The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-19
WHY DODGE THE ISSUE.

WHY DODGE TIE ISSUE.
Honesty is the best policy. We will always
tnke off our hat respectfully 10 any man, how
ever much VIC may differ with jin,, if he will
only boldly assert what no believes TO be true,
and having asserted il, will boldly defend his
positions With such man we may differ.
but for such q man we must feel respect. If
the so-called party of progress, the aolf-siyled
irionds of liberty, the Radical party, would
only follow this course, it would not receive
our approval, but it would receive our admirn-
tion for honest, persistent consistency. When
| the South felt most bitterly toward those who
wero opposed 10 her institutions, she respect
ell the men, who following the radical theo-
RIGS of her opponents to their logical conclu
sion pronounced tho Constitution of the
United States league with He'll But the
| South in common with all honest men has al
| ways despised those timc-seryers who adopt
course because it will probably prove popn-
lar, and reject conclusion, because an election
might be Lost on the issue.
If the Radicals would remain true to their
principles, We certainly shoald say nothing.
| If the American people should decide in favor
of tyranny in any shape, wo would regret the
fact, but we would feel poor consolation in
knowing that Tho flag which was once the en-
blem of the freedom of the North and South, in
becoming the shroud Of the one has become
the winding sheet of the other. We do how
ever complain that the party, whicl. IlESRr
WILSON has openly proclaimed will rule the
country for twenty years, intends to rule by
| frau md h,,r, I;utp nj
the people. The people are to bc deceived by
the shadow, while the initiated grow fat by
the substance, the public Offices
| The Radical party claims to be based on
| freedom to all meu, freedom of all thought, and
| freedom Of the press in every part Of the
country. Freedom of thought with it means
simply freedom to think az do the leaders Of
that party. Freedom Of the press is such
freedom as was recently tolerated by mill
tary officer in General onD's District, and free
dom TO all men means only freedom to all
groes, without discrimination, and to all white
may hoh1Ens nj .Ieisea in the South, 10 vote
ern gold and Northern political manipulation.
We ask for fairness and canior. We ask
that issues should be broadly aud distinctly
made. II The Radical pnrty is honest in its
| views, then il should he earnest in their
application. II pretepds to advocate political
and even social equality between the races.
1t claims that the white may possibly he equal
10 The negro if he is only true 10 the principles
of the party. It insists that the two races
can live in perfect harmony with each other,
having equal political rights, and standing
| shoulder to shoulder in The competition for
| bread, side by side in the schools the church.
es, the workshops and in the hall. of iogi.la-
| tion. II overlooks the fact that this course, if
successful, could only succeed by producing IN
amagamation Of the races, contamination
never to be wished for by any one, whether
white or black, who loves his race This re.
suit would prove to be equally injurious to
the white and black races, producing as il
would, men inferior to the white in intellect, to
The black in capacity for work, and TO both in
health and morals. 1t is certain that the sober
sense of both races would reject this solution
Of Tho question, and wisely would il be rejected,
because if such solution could be had both
races would certainly be destroyed.
With this cry the Radical has led the North
into every measure of oppression with which
the South is now Cursed. With this cry military
governments have been continued for nearly
three years Of peace, aud Heaven can only
know how much longer they will last. With this
cry the yearly expenses of the United States
Government have, in a time Of peace, inoreas-
ed nearly fourfold. With this cry tho South s
being reconstructed by tyrannicnl legislation
contrary to the Constitutions Of our States and
of Tho IIDifeh Gfofor md IL ~
of the President and half Of the members Of
the Supreme Court.
Here the willy politicians of the party desired
to stop, but the moro: honest men, who are
foolish enough to believe that words mean
something, and that conclusions follow pre-.
mises, insisted that their crafty leaders should
follow thoir own teachings. This dose was not
easily swallowed; but the leaders had taught
the lesson, and they could not shut the book
whenever they might desire SO to do. The
physician was at hand, and he insisted that the
medicine should be taken, or that political
death would he the result. The leaders swal-
lowed, but swallowed with q gulp, and at the
Inst session of Congress agitAted the question |
OF "mnnhood suffrage" Connecticut did not |
like tho agitation, and elected Democrats in
place of Republicans to Office. This showed |
the leaders that logical results sometimes pro- |
ducc political annihilation. The North had be. |
gun to think, and to follow out Radical |
theories 10 their final consequences. The |
Northern mnn did not wish an amalgamation /
of the races, nor did lie wish Congress to usurp,
nt his home and his freside, the Same powers
that it had usurped in the South. The quss-
tion being agitated, and the minds of men be-
ing awakened to the dangers Of despotism at
home. the Radicals began to see that the issue
would be the loss'or preservation of liberty Mt
the North, and also that whenever this aues-
tion was fairly made, the lovers of liberty
would triumph They foresew their own fail
in the return of sense to the North, and thew
felt TINT Whenever the contest at the North |
should come between liberty aud radicalism,
liberty would surely triumph. In Ohio tho
party adopted the doctrine Of "manhood suf
frage" as o portion of its political faith, but IN
Pen1sylvsnia political ahrewdness triumphed
over'politieal honesty, aud Il WAS rejected as a
party doctfine. The California elections took
Mace. and tha Hopparvo,tv.. al.,t.L .l.:.