The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-10-28


Club 80 sbe nenocrnftc Party OF
south CnkoIEna.
FHnEow CI1IzENs: The election for
Presidents and Viee-P Pres; Is q. si..,
United States lisnowii close at hand.
The greet principles involved IN the
contest; the magnitudeiof theinter-
ests at stake, aud the influence which
this State may have on the result.
make this a proper OCCASION to lny
before you brief address. -
The tendency and purpose of the
radical party, as manifested in words
and acts, are the absorption of tue
liberty of the individuals; the de-
stru ction Of States; the subversion of
the Constitution, aud the erection
upon the ruins of individual and
public liberty, o grand, grinding,
consolidated despotism. Already it
has made rapid strides in that direc-
ton. Little, now, is left for it to do
but to fuse into one mass, and then
crystalize into permanent form its
various acquisitions of usurped
power. It's capricious acts; it's
wanton cruelties; its corrupt prac-
tices; its enormous burdens you have
felt and do know. Against these,
and more than these, you are now
called upon to continue resolute
fight with the peaceful, though
potent, weapon of the ballot. The
Democratic party here and every
where are striking with you for the
principles of liberty, and the forms
of Government to which we have
been accustomed, for written Con-
stitution, a Federal Union and a
distinct existence of the States.
Surely, then, the principles of the
contest are important. and the inter
est gret. Arouse, therefore, to the
magnitude of the emergency. and
spare no efforts for success When
the time for registration shall come,
let no man fail % appear, and none
fail to vote. Let each one remember
that his individual vote may decide
the election in his own District, and
that the electoral vote of the State
may turn the scale in favor of the
Democratic party.
Our people must not despond. nor
relax their efforts, if there should be
failures elsewhere. On the contra
~, they will have reason to hope, and
much to stimulate them to increased
energy, for it is yet possible to win.
State elections are influenced, and
sometimes controlled by local isses;
and it has often happened that these
go one way, and in few weeks there
after, in the same place, the Prcsi-
dental elections another. This may
be the case i'll the present canvass;
and, indeed, we have reason to hope
so. Recently we have received re-
ports from MI parts of the State,
which induce the belief that South
Carolina, with proper effort, will be
carried for Seymour and Blair. Let
not the failure to do so be ascribed
to you.
The canvass in which you are now
engaged, is full of excitement, which
will probably continue and increase to
the end. We trust, therefore, that it
will not be amiss to drop you q word
of caution. The criminality of a few,
and perhaps the indiscretion of many,
have placed it in the power of malice
and misrepresentation to injure US,
and seriously to damage the common
cause. We urge you, therefore, not
only to prevent violence, but to alb
stain from the appearance of it. We
are dealing with false and subtle
foe-prolitic in Inventions and venom
GUS in purpose-a foe who fully nnder-
stands the temporary profit of a
nimble lie, which too often achieves
its end before the truth can even
buckle on her armor.
We need not urge upon you the
policy and the duty of treating, with
great kindness and forbearance, tue
colored population of the State.
This you have ever done, and will
continue to do, as long as you are
permitted. We have no doubt you
will make manifest the untruth of the
malicious charge, that by force you
have compelled their votes or by in
timidation kept them from the polls.
Their minds are rapidly opening to
the truth that the vagrant white man
from the North, as we'll as the rene
gade of the South, who live by de-
ceiving and plundering them, and
who have been driving them to de-
struction, are not true friends, and
are unworthy of confidence and sup
port. With fair opportunity they
will return to you, as their estrange-
ment IS owing entirely TO the false