Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-09-25


with hideuus ruin and combustion
down To botlomlcss pcrdition.' But
this contest l.: yet raging. Although
he war ha.; been fought and decided
against us, yci in the language OF Mr..
DAVIS, the principle for which We
contend Will rr;,SSurt itself ut another
time, if not in the sam" way. That
prime pie rcasscrts itself to-day. 1t
has :hrcc fierce cor,lral;aud tho
fourth now coniiGnts III. fits said that
,whcn the declaration w:is under dc
bate i'll the Continental CcnSi'cSs the
Houses hcsitatcd and wavcrcd, and
for long time the liberty and Slavery
OF the nation appeared to hang in an
even scale. II was then that an aged
patriarch arose u venerable and
stately form, his head white with the
frost OF years. Every eye went TO
him with the quickncSs OF thought,
and remained with tho fixc,ncss of
the Polar Star. lie cast on the AS
scmbly q look Of incXprcssblc inter
ost and uncon1ucrahlc determination,
while on his visaHc tho hue of age
was lost in the flush Of burning pa
trotism that fred his check. "Thcrc
is said he, when he saw the House
wavcring, 'thcrc is Il tide in human af.
fairs, u nick OF time; wo perceive il
before us; TO hesitate is To consent to
our own slavcry.' The issue of that
day, trliow-citizcns, fearful and vital
as it WAS, involving The separate On
istcncc OF the nation, dwiniIca into
utter :nsigniIicancc when compared
with that which confrontS ua, viewed
in all It's length, breadth, hciyhth and
depth. | believe il we fail in this;
crisis, The principlr for which we con-
tend will remain forever stifcd. We
have compromised the principles OF
the Constitution till they have ceased
to bo ACKNOWLEDGED, and VIC arc pow
crless TO enforce them. Could my,
voice be made to reach the car of re-
mote&t timc, l would solc,nnly urge
that no compromise Of Constitu-
tional principles ever again be made
that, il VIC must perish, let US per
ish clinGin& 10 the tattcrcd fragments
Of tho Constitution OF Our country,
as framed hy our fathers The issue
which the Radicals have forced upoM
the country involves not only the cx-
istence OF Constitutional government, but
the supremacy Of the Southern white man
over this Southern soil, the homo of his
childhood. Andto you, my oolored friends
it is OF ten fold moro serious import-it
involves your existence. DO You ask me
whya My answer is, can weakness pre-
vail against powcla ignorance against in
tel!igcnccl vice against vir,u,2 darkness
against lig':9 fa!sebood against Truth:
Neither then can yonrrace prevail against the
while race. We have met for the purpose
of discussing the great issue before the
country, and to expose tho absurdi,es o
the Radical party, and for this purpose
have invited our noblest champions of
tho right.
The President first introduced tie Hon.
j. T. Reed, Dcmo ,ratic candidate E.r
Congress from this Congressional Dis
trict, whose ability, energy and zeal
bring strength to any cause which
may enlist his sympat,ijs or engage
his efforts. Mr.. Reed spoke with his
accustomed force and cloqucncc, and
as he always docs, commanded the
attention and carried with him the
feelings of his audience. We shall
not attempt synopsis Of his remarks
which were addressed principally to
the colored brethren, and which were
characterized throughout by The
strong appeals, the forciblc illustra-
tions, the practical good sense, and
the spirit, force and carncstncss,
which distinguish all lis efforts. The
carpet-batg5gcr, the scalawag. and the
poor dcludcd negro were exhibited in
their true colors and just relations,
and the speaker showed how the
acts OF the demagoguc and the
schemes of tho corrupt politician,
were made to defeat the ends of good
government, and to sacrifice the inter
ests OF tho many to the ngyrandizc
mcnt Of the few.
Next was introduced LEROY T..
IoumaEs, Esq, late solicitor Of the
Southern Circuit, and one Of the
most brilliant and promising young
lawyers in the State. Mr.. Youinans'
speech was an elaborate effort, giving
evidence OF n cultivated taste and
clcGr and wclldisciplincd mind, and
exhibiting throughout the fruits Of Il
reading. IIe drew
a striking contrast between the
worlf IEhicl, yr,i,rl,f l,rn t,oo. 1