Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-08-14

''S "ie"s"'es ana general policy, f"r
somo years before tho lato uut1rtu.
nate war, became odious to q majority
of tho Southern people, and you OF
Tho North forced it upon them ayains,
Their consent, thus setting aside that
principle which VIC cherished Well,
"o accepted the result OF tho war,
LAID down our arms, sworo allegiance
% The Govcrnmcn; Of tho United
States in all honesty-met in convcn.
.Ion i" 'G5, changed our Constitution
adapting it to tho now older Of
things, prohibiting s'uvcry--in fact
doing every thing required by tho
Prociamations OF tho President, ex-
pcct'nS OF course, for VIC regarded it
AZ an Implied pledge, that We would
DO received rs brothers who had erred,
upon terms of equality, ard it Pres:-
ocnt Johnson's policy had been car
RED OFT wo would have bcon "recon-
structcd"' long ago, have felt undcr
obligation to tho Northern people,
and the dominant party would easily
haVo perpetuatcd their power. aud
wo would now have been wo, king
vigorously together, while and black. .
70 restore our shattered fortunes
Confidcnce would have been restored
property have brought its value, and
we nave been more able TO buy your
machines &c. Bat instead, the hee,
OF tyrannical Congress has been
placed upon our necl1s, enmity fast
stirring up between the blacks and
whites, and no grateful feeling cncou,.
aged i'll our hearts towards tho Rad
ical PARTY.
You congratulate South Carolina
upon being back in tho Union Gin fact
aud in hcart,' AID say "would that
she had long ago ranged in line as she
now has d"ne."' Do you read tho
history of events as they arc occurring
IN our section? DO you not know
that not n dozen respectable South
Carollhians voted for tho Convention
ordered to form Constitution, or. to
r"tiiy the Constitution 20 called. At
my precinct, in the election held for
del"gatcs, over i7o hundred votes
were l'oicI, and not single acki;e man
voted at all, and this was generally
The case throughout tho State. You
call this "lansing into limo" being
back in "fact aud in heart" The
true people Of the State are further
from being reconstructed than thew
ever wore. Not that they are dis!oy
II 10 q Constitutional Union, for n
rcople moro truly loyal docs not exis.
IN any part Of the Unitcd States.
But your reconstruction measures
have elevated vice above virtue, ard
ignorance above intelligence. You
nave put ;-barbarou5 race Of
negroes, and white l,vercd Judas Is-
Carrots, and strolIiny carpeL.baygcrs
over that "bold and honorable people"
you speak OF. Nearly two thirds tf
the General Assembly arc negroes
who pay about 500 lax, ono of them
paying more than half the amount.
-hany of them have paid no taxes at
all, allowing lax executions to be- is
sued against them. These arc the
men assembled tp mako laws, to tax
the property holdeis. Iiere is turn.
tton "ithout representation We had
some kin.foiks who fought against
this principle in &c, and we don't
think our Northern friends will tuler.
ate its practice long, il our minds
You Call thc Radical party the "peaco
party" What q mistake! IF. Grant
's elected there will bo no peace, for
US at least. 1t will require y stand.
ing army TO. keep tho peace OF this
country. We are patiently bearing
this degradation in hope that a re.
tlrning seuso of justice, not to say
generosity, at the North will place in
the Presidential Caair, Now Yorks
greatest statesman, Seymour. Why
Insist on the Reconstruction Acts Of
Congress? Yuur object should b. to
induce loyalty, but can you make
man love you by expressing and dc.
grading him? AS to the negro, we
hold it TO bo undeniably true that the
Soulhern man is his best friend. If
we are let alone,' we will guara ntee his
freedom and the. protection of bis
person and property. More than this
he docs not need, and never would
have thought of voling, but for tho
trick of party to secure his vote. TO
cut long matter short, IF you seek
the truth, como now to Columbia and
witness tho, proceedings of the me.
nagrrie of all sorts of animals called
athe Legislature. Two. ihirds are
black, without property, Intelligence