The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-11-01

- SptcRs 1ou uAts. D1Jrnct Nos - AfoRa
]. propose now, fellow citizens, to
enter upon tho reconsideration of the
matter specially involved in this cam
vass,s And, In the first place, I in
tend to arraisa the radical party be-
/ fore The tribunal of the people, and
by an appeal to logic and to facts, 1
hope to fasten upon this party the
very charges that they have made
against the Democratic party. My
first proposition is that the radical
party is anti-republican. 10 prove
this, let me ask what is Republican
form of administration? AS under
stand the question, it is where the
powers of government emanate from
the governed, and are divided into
powers executive, powers judicial and
powers legislative-where the laws
are executed by an executive elected
by the people, where the laws are
construed and justice administered
by q judiciary duly empowered, and
| where the laws are made by legisla-
tive body representing the population
and wealth of the States, and deriving
their authority from the whole peo-
pie. Now, I would ask, are these
conditions fulfilled in the radical
scheme of reconstruction? The an
swer is, No. On the contary, each
one of these conditions is deliberate
ly violated. Here, for instance, in
South Carolina, we have an Executive
forced upon the white population at
least of the State-an alien in sym-
pathies and principles to large and
influential portion of the inhabitants
OF the State. We have foisted upon
us judiciary corps consisting of in
different lawyers. mostly strangers,
and untitled to wear the stainless
ermine of our former judges. And
we have Legislature, composed
mostly of squatters from abroad,
white and colored, of native Caro-
linians inexperienced and recreant,
and of native colored men, all of
them untitled to be legislators, and
most of them extremely ignorant-a
body which, with its Democratic ex-
ception. represents neither the wealth,
the intelligence, nor the integrity of
the State. And yet body like this
the late Convention-has under
taken to frame fundamental laws for
this commonwealth; and this body,
now in existence, is legislating for
the State, and assumes to lay upon
you and me, upon your children and
my children, the burdens of heavy
taxation. This is anti-republican
again. One element of true Repub-
licanism is, that taxation and repre-
sentation shall go hand in hand.
Upon this idea-to vindicate this
principle-our forefathers went into
the revolution OF 1776, and succeeded
in enthroning it in this country. Yet,
under the radical programme, we not
only have taxation without represen-
tation, but, superadded thereto, we
have representation without taxation.
Again: Another element that enters
into a just conception of Republican
ism is, that all citizens shall stand
upon footing of political equality,
If duly qualified by virtue of intelli-
gence or property. And yet, here in
the South, under radical auspices, we
see some of the wisest, the best and
the wealthiest of the citizens of the
country in position of political in
feriority, whilst a class recently
emancipated have all the privileges
of the citizen, and in some States are
virtually given political control. In
these respects, also, the radical party
is anti-republican.
2. The radical party is revolution
ary and unconstitutional in its mea-
sures. When this Government was
established in 1887, a complex but
admirable system was inaugurated.
The powers of government were di-
yided between the departments of
the Executive, the Judiciary and the
Legislative, and those were made
co-equal and coordinate branches of
the General Government. This sys-
tenn of checks and balances was wise
ly adopted and properly deemed
essential to preserve the public liber-
ties. What now has this radical
party done, or attempted to do? They
have encroached upon the powers of
the Executive, and have taken away
from President Johnson powers ex-
ercised by every President since the
days of Washington. They have
stified the voice of the Judiciary.
They have sought to absorb all the
powers of Government in Congress.
The Legislative Department of the
General Government is assuming to
be the State. II am the State"