Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-09-11
Hon q. H Stephen on the Situation

que scaper paraN,
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Hon q. II. Stephen on the Situation.
Mr.. Stephens held conversation faa
days since at White Sulphur Springs, With Q
correspondent Of tho "Ncw York Hcrld'
| We give his most striking romarks:
How do you regard the present condition
Of the country, Mr. stephons I" cogsnen-
oed
As excocdidgly dcplorablc. Thy last
vestigcs Of constitutional Freedom rapidly dis.
appearing, and wc aro fast vorging into oon-
tralization aud dcspotsm. Unless somd won
dcrful change takes place-unless the people
Of tho North exercise that wisdom for vhich
Americans have been so remarkable in tho
past, though thoy seem to havo lost it latcrly
tho world shall Gro long witness tho tstab-
lishmont Of an ompiro OIL tho ruins OF this
once great republic. The measures in,ugu.
rated by the dominant party, arc tho surcst
indications of coming dcpotisn. Without .
political revolution occurs mean time, the Hoy
ernment will be merged into despotism---an
empire. II Grant is elected next Nowm-
Der, ncvor expect to soc another presilcn-
tial election"
"What is your opinion of Grant pcrsanal-
Tyr
"That no is entirely under-rated by the
country and tho press. know him very
we'll. He is q remarkable man, and Que that
few appreciate; Of decided military genius,
indomitablc cnorgy and determined will just
the man for a coup d'ctat, such as the pros.
cut Emperor Louis Napoleon performed when
he placed himself on tho throne of Fraooc'
"Do you know tho other oandidatcs and
whut would result from the election of Soy
mour and Blair ?"
"Blair I know; Colfax know; sey pour
I don't know. They arc all very clever, good
fellows. Blair and Colfax served in Con
grcss with; and, personally, have no 4bjcc-
tion to any Of them, Blair is a man ofaabil
10y, ln0ugf1Jy anu oIaracter; so 10 Seymour,
rs far as l know and Colfax may be placed
in the same category. But it is not tho mon :;
it is not Grant and Colfax; it is not Seymour
and Blair, that arc to bo regarded in tho next
election. 1t is the principles they represent
that arc at issue. The fight is not against
Grant and Colfax, but against tho iniquity Of
the dominant party that has brought the
country to the verge Of ruin, and threatens f
nally to destroy it,"
How would the Southern people act with
regard to universal suffrage, in the event Of
tho success of Seymour and BarY
"Thcy would abide by judicial decisions !;
and there is little doubt that all this party
legislation to secure power would be over
thrown. Conventions would regulate suffrage
az best they thought proper. l believe q sys-
tenn of qualified suffrage on an educational
basis would b. generally adopted in the South
in such an event."
Do you anticipate any trouble during the
Presidential election between tho races in the
newly reconstructed Statcs7"
ono; except whom it provoked by tho TN.
prinoipled whites who have associated them.
selves with tho negroes to got Office Tho
whites will remain as they have been, pcaco-
able and 'uict, relying mainly on tho North
for dclivcrancc from the frightful condition in
which they arc placed Tho cry Of the rad
icals, let us have peace, means let us have
war. Thoy desire it, and to make political
capital inauSuratc riot and bloodshcd, if not
thwartcd by tho forbcarancc Of the whites =
They raiso the cry that the South want, war.
They lie WHOM they say it. Tho Southern
people havo no moanst to mako war no dispo-
| sition to fight; no onomy to moot pqaco is
III they wish for, and tho civil liborty which,
as citizon, Of this republic, they arc entitled
to-"
"Would the negroes resort to arms, ip case
they wcro deprived Of suflrago7"
If they would and did, and fought for it,
they would then certainly be entitled to it ;
but as body, or people, they would not do
it.. An occasional instance tllorc mi,ht be
among them of men who would, under the
inspiration and guidance Of whites, vlamor
for the right of suffrage but SO rare as to
be scarcely noticeable As q race, reoplo,
thcy do not appreciate liberty. 1t is not in
their natures. They arc simply children of
| tho sun, with none of tho genuine aspirations
Of the whites to be free. But if an evidence
Of what say were wanted, can point to
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