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

I.OF 1dE YEN lhIAb DGMOCtssA1iO OHSo ~
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF SouTI
CAROLINA.
: Fszloav-C Citizens The election fos
President and Vice-President Of the Uni
| ted States is now close at hand. The
great principles involved in the contest
the magnitude of the interests at stake
and the influence which this State may
have on the result, make this a proper
occasion to lay before you.a brief ad-
dress.
The tendency and purpose ofthe Rad.
ical party, as manifested in words and
acts, are the absorption of the liberty o.
the individual the destruction ofStates
the subversion of the Constitution and
the erection upon the ruins'o of individu-
al and public liberty. Of agrand, grind
ing, consolidated despotism. Already.it
has made rapid strides in that direction
Little, now, is left for it to do but. to
fuse into one mass, and then crystalize
into permanent form Its. various acqui-
sitionsof usurpcd power. It's eapricious
acts its wanton lruelties;; its corrupt
practices; 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'peacef1l, though potent, weapon Of
the ballot. The Democratic. party here
and everywhere are striking wfth,cyou
for the principles of liberty and the fo1ns
Of Government to which We have, been
accustomed, for a written. Constitution,
a Federal Union and a. distinct existence
of the States.
Surely; then, tho principles of the
contest are mportantt,. and$the. interest
great..sArouse, therefore, to the lnagni-
tade of.the emergency and spare no4ef-
forts for success. When the time. for
registration shall come, letno man FAIL
to-appear, and,none fail to oavote. 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
tne DeMOcrdllc pttTIy. --=e. 4.
Our people must not despond, ,snorre-
lax their efforts, if there should be fail
ures elsewhere. On the contrary, they
will have reason to. hope and much ito
stimulate them to increased energy; for
it is yet possible to win, State elections
are infuencelEand sometimes.controlled
by local issues; and it has often hap
pened that these go one way, sand in a.
few weeks thereafter ii, the same place,
the Presidential elections another This
may be the case in the present canvass
and, indeed, we have reason 10. hope so.
IteUe1rr1y we nage received reports from
all 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 sof excitement, which
will probably continue and increase to-
the end. We trust, therefore, that it
will not be amiss to drop. you a word Of
caution. The criminality ola few, aud
perhaps the indiscretion of many, have
placed it in the power. Of malice and
Misrepresentation to injure us, and Sc;
riously to damage the common cause.
We urge yen, therefore, not only to pre-.
vent violence, but to abstain from, the.
violence of it. We are dealing with a
false and subtle foe-prolifc IN inTen-
tions, and yenomous in pprpose-a foe
who fully understands the temporary
profit of ninble lie, which too often
achieves it's end before truth calpeyen,
buckle on her armor.
We need not urge upon you the poll
cy and the duty Of treating, with great
kindness and forbearapce, the oolored'
population thesState; This YOU have
ever done, and will continue to, do rs
long as you'are permitted. We have
no doubt you will make manifest The
untruth Of the malicious charge, that
by force yolrhave compelled their votes
or by intimidation kept them from the
polls. Their minds are rapidly opening
to the truth. that hevagrantwhite man
from the North, as we'll as the renegade
of the South, who live by deceiving and
plunderinc .hem, and who have been
driving them to destruction, are not true
friends, and are unworthy q confidence
and support. With fair opportunity
they Will return to you, as their estrange-
ment is owing entirely to the false teach
ings and malignant efforts Of the North
ern emissary. 1t cannot be forgotten
that the State voluntarily, in 1865, in
vested the colored population with eve
ry civil right; and that the Democratic
party, in Convention in April last, re-
cognized them, under the previous ac-
ton of the State, as ON integral element
in the body politic-and expressed its
willingness, when in power, to enfran-
chise them to the extent which the pub
lie veal and their owngood might war
rant. The position then taken by the
Convention, and which was annou ed
to the people of the State and the coun-
try, is now re-afirmed.
We beg you to remember that the
Democratic party Of the State was not
organized for the purpose merely OF
supporting the nominees Of the party,
but for hi CHER purposes and more en-
during ends. 1t is, possible that our
present leaders may be defeated, but
our principles will survive. The lber-
ty Of the individual, the being and wei
fare of States, the Constitution of the
United Sites, and aFederal Union un-
der it, are objects worthy Of patience
and enduring efforts. In the success
we hope for, our organization will be
most useful aud, in case Of defeat, ii
will become essential. We, therefore