The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-10-16
CoMhuEiCAT6D.

h''e pc"h urged, ny persons, to become
candiln'c for q seat in tho Constitutional
Convention, and deem it but jus,iGo to my
friends TO state, thus publicly, that cans
not accept nomination.
In the first place, l have never desired to
go to the Convention. lnthe second place,
am not eligible to the position, as the
Military Commander and boards of registrn.
ton have 50 decided; having once been
an officer o: mill in aud afterwards engaged
in the late war ia bohaif of the Southern
cause.
This disfranchiscmcnt, however, does not
preclude me from offcringmy feeble support
to tho reconstruction Of our State, or pro
vent me from using my liltlc influence in
behalf Of political friends who may lie
presented as candidates for the suffrage of
the people.
propose rs briefly ns possible, to lay
down n few leading ideas which shal gov
crn inc in lending assistance to any candi.
date.
No man, in my judgment, should be elect.
eli TO go TO the Convention, who docs no,
favor reconstruction at the earliest practi-
cable moment under the military bill or any
other bill presented by Congress or The
Executive or any ether power Of tho gov
crnmcnt. because, we aro n poworcss,
conquered people, and having no alternative
left, We should shape our policy 80 rs to be re-
stored to q position in The Union which will
give us, al icasi, political Independence. AS
We now stand, il is impossible for any man TO
feel that he is not more or less swaycd by de-
pcndcnce op one or the other Of the con
tending political parties at the North. No
Southern man can, without n shullcr and
deep seNec Of humiliation, feel that he owes
allegiance to President Johnson or the Dem.
ocratic party; because the cue proved a
traitor TO his native South and became Il ty.
rant over The people of his adopted State.
whilst the other abandoned lhcir expressed
and long cherished principles and gave as
sisLancc in our suh,uga!ion, bat for which,
the Confederate States would now be free
and independent.
would not adhere to any man or. party
which has once deceived or betrayed me-.
This party is the cause OF uil our present
suffering. Had the Democracy stood lirm,
coercion never would have been attempted,
and Mr.. Lincoln would have been powcrlcss
to TO US harm. Indeed, his chief officer vas
| opposed to c0crcion and advised nguimSt il,
until Lincoln was backed hy the Democracy.
Bat how stands The case with the Hcpub
lican party? Certainly, no man was de-
ccivcd rs to the Object Of this party before
and during the war. We fought the Rcpub
lcans many years, and finally. had to s,'c.
cumh TO their power; and whilst | have
serious prCjudiccs against mcn, whose le,s
have always seemed hostile to what we
always deemed our social, pccuniary and
political interests, and whilst am free t,
acknowledge that thcso prciudiccs are not
wholly cradcatcl, nm alt'o free 10 cnn;cS $
that respect an open cIcmy in proportion
rs dclcst and abhor II trni;orous friend; nor
am disposed to suffer ideal preiu,liccs to
interfere with my better judgment in mai
tor involving The dearest rights and pryi.
cgns Of our citizens.
II has been asserted tha, the Republicans
arc high tax party, spoils party, sc.
But these assertions are male without re.
ilecting, that four years war, conducted
on scale unparallclcdin in history, could not
have closed without producing financial en-.
barrassment corresponding 9Th the magui-
tudc and duration Of the contest; and it
would defy the skill Of the best iinanccr in
: the world topny the expenses of ono million
soldiers in tho'fcd for four years at m ave.
rage expenditure Of $8p, 200, 900 year.
which was ab, u the annual expenses Of the
government during Mr.. Buchanan's admin
istra,ion. Nor do we in our complaints re.
fleet, that our attempt at secession caused
tho war. Wcdo not reflect, that tho Gupl.
city of tho Democratic party cmbollcncd
MIR. Lincoln TO coercion mud the expenditure
of hundreds Of millions of money in over
throwing The rebellion Wcdo not reflect that
of tho $3.50, 600. 900 collected the last fiscal
year, only about $500, Goa, 600 were paid by
the South. The greater portion of the tax
paid at the South has been on cotton, and it
is singular fact, that Mr.. McCulloch "a
Democracy, Mr.. Johnson's Secretary Of tho
Treasury, in his annual report for q think)
1860, recommended that five cents per
pound should be levied as tax on cotton.
Aud another singular fact is, that no Demo-
CRATIC Congressman has ever proposed to
ioiitSfsiho South Of this tax, aud thnt Mr
Wade (a radical, whom cannot endorse in
many rcspscts) is tho only loading man in
Congress who has openly taken stand
against this tax. Hence, it will DO seen
that if the Republicans tax heavily they
don't seem to spare themselves at the North,
and if prejudice alone Is to DO tho rule and
guide Of our actions the Democracy cannot
be ignored.
But to lay aside prejudice What prnc.
pleis involved with the white people Of the
South? Ono party in tho government
wants us reconstructed on one plan which
ensures itpower,and another proposes plan
which gains II power. Both plans arc oh :
jcctionablc and partly unconstitutional, and
yet, some would accept the ono and reject