Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-10-28
Address
OF THE CENTRAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB To
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF SOUTH
CAROLINA.

OF THE CENTRAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB To
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF SOUTH
CAROLINA.
2 FezzoaU- Citizens The election for
Presidentand ice-President of the Uni
ted States is now close at hand. The
great principles involved in the contest,
the magnitude of the interests at stake,
and the influence which this State may
have on the result, make this a proper
occasion to lay before you a brief ad-
dress.
The tendency and purpose ofthe Rad
ical party, as manifested in words and
acts, are the absorption of the liberty Of
the individual the destruction ofStates;
the subversion of the Constitution, and
the erection upon the ruins of individu-
al and public liberty, of agrand, grind
ing, consolidated despotism. Already.it
has made rapid strides in that direction.
Little, now, is left for it to do but. to
fuse into one mass, and then crystalize
into permanent form its. various acqui-
sitions of usurped power It's capricious
acts; its wanton cruelties; its corrupt
practices; its enormous burdens you
have felt and do know. Against these,
and more than these, you are now called
upon to continue a resolute fight with,
the peaceful, though potent, weapon Of
the ballot. The Democratic party here
and everywhere are striking with, you
for the principles of liberty and the forms.
Of Government to which we have been
accustomed, for. a-written. Constitutions
a Federal Union and a. distinct existence
of the States.
Surely; then, the principles of the
contest are important, and4the. interest
great. Arouse, therefore, to the magni-
tude of the emergency and spare no-ef-
forts for success. When the time. for
shall come, letno man fail
to anpear, and none fail to VOTE Let
each one remember that his individual
vote may decide the election in his own
district, and that the electoral vote Of
the State may tIrn the scale in favor Of
the Democratic party.
Our people must not despond, nor re-
lax their efforts, if there should be fail
ures elsewhere. On the contrary, they
will have reason to, hope and much to
stimulate them to increased energy, for
it is yet possible to win. State elections
are inhuenced;and sometimesscontrolled
by local issues and it has often hap71
pened, that these go one way, and in a
few weeks thereafter, in the same place,
the Presidential elections another. This
may be the case in the present canvass
and, indeed, we have reason to hope so.
rtecenr1y we 1iitye received reports from
all parts of the State which induce the
belief that South Carolina, with proper
effort, will be carried for Seymour and
Blair. Let not the failure 10 do so be
ascribed to YOU
The canvass in which you are now
engaged is full sof excitement, which
will probably continue and increase to
the end. We trust, therefore, that it
will not be amiss to drop you a word OF
caution. The criminality of a few, aud
perhaps the indiscretion of many, have
placed it in the power Of malice and
Misrepresentation to injure us, and Sc
riously to damage the common cause.
We urge you, therefore, not only to pre-.
vent violence, but to abstain from the
violence of it. We ale dealing with.a
false and subtle foe-prolifc in in3en-
tons, and venomous in purpose foe
who fully understands the temporary
profit of a nimble lie, which too often
achieves its end before truth caleeyen
buckle on her armor.
We need not urge upon you the poll
cy and the duty Of treating, with great
Kindness and forbearance, the 90 lored \
population OF the,State. This YOU have
ever done, and will continue to- do as
long as you are permitted We have
no doubt you will make manifest the
untruth Of the malicious. charge, that
by force youfhave compelled their votes
or by intimidation kept them from the
polls. Their minds are rapidly opening
to the truth that thevagrant white man
from the North, as well as the renegade
of the South, who live by deceiving and
plundering them, and who have been
driving them to destruction, are not true
friends, and are unworthy q confidence
and support. With fair opportunity
they viii return to you, as their estrange-
ment is owing entirely to the false teach
ings and malignant efforts Of the North
ern n emissary. 1t cannot be forgotten
that the State voluntarily, in 1865, in
vested the colored population with eve
ry civil right; and that the Democratic
party, in Convention in April last, re-
ecognized them, under the previous ac-
ton of the State, as an integral element
in the body politic-and expressed its
willingness, when in power, to enfran-
chise them to the extent which the pub
lie veal and their owngood might war
rant. The position then taken by the
Convention, and which was announced
to the people of the State and the coun-
try, is now re-afiirmed.
We beg you to remember that the
Democratic party of the State was not
organized for the purpose merely OF
supporting the nominees of the party,
but for higher purposes and more en-
during ends. 1t is possible that our
present leaders may be defeated, but
our principles will survive. The hber-
ty Of the individual, the being and vel
fare of States, the Constitution of the
United States, and a Federal Union un-
der it, are objects worthy of patience
and enduring efforts. In the success
we hope for, our organization will be
most useful aud, in case Of defeat, 1t
will become essential. We, therefore,
J.;,lo 10 ;,n,,racc n,,on Won tho nncnssi-