Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-03-06
From the Memphis Bulletin.
lIVHI tnO -tke1H 5uI' o"Ifes'""
Orr, Of South Carolina.

From the Memphis Bulletin
Governor Orr, Of South Carolina.
There was an anniversary banquet of the
Chamber of Commerce held at Charleston, S.
c., a few days ago, at which Governor Orr
was present as an invited guest. OF course
the Governor made speech, and in the
course of that speech he made the following
remarks:
81 say to you, in all frankness, that it is
difficult to tell what our political position in
the future is to be. Gentlemen FROM the
Southern States, and particularly those from
North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Ar,
kansas and Texas, were of the opinion that
some scheme that could be- suggested by them
might be the means at least Of securing the
support of Il conservative portion of the
Radical party hence the scheme which you
nave seen presented. 1t was not supposed
that it would be favored by the extremists, bat
that it would meet the views CT the more mod
crate men in their personal relations. | feel it
ny duty to say hat they received Inc kindly,
treated me courteously, and manifested every
disposition to have perfect and complete
settlement; but some of those gentlemen,
when next they went into the halls of Con-
gress, would indulge in speeches of the most
violent character. My own judgment is, if
the Legislature adopt the programme with
any degree of unanimity, if Arkansas adopt
this amendment, snd if the other Southern
States adopt it, or manifest disposition to
adopt it, it will produce the best results upon
| a considerable portion of the Radical party,
and save the South from many Of the propos-
ed Radical measures / know great many
of our people arc in favor of folding their
arms. They say, We are in the power Of these
people let them do as they please. 1 do not
believe in any such doctrine. l am not one
of the dignity sort"
We presume no one will dispute this last
proposition of the Governor, to-wit: That he
is g not one of the dignity sort" Not be =
The Governor was in the Confederate Sem
ate at the close of the war. We happened
to be in Richmond in those terrible days
Governor Orr was regarded as o strong sup
porter of Mr.. Davis, though there were men
malicious enough to whisper even then that
he was looking out for o soft place whereon
to fall. Lee surrendered. Governor Orr was
among the very first to hurry on to Wash.
.ngton to get his pardon. He was successful,
and was elected Governor of his State-the
Southern States being then disposed to lay
hold of available men for Office, in the hope
that the North might be conciliated. The
Dcople "ere beguiled into eecting number
of such men Governor Wells, O. Louisiana,
is q notable example. 1t is these very men
who have proved so disastrous 10 our cause
these Southern Governors and members OF
Congress elect, each with his own axe to
grind, who have been dancing attendance
upon the President and upon both Houses OF
Congress, traficking and compromising, with
the hope of saving themselves and their
places They are willing to do anything,
except only that they must not be thrown
overheard. The Constitutional Amendment
WAS only objectionable 10 them because it
lisfranchised them and robbed them Of the
honors Of which they were unworthy. OF
course the more honorable Of Northern men
soon learned to despise such characters. Talk
as they may of the traitor aud his treason,
they have more respect for man who abides
by his principles than for one who is willing
to traffic them for place. If President John
son had stood upon more firm ground from
the beginning, and if we had not Orrs, and
Parsonses (of Alabame,) and Wellses, revolv.
ing around him-llke SO many satellites around
a luminary, which was a "lucus non lucendO,' y
our difficulties would, in our judgment, have
been settled long before this. Poor Cover
nor Orr he has met the fate that so many
renerades have met before him-he is spurned
by both parties We can conceive the disgust
with which the ancient Chamber of Com
merce of Charleston must have listened to
his elegant declaration that he was not one
of the dignity sort" and was ready to eat as
much dirt as might be required OF him. Iu
the estimation cf the Northern people he has
fallen still lower. The Radical Boutwell,, in
bis speech on Stevens bill, as amended by
the Senate, OH tie 18th inst, made especial
reference to him. He said that we ought to
remove from the business of reconstructing
South Carolina, for example, the Orrs, the
pickenses and the Magra,hs, AMI all these
men who participated in the rebellion" etc.
We must confess that we are one of those
unwise, impracticablc men denounced by Gov.
Orr, who is in favor of doing nothing in the
present crisis, for two reasons; the first is,
that humiliation will do us no good, and the
second is that Be are not one of the humli.
alton Sort" to Baraphrase Governor Orr's
classical expression. We have but little left
save our honor, and We are in favor OF main
tanning this. 1t is one thing to submit pa
tiently.to tho yoke of power, another to court
the yoke and assist tae dcspot to put it upon
our necks. We may be old fashioned in this,
but some old fashions are better than new
ones. We hope that Gov. Orr will change
his mind when he makes his next speech, and
put on little of that dignity which, we CAN
not help thinking, should belong to the de-
scendants OF the old cavaliers-ragged old
vagabonds, as many of them were.