Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-09-09


were the important Or controlling issues that
induced the South to attempt to throw off
the United States Government, and establish
, one Of her own. Secession and Slavery were
important incidents in the late struggle but
in my humble judgment, il would be taking
too narrow and contracted view of thspo-
litical philosophy involved in this great Revo-..
luton, 10 limit the principles of action Of !
those who participated in ii TO such side
issues.
When we attempted to ihrcw off the Coy.
ern.nrnt Of the United Stats, the Republic
can party had absolute ,contr..l Of; CoHgress;
they had recently elected President. upon
platform of principles which they charac.
terized as the /" higher law doctrines, -priu-
cples Of action not to be found in the Con-
sitution, but higher, as they asserted, than
the Consiitution,-higher than the revela-
tions Of the Great God, that created and gov.
erns the univefse. Hasing entire control Of
the Legislative and Executive Departments
Of the GOVERNMENT aud having declared
their purpose of reorgalizing the Judicial
Dopartmeat, and pssal,zihg its inaaence, By:
the joint action Of The Executive and Leeis-
latiye departments, their usurpationr were
complete. It was for,these usurpaiious snd
abuses of power that she South poised her
lance and drew her sword. 1t was not for
Slavery or Secession-the one the irritatiog
cause, G.e other supposed means of redress,
but for Constitutional Liberty against the
Stars and Stripes, out Of the Union Of the
United States.
And as proof of this, the Confederate Gov.
ernlient adopted the Constitution Of the
United States with oply a few unimpo;ant
changes aud amendments thereto. The war
has settled forever these side issues, bat
where stand the Constitution and the hber-
ties Of the people Of the United Stsies? The
Republican or Radical party still has control
of Congress. The bullet Of the assassin
Bceth, placed the standard et constitutional
Liberty in the hands Of Andrew johnson,
who has brayely defended it amidst tho at
tempss OF Congress to emasculatc h's high
office. This p'rty has succeeded IN pafaly-
,z'ng the action Of 'he Jao'caa nepaHmen!
of the Government with Legislation s.outside
of the Constitution Those wto fought f.r
eoIs,'.as,oua' n go y r. > - ,n.s.
lA'i:a 70 - sssu,s az gss.a :. y ~ 'a'eS -.
- ~. - I s,;,ss - ,.h;.,. 80, ~. ,,.,,.
=, a.. .,d,.,.,..:,,ss sa,.,...
,ha h.,,o, hoy Enr,.iS;,o ,t.sh;,t.-. :. ,,,.;,I !.
d;oo. .,d ho,,;I;,;.x ,bat h.d he., nn,,arod
= ~, ,.a,.-<,L. -
:, :.
s.. aaN Ae g .auS 49, ,as,. @ 80 ..h.sa 49,.
IS -, I'm 80 ,;,o !. S,o.. "a
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- ~ ..r.. .c..,:..s.:. -, 49,.
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"'u oO' - w ~. ~ 49,, T .
s'-'i :" '1 49,.
ta':y' Auu nA'' p'aos "'' oo' Wv
nanu' u Seymour :" D'.H' "A' -" ea4 a'
y osas sae@ 70 'uo'e'',u' ps''e' Auu 'ss'"s
aon ol tae Union, un0as 1uS 's''sa 'eA'e' VI
INC oopsti'u''on'
/ come now, Fellow Citizens, 10 the cohsid-
Grafton of the most important part Of he
Platform of the Democratic Party. 10 the
people Of the South, aud more especially of
mi. State. The abolition of the Freeduau,s
Rrre,u sna a, noli,;c,, io,,r,ment.3;,i.x ,,el
stoned to .ec,re neoro sp,remscv the RENT,
lnI;on Of tn. elective franchise in N. S,sse,
bv th.;nc;t;z ..ns and the dsc,ars,;on that .hs
Reconstruction Acts are .userpations. uacon-
stitutiousl, revolutionary. and void. We sea
then, fellow citizens, that the exercise or fIe
elective franchise On the part OF the freed,
men is without Constitutional Authority, and
this attempt on the part OF Congtess 10 Saf
it upon you, by means Of their Rseenstru
ton Acts, is nugatory and void. It il true
that by the force of the bayonet, yeu have
been disfranchised and driven from the bal
lot-bes, and this once proud privilege is now
oslag ehJoseu oy sealaHAss' carpet nargrrs'
a.. - 'n0'11' ."e'' W ,0us s1c'us'oa.
~. =, Ius o.a,.s W., pay nas announced
'na' .;', .Asss a'.' - 'u i.epuo'ean pas's aIe
1as''1a' ~ s,aa.s g. 'ua y oou,'e 'HeS ~,a'
y - .;.:ln - = -, - 80 .'peA 'Ae"' ine
''.o. - . '0 o.o'' I'.', se'''o' 'nelr