Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-06-17
For the Advertiser.
Number.I III.

themselves no practical good either by voting in
the Mongrel State elections, or by offering quail
fed negro suffrage as compromise TO the Radi-
oals. now 60 step further, and say that the
application Of these proposed remedies, instead
of rcdrcssing Southern wrongs will but increase
them. Why have the Reconstruction Acts been
passed? Every party, or association of men for
political purpose, have principle, as we'll as
policy to guide their conduct. The principle is
an honest conviction of the judgment as to what
is best to be done for the good of the State while
the policy is dishonest prompting of the heart
rs to what is best to be done for the good Of the
party, to enable their members to exercise the
powers of government and. enjoy the honors,
emoluments and stsalage of the Offices. From
the origin of the Federal Government, two par
ties have struggled for the control of it The one
favoring strong central Government, with weak
local State Governments, while the other have
favored strong State Governments, with weak
central Government. The Radicals, who are the
legitimate successors of the old Monarchists and
Federalists Of New England, have persistently
sought to abolish the State Governments and con-
solidate all political power in the hands Of @ nu-
merical majority at Washington, which should DO
law unto itself; while the Democrats, whose
chief strength has always resided in the South,
have steadily and successfully opposed it; but
when the South voluntarily withdrew her mem
bers from Congress, and when many of the lead
ing Democrats of the North quit politics to fight
for the Union, toe Constitution and the Lnws, as
they supposed, the Radicals, in the progress of o
successful var, got possession Of the Government
and the unprinciplcd leaders intend to hold pos
session, or do every thing that bad men dare do.
They know that Southern Democrats, now have
other memories to cherish, as we'll as opposition
to centralization,-bounties, prohibitory tariffs,
and the collection of ruinous Taxes from ono Sec
iOn or industry to be appropriated for the benefit
of another. They are also aware that the South
ern States will henceforth be not only unit
against radicalism in legislation, but likewise in
the Presidential election which latter controls all
the patronage of the Government They further
know that whereas five negro slaves formerly
counted only as three whites in assigning repre-
sentation, that now each negro counts as white
for representative purposes, and that tho South
will thus gain eight or ten additional Representa-:
tives, as perhaps the only compensation she will
ever rece:y, for the emancipaticu of her slaves.
1t is to overcome this newly recruited Maccdc-
nian phalanx of Democracy in the South that
the last Congress and the present have psrpetra-
ted all their nefarious unconstitutional acts. Be-
side, the Radicals have wronged us toe. deeply to
forgive us. We have ,hwarted them too often
and too long in administering the Federal Gov
ernment, for them not to dread U.s. So intensely
do the Leaders hate the people of the South, and
so bent are they OH consolidating the Government
and controlling its Offices, that to get an anti
Democratic party here they would not only dis
franchise whites and enfranchise blacks, but they
would also, if it were possible, enfranchisc our
very dogs, then give every dog the hydrophobia
and turn him loose to prey upon Southern Demo-
crats their wives and children, so as to have done
with the race. Unbridled ambition, unboundcd
fear, and unlimited hate havc all combined to
make the Radical Congress legislnte outside Of
the Constitution toward the Southern States in
abolishing the old loyal State Governments-in
putting the military above the civil authority-in
placing negroes over the white men of the South,
and on level with the white men of the North,
and in compelling the adoption of the l4th Con-
stitutional Amendment which only allows rep
ressntaiion in Congress for Negroes and China
men, in those Stntas, where they shall be per-
mitted to vote.
As the Radical leaders are ine1orably deter
mined on getting an anti Democratic party in the
South, it cannot bo expected that they will permit
any other than Radical State Governments to be
set up here, as long rs it can be prevented. Then
why should Southern Democrats deceive them
selves with the hope of having fair play in tho
bogus State electiont? Can the devil do right,
and is not the South filed with Radical Devils,
supported by the army, by the Bureau, and by
the Leagues, whose first business it ia, not to pro-
tect prosecuted Union men,-not to oyerawc un-
repen tant rebels,-not to take of the nations
wards, except to make them vste,-tut simply to
build up and maintain Radical power,--to get
Radical United States Senators, Radical Repre-
sentatiyes in Congress, and Radical Presidential
Electors from the South As it is the deliberate
purpose of tho Radicals to get power in tho South
without regard to the means, how can such men
as Perry, Hampton, Chestnut, Mcqowan and
others cherish the deluson that qualified negro
suffrage could be accepted as compromise by
the Radicals, when absolute negro suffrage cannot
accomplish their purpose,-when even partial
Acknowledgement of whites onnnot accomplish it,
when, after having enforced both of these vii
ainous measures, they are also driven to practice
frauds in registering voters, stung ballot boxes,
pretended elections, and excluding
Democratic candidates, fairly elected to Office, by
test oaths, and through other Infamous prete1ts.
As all elections under the old legal State Gov
ernments of the South are prohibited by the Mill
tary, IL obedience to the Reconstruction Acts, it
is not now likely that any but bogus elections will
be held hero until after the Inauguration of the
next President, and it may be not until after the
organization of the next Congress. What chance
will the undisfrsnchiscd voters have to carry
these elections. IT, by argument, persuasion,
bribery, or intimidation, (all considered right in
Northern elections,) they should succeed in get
ting enough freedmen to cooperate, SO as to poll
.EO Democratic votes for one Radical, is any man
20 crcdnl9us as to believe that the votes would DO
hus counted? In what election Hnder the recon-
,truction Acts, any whore in the South, haye the
Radicals failed to declare the result according to
previously giyen' In North Caroli-
40, Arkansas, Texas and Virginia, the undisfran-
,hised, honest. true white voters are largely in
he ascendant, yet has other of these States
allied to 60 radical whenever pretended election
las been holi to call Convention, ratify Con-
titution or TO do any thing else ? Has anv State