Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-09-04

> P''","' III ilN ing nrlOrC
our readers the following letters from
these distinguished gentlemen, who
had boon invited to address the mrcot
Democratic Mass Meeting here, on
| the Goth uit.
GREENvILLE, S. c.,
! p, August %, 1868.
] My DEAR SIR: had tic honor of rc-
celylng your kind letter last evening. re-
questing me to address ca mass meeting
at Abbevillo Couit IIouso, on the Goth inst
Nothing could give Inc greater pleasure
than to Gc with you on tla, occasion, bu,
| fear it will bo impossible for me to attend
as tho Federal court is now in session at
this place.
| Let me assure the good people Of Abbo-
vile that am heartily with thom and The
Democracy OF the United States in the
tlort they arc now making to hurl from
power and place the most inramously on
pressIvc, usnrping, dcspolic and damuabIe
party, that ever disgraced tho annals OF
history in any age or country. EIo,,t
years ago this au,laciously wicked and
criminal fad'cal party came into power 5y
an unfortunate division i'll The Democratic
ranks, and what dire calamitics have be-
fallen the country within that Lrer period
For years and years thcso United StaLes
had prospered, grown great and powerful,
! under Democratic rule, as no ether pcopIe
ever did on the face Of the earth. Thev
had increased from three millions to tb;r,y
| millions of people from thirteen States ,o
thIrty-tlirce States. and all were lannv
prosperous and free uu,lcr our Republican,
form ot Government. The American Po-
public was tho admiration of the world
and a standing proof of mau's ability to
govern himself
But in an evil hour as I havo said tbo
Radical party got possession Of tho govern
ment' snd by refusing all compromises or
concessions 10 the Southern States, in.
Votved the country in n most unnatural
cruel and bloody war for four long years !
In th's war were slaughtered and sacrificoI
tens OF thousands Of American citizens cal.
liant brave menl Seven thousand millions of
dollars were expended by the Federal
government in prosecuting this war! And
1.-Two thousand millions by tho Confederate
government in defending the sacred rirbt
OF every people to govern themselves! The
south was ruined and the North impoyer-
lshed Commerce, agriculture and mann
factures Paral yzcd! The national debt oC
Tho United States has been increased to-
'hreo billions of dollars, and is still in
creas'ng! The people have paid in taxes
since The war, only three years, fifteen hun.
dred millions! The annual expenditures of
tho government, in tiiuo Of peace, have in
creased, under Radical tyranny and rcck.
less rrod'sality, from eighty millions 10
five hundred millions. A standing army
has been kept up contrary TO tho spirit and
genus OF our Republican institutions, at an
expense OF hundreds of millions of dollars
ANNUALLY. y Frecdmcn's Bureau Las been
organized, at an expense Of fifty millions
to stir up and prejudice the freedmen Of
tho South against their former owners
k"gues and thieves have been placed in
power, and the President forbidden TO re-
move them. But one Of these hir!, Off
Gals, CalAcot, vel known in South Caro-
lima AS cotton thief under the Radical
government, was sent to the Prni,entiuv
tho other day by tho courts of Now Yorl,
for his roguery.
The Radical Congress have, for three
years past. prevented a restoration of the
Union. They struck down, at ono f.lI
swoop ten sovereign States Of this Uu;on ,
They abolished the State governments. md
substituted a military dcspolism IN their
place. Military commissions were substi-
tuted for courts Of Justice and trials bv
Jury. The bayonet took tho place of ,lie
writ OF h0hraS co'pus. Innocent men. in
countless numbers, have been arreste. in
tho bosom OF their families, anl drayred TO
the dungeon calls to he condemn Il AMI
executed: have recently seen prcsi,leu,
Johnsons pardon Of three of these poor mn.
fortunate men, who were condcmn,,l 10 ho
executed 10y that ,torioualy infamous sa-
trap Scklrs, tho murderer of lila wiC.,s
Paranou:. not that he cared for the rolIu.
ton OF his bed, but on the Laccdcmonion
virtue OF not conccaIing her crime from the
public. One would have supposed that these
poor men, who were changed with shooting
negro ior bIu!ally violating young lady,
might have found sympathy in lis black
dchanchcd heart! But tloy should 70.
member that ho took TO his bosom again
h's polluted spouse! General Candy, an.
other military satrap, who was supposed TO
eo n gentleman. hut proved Lllnsolf a
hoarLless iyranl in South Carolina, commu.
ted the sentence of these unfortunate H,en
from death TO fifteen years imprisonment
Regardless of tho Constitution which
they had sworn to support, and wrecklessly
determined TO porpetuate their infamous
tyranny, the Radical Congress stripped the
PRESIDENT Of his highest constitutional
prerogatiyes, and placed the commandiua
General Of tho army, their candidate for
tho Presidency, over and above him t
l'scause President johnson resisted their
gsurpaIIons and stood by the constitution,
they |, impoaehed him ofhigL crimes and mis-!
domeanors In olden iiIncs, It required.
ss We are Informed by, holy wit, ten
righteous men to save oityt but thrao
less Of just Radicals, were enough in tho
trial Of this impeachment to ave The Re-.
public from ,etornal dishonor. ~ ::
Mt satisfied with usurping tho executive
powers, the Radical Congress determined to
shcfosch th on the judiciary and passed.a Law
nat nat there should be no appeal TO The suproms
To- fosf