Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-08-07
THE ISSUES OF THE HOUR.


More momeiitous issues were never pre-
scented for the determination of FREQ peo
pie. than that which are involved in the
coming Presidential election. It is a con:
test between liberty and despoiism, liberty
with its attendants blessings, ami despot
ism with its unnumbered evils-a contest
bstween peace bascd upon equal justice to
all, and the internal strife and cemmotlon
which must follow the efforts Of the
strongbanded oppressor to crush out the
spirit Of free people. Eight years ago
the Radical party assumed the Government
Of the country, and their sole otj, ever
since has been to consolidate and perpetu,
ate tbeir power-by uuscrupuIous and
unconstitutional encroachmeuts alike upon
the rights Of the States and the powers oi
the General Governments-and tllut too
at tie sacrifice of the best interests Of the
country. After wagiug four years war,
involving the loss Of 100000 lives, and
the sacrifice of $4,000, 100000 or 81 4,ooo,.
100000, ostensib'y to preserve the
Union, they have now for more than three
years kept ten States of the Union under
Military Government, until by enfranchi-
sing pauperism and ignorance, and dis
francI'ising property and intelligence. they
have established in the bogus Govern
ment Of the South, tho willing tools OF
their despotism. All of this has been
accomplished only by the most reckless
iufractious of the Constitution and the
revolutionary encroachments upon the
Prcrogatives of the executive, the powers OF
the supreme Judiciary, and the rights Of
the STATES. A standing army, and freed
mems bureau involving the wasteful ex-
Penditure of more than $lO0,0OO,0OO
annually, have been established, with the
sole design Of elevating one race and de-
pressing the other, until by civil and po-
llticaI disabilities, imposed upon the sure-
fior, and universal suffrage extended to
tho inferior, the wires of intrigue might be
adjusted, and tho political automatous set
in motion, which should forever consoli =
date Radical power both in the South and
at the North. The negro has been used
MS the mere instrument, the CATS paw to
build up Radical power, and to destroy
Constitutional liberty both at the South
and at the North. "Let US have pcacu"
says General Grant, but tho only peace he
will give us is the peace Of the sword
the peace of despotism and death.
The Democratic party proposes to res
tore The Government to its original prin-
ciples, and to the practices ofits earlier sages,
to restore "the Union rs it was, under the
Constitution as it ito restore Virginia
and Carolina TO their place among the origi-
nal thirteen States, under the provisions
of that Constitution which was matured BY
the wisdom of Hamilton and Madison and
Jefferson-to secure the due limitations of
the various departments of the Govern
ment, and the just rights OF The s,stes-
to guarantee justice to all, protection to
the black, but his rightful pre.emineuce to
the white raoe-to protect the safeguards
of civil and political liberty, the ha5eas
corpus and trial by jury, and the right of
each State to regulate the question of fran.
chlse-to restore wise economy in the
Of the public fiusnces, and
TO relieve the country from that wssteful
expenditure of $soo,ooo,o 900 per annum,
which is BOW crushing its industry, cor
rnpting its morals and impairing its credit
both at home and abroad. Upon the
SUCCESS Of the party depends the last hope
of Constitutional liberty in this country.
Seymour and Blair are the standard hear.
ess, of the only true republicsnism, the
exponeuts Of that only true theory of Gov.
ernusnt, that'it is a trust to be exercised in
behalf Of the;people.
In this contest then between liberty
and deapotism-between Democracy and
Radicalism-ths true men of the Sou.h
cannot hesitsteato choose their position,
and 10 sustain II, vigorously and actively:
Even to tue blacks we can cay, your inter
ests are identified with The whites Of the
South and cannot bo separated, without
ruin to yourse'ves.s Let us organize, letus
have our political meetings, let us disaemi-
bate our documsnts. Success abroad
should inspire ep,hlasiasm at home, and
now our psss sucoesseg here furnishes the
heat eneoursgemenss .for earnest and uni
ted'efforts. With a proper effort we may
carry the State, and share the glory which
must crown'tHe camps;gp-she election Of
Seymour and Blair.
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