The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-10-29

that party saw that the Southern States re-
stored upon white basis, would increase that
Democratic element which, at the North, was
preparing to snatch from their rude grasp the
control Of the country. Hence. party tactics
| qecreed that loyalty meant adhesion to the
Radical party, and that no Southern State
should be permitted to enter the Union, except
through the brazen gateway OF Radiealsrn.
In the words Of Northern speaker, to enter
the door of the Uuion it became necessary ito
knock with black knuckles." Then was inauSu-
rated, under the auspices Of those angels Of
| peace Messrs. Stevens, Sumner and Butler
the choice scheme of Radical reconstruction.
Then began the march of constitutional inva-
sion-then began that series of tyrannical OK
actions, which show how worse than all tyran-
nies is the tyranny of the legislative assem-
bly,.
Fellow-citizens, let me briefly state the
course OF Radical reconstruction.
First The thirteenth amendment abolsh1ng
African slavery was proposed and ratified by
the Southern States, and the ordinances OF
secession were repealed or annulled by these
States.
Secondly. The infamous Howard amendment
was submitted to the States. This amendment
required the soul hcrli people to ignore their
past in the war; 20 place the seal of disgrace
upon those gallant and noble spirits who had
led them in the council chamber and the held;
|
martyrcd dead; to commit base treason to the
principles and sentiments to which they stood
sacredly committed
10 the enduring honor of the Southern
States, they rejected the amendment. They
were poor, bleeding, desoatsl, ravased States,
but amid the ruins of their homes and their
hopes: the people of the South preserved the
whlteress OF their souls, and almost unanl-
mously voted to reject this unGeperous propo-
sllon from an ungenerous party.
This ended the effort OF the Radical leaders
to reconstruct" the South upon Waite basis.
In the fourteenth amendment they cvInced
Willingness to discard the votes OF the negroes,
Southern whites. This they failed to do:
Hence they resolved upon Reconstruction"
upon black basis. This brings US to the
third and final step in the work OF r Rldical ''re-
construction" We come now 10 the recon-
structlon measures proper, and i'll these nlea-
be designated the great political crime CT the
century. This was the deliberate subordinl-
ton of tho wealth, the intelligence and the
int ,rlty OF the South to the rule CT ignorance
and depravlty-tho placing OF the political
power OF tho South in the hands of aliens, re2e-
gades and half-ciyilized negroes-thc slaves OF
OF yesterday, the freedmen Of to-day. Iu other
countries, ard in other times, after war had
spent its fury upon dcsolated land, it has
Dcen permitted to the inhabitants to call to-
gether the wisest, the best ond the purest of
ther number TO rear again the fabric OF gov
ernment But this poor privilege has been de-
MED to the people ofthe South. Not enough our
broken hopes and ruined fortunes, not enough
ourlost cause, not enough the prido an the
howerof the South fallen upon the fold OF lat
! tie, not enough the loss of 100000 men. not
enough the loss of $4,000 600 600 of values;
but We, members of the proud Caucasian fami-
y, upon whose brow God h:risIf has written
the signs and the symbols OF empire. we are
| placed Under tho rule OF an iufcrI"r race. and
members OF this race, together with rcNcgades
ana trading politicians, are authorized :, f:amc
organic laws for the white people OF this S th-
ern section Of the Union. Aud not only this,
but under tho same authority these same par
ties. with the aid OF the bayonet, are carving
| out the details of legislation, and preparing
| non-tax-payers and operty-holders them
| selves to impose upon their betters the heavy
burdens of taxation. This is tho result OF Rad
ical reconstruction. This is the great wrong
for which we arraign the Radical party. This
is the issue which We meet under the folds OF
the Democratic banner and under the fai- aus
pcos of Heaven.
Nor, fsllow-cltiz ms, do we meet it alone. In
consummating thor great wrong against us
and ours, the Eadical party have violated the
constitution, usurped executive and judicial
powers, and menaccd the liberties of the North
as well as the South Hence, the Democratic
party OF the Union has organizcu to overthrow
that party and to save tho country.
Iprocesd now to show that the R,cons rue
tlon acts rest upon IL false basis; that they arc
unconstitutional; that they are unnatural ard
unreasonable; that they are unwise, and that
they have within them the clements of weak
mesa, failure and decay.
i. As to the grounds upon which these acts
have been based, as understand it. there are
two: first, the dlsoyalty Of the Southern whites
rendering it unsafe to cntrust them with tholr
former power, aid, secondly, the assumption
that tho participation Of Tic Southern people
in their opposition to the governmental Mt WASH
ington brought about lapse OF their political
rights and sacrifice OF their heritage OF lib
crty. Let lis consider these propositions IN
their order. 1t is charged by The Radical par
ty that the Southern whites were aud are dis
loyal. deny the charge. When the war end
cd the soldiers OF our armies were parolcd,
and they have observed their paroles. Fur
thcr, the South candidly accepted tho issues
decided By the war and honorably were ready
to resume their obedience to the constitution
and laws OF the Union. No disposition was
cvlnccd by the Southern people 10 disregard in
peace that power which had overcome them i'll
war. II loyalty consists in adhesion to the
creed and practices Of Il R.dicalsni, then the
Southern whites arc and liavc been disloya.
But if LOYALTY consists, as We hold that 1t uoos,
~. u SlcTl W pii-ubOU 4Alt.is w w
Justice, TO tho constitution OF the land and to
the nollest sympathies of our nature, then has
the 1uth been loyal, then is I'll, South loyal,
and no part of the country is moro lo,.l than
She.
But it is contcnded that By engaging in the
so-cailcd IL ebellion there was effected lapse OF
the poiitc i rights OF the Southern people, and
that the reconstruction measures stand jIlstl-
Ged uDon this gr und. In answer to tits pre-
position, have to say that it is clearly untcn-
able, unless it can be shown that. ut the Time of
the ac. OF rebellion" OF secession, there was
in existence law providing Tor forfeiture Of
political rights in contingency named Now,
no such luw existed, and even if such law
had been in forcc, TO forfeiture cou d be con-
snmmated until alter the party had been duly
arrested tried aud convicted. Hence, when
the Souh embarked in secession, thcro was
under tho laws and constitution OF the Union;
which the Northern Government held she had
never left, no lapse of the political rights OF
her people. And thus VIC have shown that tic
! aIain grounds upon which the reconstruction
measures rest are false.
2. These measures aro clearly urconstitu-
| tlonal.
On this point need say but little, for the
p1opositon is almost salf-evdent. To cstab-
iish it might SIMPLY point to the admissions
of the author himself OF the Reconstruction
| acts Mr. Stevens. 1T is well known" SAID
MIR. s., "that we are acting outside OF the con-
stitutiou.' But the Radical leaders, just as
they had departed from Mr.. Lincoln's magnau-
unity, so they rccedcd from Mr.. Stevens can
| -, NJ thic Wow Of AIR Stnv.