Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-09-25

'' :" ''' ''''' Ni'Ioc'lI Hli lhll';f':'-
*'vr addresses, rrplctc with "thnu"ht~
that breathe and words that burn"
which arrest tho attention, carry con-
vir'!on home to the understanding.
and b"artartivc the viii, syn,rathirs
and PASSIONS. lie presented an cl;h
"rl'r review of the Radical recon
*'ru'ii"n policy, which had been SOM
ing It's dragons teeth, and rcapins.
! their natural fruits in these unhappy
Southern States, still ".liSscvcrcd, dis
cordant, bcIIiscrcnt." Wcwill briefly
Indicate some Of the points Of the ad-
! dress.
We were struck by some points
mace hy Gen. McGowan. lie said
that twelve years ago he stood on
this same stant, Us The representative
Of the CongrcsSion:i! District to wei
come home, the dcicldcr IT the fame
Of his State, and The honor If his
k'nSman. Between that period and
Tins, there was = great chasm, in which
were buried "a many hopes and scnti-
mcnts, rs much hcroism and heroic
acllcvmcnt "a had ever marked any
period Of the worlds history. That
is past, let the past bury its dead, and
Jet us address ourselves to the liviu,r
issues Of the day
On the 9th Of April, 1865, the he
roic army Of Northern VIRGINIA.
which as Mr.. Swinton says, carried
The fortunes Of the Conicdcracy on
It's hayonets for four years, surrender
cd at AppomattoN, accepted paroles.
and rrlurnrd home. The war has
been over for moro than three wears.
and yet why have VIC not peace =
why Is it that when the war was over
our oppression only began? II WAS
because that portion OF the RrpuI,Ii-
can party wlic', became R:;dira!. re-
solved that the Southern States should
never ''c admitted into full fellowship
in tho Cnion except as their oNirs-
except us Radical States. The State.
under President Johnson's direction.
reconstructed herself, repealed the
ordinance Of secession, framed Il con-
st'tution, abolished slavery, and did
all that was required of her. She
elected senator's aud representatives.
but they were refused admission upon
the rl'ctcxt that they were not loyul |!
And upon this false prctcxt the State
was rcmittcd tc Il territorial condition.
kept under bayoncts for three long
years, for no other purpose under
heaven than through the agency Of
the army and the I'rcc,l:nan'., bureau
TO bring them in rs I'udicul ,Suies
By 4 monstrous abuse of the word
loyalty, which they call loyalty to the
hadica' party and not to The constitu-
ton and Union, they exclude GOOD
men, and drag from their holes and
hiding places, the sl5ilkcrs and COW
ards who during the war hid Them
selves for fear Of battles, and honor
them for their cowar,licc, and cxalt
into Office and glorify them as the
"truly loyal" Rythis false prctcxt of
disloyalty, by tho means Of the army
aud the infamous Reconstruction Acts.
they have accomplished their purpose
OF making the State Radical in appear
ancc: and spcwcd upon the world The
mlsrra!ic vcrmin, Robertson and Saw
yrrs as Senators, and Bowen, Corlv,
Nhippcr and tioss rs Representatives.
Shades Of Calhoun, Chcvcs, and Me-
Dut'ie ie'-spjrits of the mighty dead,
veil your faces for very shamc!-
These monstrous outragcs, not only
upon patriotism but upon dcccncv,
nave had much to do with calling again
mo existence the great Democratic
party, which great in it's history.
great in its principles, comes upon the
stage to do justice to the poor South.
1t offers its hand of heIp-it proposes
to lift from us this oppression. 1t
raises its banner and asks us to join
them. The Radical party, too, after
all this infamous oppression, insolcnt-
~ darcs to raise its standard in our
midst and ask us TO join them. Can
any Southern man hesitate or doubt
where his duty lies. The case is so
plain that he who runs may read. 1t
is SO clear that he who turns his back
upon them who would do us 1usticc,.
and would join those who are opprcs-
sing u' even unto death, must ncces-
sarlly be either IN idiot or the enemy
OF his country!
The Reconstruction Acts of Con-
gr'Ss are unconstitutional, unstatcs-
manIikc, vindictivc and vengcful. If
we had, to onr eternal disgrace, ac-
cepted the 1ith article, they never
would have been passed 1t was an