The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-10-13


ceiyable method by which under the circum-
stances such 6 consummation could be practical
bly, arrived at, the only answer was,where there
is a will there is way. 1t was useless to urge
that if slavery was at best an expensive estab-
Gshment, it now would be worse than value
less. Nor coald the very men who had clearly
proved this very fact, and declared, further,
that you we're sitting on powder magazine,
even when your slaves were most isolated, most
ignorant, more guarded, and absolutely un-
armed. see that now, when they had tasted
freedom, been stuffed with new ideas of their
rights, unmatched md bristling With weapons,
any attempt to re-enslave them would be the
act of madman who plunges a flaming
torch into the black grains of powder beneath
him. The distrust upon this head was mostly
fostered by intrepid statement, and support
ed by vague and passionate defamation.
On another cognate subject, Your own peo-
pie furnished weapons which we're used with
disastrous effect against you. think that
universal suffrage was probably forced on you
when it was, and as it was, BY the vagrant
laws which several of your Southern Legisla
lures passed soon after the war closed. These
we're instantly caught up at the North. and
constantly paraded to prove that you were
determined to restore slavery in the per-
son of her sister, reinforced servitude,' for
poverty; or if not that, yet it showed that
YOU were unfit 10 be left in charge of the
freedmen. Now, there are, doubtless, grave
difficulties in the problem which this vast, iS-
norant and, from want of education and train
ing, frequently thriftless and vagrant popula-
ton presented to you for solution. The en-
barrassments are ais more apparentto you on
the spot than to those unfamiliar with the sur
rounding and preceding circumstances. But
admitting, for the sake of my argument, that
the laws were needful, humane and wise, they
we're exceedingly inopportune and unfortunate
for YOU. The North was naturally exceedingly
sensitive on this point. The slaves had been
manumitted by US for our own ends, and if we left
them exposed to your anger or caprice or ven'
geance, it would indeed be IN indelibe stain
upon our shield. We had become guardians OF
the freedmen, and we must be faithful to our
trust. The most calm and moderate men were
as clear as the loudest and most noisy, that it
was an undoubted obligation on our part to BE-
cure by all means in our power their securlty
and happiness. 1t had long been urged that it
was impossible to insure this safety for the
black among you except by arming him with
the franchise, and your vagrant laws add
ed the practical proof which was alone
needed to clearly decide the theoretical
deduction. Again, it was vehemently asseve-
rated, and shown by innumsrable letters from
all kinds of people, that, in their opinion, it
would be impossible for q man holding strong
Northern opinions about slavery and the war
to come down here aud speak fseely, or
travel without molestation and annoyance, or
settle here with safety. 1t was said that free
speech was dangerous, open discussion pro-
h,bited, or allowed only under protest, and
persecution for political opinion universal 1t
is very generally believed 10y US that if you had
your own way you would endure no contradic-
ton and tolerate no dissent; and iii published
every day that even now the negro is freely
coerced by you to vote against his convictions.
NV purpose is not to discuss the justice OF
these charges, or their validity; but to state
them to you clearly, to show the process which
has aided iu fixing your present condition.
Whether they were true or false, the fact is
that they were used as the most potent engines
to build up and sustain public opinion which
could sanction and support the Reconstruction
acts. Discover at once ihat general BELIEF in
their truth was at all events considered by tho
Radical leaders essential to their purpose.
determination never to yield us peaceable
possession OF the fruits of the war is the
crime for which you are suffering politi-
cally. This is the persuasion which you
must overcome before you can have peace, fer
the North Is determined, as believe, to re-
tain and establish all the legitimate results OF
the war. These general positions, with all the
logical consequences necessary fol their con-
venient enjoyment are: First, the utter ronun-
clation of the doctrine Of ofsecession; second, the
entire extirpation of slavery and all its family;
third, fair and unhampered career for the
freedmen; fourth, the equal right of every
citizen of the United States to travel, SPEAK
aid live in any State so long as he does not in
fringe the right of others
do not believe that any considerable por-
ton of the people would be willing to sacrifice
any part of these acquisitions. rhe most ef-
fectivc argument against the Democratic party
to-day is that they are willing to abandon to
YOU some or all of these trophies. II it we're
conceded on all hands that you were faithfully
AMI unulterably determined never again to
struggle by force or fraud for their restoration,
and the bare question was whether the consti-
tuition should be restored or reconstruction
maintained. I think the result would never be
in doubt. The great desderatum, therefore.
for YOUR restoration to constitutional privileges
seems to me to be, first to deserve and then to
obtain the confidence of our Northern commu-
mites in your acquescencei in good faith in these
resu. ts of the war. But YOU will doubtless say
we have deserved it, and we have done our best
to obtain it. but we have failed, We are growing
careless and desperate Of ever securing it, do
what we will. My friends, you must remem-
Der that confidence is at best plant OF very
slow growth, and when surrounded by an at
mosphere 80 hostile as ours, the only wonder
ia that it is not utterly killed. You must not
forget that VIC are in the midst Of the most ex-
citing election ever held, and il is the passion
Of few, the interest Of many, and
Tho business of multitude, to defeat
the Democratic party. You must bear
=: ;a t,,ot ro,, vourselves by your exertions