Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-11-04
Freedom e Of Speech.

Mr.. ADAMS in his speech in Charles
ton, said it was one Of the things the
Northern people insisted on, that every
one should enjoy in the South freedom
of speech. soae7 ysise,is3.ssi'ft lg7
The Constitution says that g Congress
shall pass no law abridging The freedom
Of speech" It is the spirit of this
prohibition, that Mr.. Adams, we pre-
sumo, thinks ought to be carried out in
public discussions in the South.
! u Mr.. Adams, however, must be per.
fectly aware. that there issuchi "a thing
as RIGHTEOUSNESS, as we'll eas freedom Of
speech in public discussions. We agree
perfectly with Mr. Adams, as TO. the
freedom, of specclt and 80 we thinlsiflo
the people of the Southern States. Mr.
Wilson from his State was heard all
overthe South J; yetrwefteiieve heewas
never molested or insulted:s ~ 80 !
But the kind of speeches which Tire
Southern people object to, are gross
abuses of the freedom ofsspeech. They
are such, thatnos peoplein Ethe North
would tolerate tany5 more than the peo=
| pie of the South: They sstte. s.ssre ecches
stimulating iilnsufrec ection and counts
nancing violence and murder and sqg5
gesting arson and rape, sssas ., b,5s, }
A scalawag- or negro. gets up, and
commences;by calling the whitePeeple
rebels traitors I slaveholllersl tyra,Itsl
and criminals; and then. by recitfng
what he calls the wrongs Of the negfb;
ineites him to direct robbery and npr:--
der. The property Of the country-is
described as wrougfu4y belonging. to
the slaveholding criminal, and rebels
and dsthoseiwho keep itfrem Aim, as rob
bers and thieyes.r' BE istoldTste assert
his manhood, and Che country viii BE-
his; to stapd teget6es, and With Gen;
eral Grant and the United States 9rPYs
he Will be as of right he ought tpbeA
the loyal master, and the,white mani
the rcbelAnust leave the country, to
him, or be'his underling orssave: .Hd
lis reminded Of, The inferiority ana s,tH
ferings he may have encountered IN
slavery, and bid to seek Yengeanee.s
and if. necessary for maintaining his sll,
periority, to steep the g land in .bloods%%
to make it desolate ;by:fre," and to
j"taketwhite women for their wivek5a
&c. Now, we beg leave o7ask, issthis
"sesaom Of speeeh~ or 5sIita r It lIsentfGs, mtg II,
rs1Sb The Northern people people should a d rsnens sas:
ber, that the Southern people. are not
accustomed as theysare, to tolerate m
suits with irnpunitys The political
bearing Of such incendia,y harangacs
lis not the matter which fires then III,
dignation and resentment So much as
the personal insult and positive danger
|inxolyed.eeENe white man-feels him.
self personally insulted by such LAM
guage, many feel their lives, property
and honor placed in jeopardy, and some
take redress into their own hands. We
venture to say, that if the language Of
those, who have been assailed BY white
men for their speeches.. were fairly put
into print, lit would be clearly SEEM that
the .trccdomof speech was notyiolated}
bnt only its liccntioa1s'aess punished He
who plays the part of an. insultinginf
cendiary, must take the consequences
his language naturally produce. 4 He IS
an aggressor, more pestiferous. than 81
wild beast, awolf, or viper. He real.
ly is public enemy to the peace of tho
country ant, not good citizen, seek
ing by fair discussion the promotion of
the interests and liberties of the coun-
try. The whole South, by the will Of
the North, is in revolutionary condi..
ton. There is no such thing as an eff
cient enforcement Of justice. Consee,
quently men are thrown back on their
own resources for self-proteetion, and
the protection OF the country-the re-
suit Of Radical reconstruction so-called:,
We agree with Mr. Adams as to free
don, of speech in the South; but it has
no application to the cases which, we
presume, elected his censure.-Charles
ton Mercury.