Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-10-28
Words of WISDOM

the address of Col. EDwiRD McCRADy
Jr., to one of the Democratic Clubs o
: Charleston, and commend them to tn
attention Of the readers of the ,Aduer
.tsser:..
Then, fellow-citizens, I would say
having exhausted argument and accept
educ issue of force, let us abide BY
the result and submit to the powers
that be- Submit, but never cringe
! Submit with truth and dignity. Hon
,estly obey all laws imposed upon us
however distasteful, not blind1y, bu
reasonably questioning them when ne
cessary in every Court allowed by them
but when ascertained, submitting te
them without murmur and without
complaint. About national affairs, lei
us have as little to say as possible, and
particularly about the negro; let us
leave to the Republicans,to to decide the
grave questions they have raised. Tc
the negro let us be truthful and honest
making no promises and asking no ia.
With the result Of the coming cleo
ton, however it may eyentuate, the
greatest of our difficulties upon the
subject.of the negro will, I am persua-
ded, subside, if we will only let the
subject drop nay, more, prevent the
renewal Of its agitation by refusing to
| discuss it. ~
have been tainted with being afraid
Of the negro, because I have constantly
Fbeen willngto yield any point, rather
than allow the negro the privilege, or
[ the Radicals, the advantage of a col
hsion between us. It is one of the first
and soundest maxims Of warfare wheth-
er politieaEo or military; 10 avoid doing
| that-which your adversary desires you
to do, and to- ascertain what he. e.desires
is one Of the first subjects which en-
cages the attention Of a skillful lsal}er.
But We thayetnot to seekour adversary S
wishes: his wish is obvious, and that is
q collision of races. and with nay VII
he shan't have it. But am not afraid
that the negro viii, ever rule this coun-.
try, even under Grant and the Recon
struction Acts. -
And hereletk us, avoid a danger;ihto
which we are allowing ourselves skill
fully to be pushed by our enemies, and,
that Is o.. admitting an ehmity to exist,
between the negro and ourselves. There
is no such, enmity between us. Let; us
recollect that,it' required the bayonets
Of the ,enemyto separate them from us,
and that it has been the bayonet which
has SO far kept US apart. As i speak,
-sheeserrt4e-fGa fGaeo.zof=anz elderly wUIHan
rises before me, upon whose neck /
wept my childish griefs, who pointed
me to the stars, and opened nay infant
mind to the wonders beyond them-a
face that loved with feeling little short
Of filial affection she was negro;
and I recall another who was my boyish
companion, who taught me to ride, to
hunt, whom,I respected and loved, and
who had all the spirit Of a qeatlen1qQ22e,-
and he too was a negro. Is there en-
lnitv between their race and mine ?
And who is there in this room, who
does not, at this moment, acknowledge
or recollect some one of this people as
his sincere, though humble friend?
said in opening, that how we should
vote was not question of reason, but
of instinct, for though reasons Of JUS
tice, reasons Of feeling, reasons of wis
dom, all point in the same direction, it
would be useless to urge any or all of
them on the white man, whose instincts
did not control his vote for the Demo
cratic party. But there need be no en-
nifty between the negro and ourselves
on that account, and | for one do not
despair though Grant be elected and
the reconstruction measures fixed ire
trievably upon US For while | acknowl-
edge no enmity between us, | neverthe-
less know that the white man is the SUI
perior, and that if we will only be true
and Just, alike to the negro and to our
selves, we shall soon regain, the infu-
ence we have lost. IS
The Radicals have done their worst.
By. tyranny and a violation Of their
laws, (and because Iclaim no right un-
der them. I do not the less see their in
consistency they have through hate
put upon us their reconstruction meas
ures. Let us cease to look fer assistance
from abroad, but boldly and honestly
accepting the government they have
put upon us, let us work under and
amidst its follies and its corruptions as
honest and truthful men, using the SUI
perior intelligence We possess, to control
to our own purposes the machinery
which fanatical hate has erected for
our ruin.
But let us not talk Of ten sovereign
States struck from the Union, nor of
our constitutional rights. Let us cease
efforts at Cancellation. Let us recollect
the time when we were ready to lie
martyrs for our State, and now that we
are at the stake, and the faggots begin
to ignite around us, don't let us cry for
mercy, ct least until the flames become
too hot for. endurance. And, fellow
citizens. that never will be, the fuel
round us VIII never burn. The white
race of America will never allow any
part of this continent ODE ruled by
negroes any more than Indians.
Letus give up the idea of any re-
sponsibility for-the destiny or conduct
of the negro. Treat him fairly, truth
lly,Sfearlcssly, and quietly live by the
law of our own convictions Of truth and
justice, and so refusing to allow our
selves to be made the butt of politica
parties at,thc North, the subject of th'
negro will be dropped by them as nc