Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-11-20
A. Day With Ben. wade.

| N1dch lHC Correspondence VI tAe OiHSin
natl Commercial, publishes gossipping lettel
detailing conversation recently held witt
Senator Wade, of Ohio, from which we make
the following extracts:
"The niggcr whipped U.s." said Mr. Wade.
"We went in on principle, and got whipped
We should have carried the State by good
majority If it had not been for the suffrage
issue. Still am not sorry we made the issue.
Ii it was to do over again Id be for putting
it again, and I'll be for keeping it up until We
do win; for, by the eternal CID, they can't
beat US all the time on a question like that.
l had no iGea that there were were so many
Republicans in Ohio who were willing : see
negro suffrage in the South, but wouldn let
the few niggers of Ohio vote. That's what
got me. They all seemed to be in favor of it
as measure of reconstruction, just as much
as was. 1 didn't dream that they'd be mean
enough to vote against it here"
"Now," said Mr.. Wade, "because we have
been whipped on the first trial, suppose
some of the weak-kueed brothers will be for
! hacking out on that question. But won't
BACK a id inch. Pm for it now as strong
as was before the election, and stronger,
TOO, because there is more need of being
strong for Il, to conquer mean prejudice
I: But you will see men trying 10 hush the
thing up, and to sm@ther it and to dodge it
in every way they cen, and men who call
themselves Radicals, too. HelPs full OF such
Radicals as we'll have now. I'm for 1t be-
Cause think it's right; and, if thing is
right, the oply way is to keep at. it lit
wins, for it's sure to win sometime or another.
asked him if he thought the Republican
party would have Jared better in tie late
elections if johnson had been inipeached and
turned out of cffict. Certainly it would"
said he. ';If we had made out case against
him and turned him out, (and we shouldn't
have turned him cut unless we had made
good case we'd have been much stronger.
There's nothing the people Ike in party SO
we'll as bodness and nothing hurts party
so much as timdity. Iftkc people think
you are afraid 10 do thing that you ought
to d., they'll beat you certain. They like
pluck A whitc-ivered party will soon go
to pieces. 1t was because we took hold Of
tho sa7cry question in good earnest that we
won on it, and we never aid win until we did
take hold of it in that way"
Referring to Summers suffrage measure,
Mr.. Wade said he had not made up his mind
exactly whether he ought to vote ior II or
no:. lie believes that under the last clause
Of the thirteenth amendment giving Congress
power to enforce the abolition Of slavery by
appropriate legislation, there was ample au-
thority icg the passage of the bill, for no man
was really free in this country unless he had
tue right 10 VOTE But he was believer ia
State rights in proper and Legitimate way,
and did not know bat that this bill was III
viola ian of tic right Of each State TO rcsu-
late suffrage.
Referring to Presidential matters, Mr.
Wade said it hadalpoked to lin tor year
past as if the Republican party would taKe
Grn,t up for President, and run nm IN WIN
4 hurrai. He was sorry to sec that diSpcsi-
icn. and believed 10 good woaid Come OF ii.
The trouble witA Grant is, saiH NJ, you
don't know where he stands. Ii Se:;'iiS Vcry
Singular that man could have ived through
this terrible war without Identifying Eimsc!;
with anv party, and that men, pretend
ing tn be Republicans, should try to rusii Inn
into ,te White House without asking hi'n =
s;;.,le question IS to where be stands or tre
great issues now before Tic country. Sii'' l
have felt it il my bones that they w'n'" CO
that vcr5 ilng.';
asked Mr.. Wade if he hal eyer conversed
with General Grant on political topics
81 have tried 20 DO H." said lie. "but |
never could lting him out. When saw The
popular current appearing to run IN bis 'a'or
thought | would like to know where lie
stood on the great Questions hctorc US
whether he vas for johnson or Congress, or
what the devil he was for; for ncTer coul'l
ret ANYTHING out Of him. As qaic!l IS ~
talk politics. he'd talk Eors"s aud re conid
talk ior hours on that without getting I:red'
We'll. horses arc very good. bu; in these ;i:h,S
man NAV he all righ; on horses ard all
wrong on politics. Grant NAV be aii ritsi.i
for what know, bat then he may he al
wrong. Ir he want: to be President by my
| voice and the voice # the man act With, be
must not only BIC right b;t he must prove
that he Is"
erouired of Mr.. Wade what proof he
would require from General Grant before
supporting him as Presidential candidate.
Would a letter endorsing the Radical policy
do?
aNo II won't We must have bis wcrd
backed by some official oct showing him to
be in sympathy with us aud in favor OF the
doctrines wc advocate. We won't take any
| mans VOID alter whal ~ 80 gone through.
| Grant mus. come odt a.; s'lov' iiic banG as
nrorousced Republican. Or he can! get iay
support. l don't know that my, supper.
amounts 10 much, but what little there IS OF
it will 90 n.tbc right direction
0If Grant wants the Presidency, let him
rome out like man, and say which side he
is an and if hc is strong CROUCH on Our size
wen elect him. But it is neither wise nor
necessary for us to run an availability candl-
date, We will have the Southern States
re- re-orgsnizcd by that time, and they will vote
right. Then we can rely on enough NORTH
.rn States to insure the election of our man,
! whoever he may be-"
I or Chief Justice Chase, he said:
g If Chase can be nominated | think he
will make good Presidcaf, aad we can elect
him."
During onr conversation the subject of
Mrs. Lincoln and her recent disgracetul CON
duct came ny, anu remembering that MIR.
Wade was orc Of q committee appointed by
the two Houses 10 investigate the pecunlary
condition in which Mr.. Lincoln's family was
Ior.. and report bill for their relief, asked
him if it wa true, as stated by Mrs. Lincoln,
hat Mr.. Lincoln LEFT little CT az prapeTiy be
hind lin. .No," said he, '"it is & Id !ie
We looked into the matter very carefully
The Illinois mrn wanted us to give her one
hundred thousand dollars; and NC agreed to
do so if it appeared that she really needed it.
We sent for the Administrator of the estate,
and he testified that Mr.. Lincoln left seventy
6yc thousand dollars in Government bonds,
or something like that, besides some I13: little
productive property in SSp7iisfed; Sp7i2ss Illinois
in all, about one hundred thousand dollars;
We thought, then, that twenty-five thousand
dollars would be enough-the came as was