real political pro-
blem of the hour. It is the necessity
OF Republican politics that the Presi-
dents delinquencies should be held
up to the people as the only point
that has to be overcome before the
country can have peace; 80 we see
Wade. Colfax, Wilson-the whole
category of radicals, except only
Thad. Stevens and Wendell Phillips
-harping always on the Presidents
shortcomings, and never venturing,
In even half a dozen sentences, to
discuss the great issue of the extinc-
tlon of civilization in ten States of
the American Union. Wendell Phil
lips and Thad. Stevens alone are
honest in that party-or, otherwise,
they alone have the brains to under
stand what the party purposes come
to. They boldly declare that the
Niger is the real issue. They argue
that the existence of the party is only
to be preserved by the supremacy of
the niger at the Southern polls, and
that that supremacy must be secured
at whatever cost. We can estimate
the cost very easily. There were
States in which brave and energetic
white race had its home; in which
the soil was cultivated, cities grew;
in which there were schools, colleges,
churches, society, civilization, and in
which an inferior and semi-brutal
race had been elevated by contact
with civilization to the position of
agricultural labor. It is now the
view of the Republican party that
this laborer, with the blood of the
Dahomey savage not yet cool in his
veins, must have the place of power.
The civilized race must be driven
out, and the civilization with it. The
cities must tumble to ruin, the cult
vation of the soil must cease, the
churches scrvo for fre-wood,or pic
turesque remembrances of another
age; ignorance. brutality, degrada-
ton must prevail; all because the
white race will not agree to think as
Sumner does; because an intelligent
people, who believe that thought is
free, will not bow themselves down to
such Calibanlike gods as Greeley and
Ben. Wade. This is the real case, as
between the Republican party and
the people. Let the voters Of this
State take heed that in voting with
the Republican party, they vote not
Tor freedom, not for order, not for
peace, but for an almost inconceiya-
BILE tyranny, for the destruction of
society in half the land, for the obli-
teratlon OF the civilization of hnlf the
Union, and the erection of the niroeI.
into q great radical machine for the
government OF the whole country.
Ne,D York Herald, 29M.