Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-06-03

EDITOR ADVEHTlSER. AL Sooo anoa "A0 ai!o"
With anxiety, and some with despair, for the Re-
public. The people in tho South are generally
moving by forming Clubs and holding public
meetings to try to do something for the good Of
he State. But what can they do2 This is the
practical question. They certainly can do moth
ng to help the South by voting nt any of the mis-
,rable negro, military elections to establish Bogus
State Governments here, or to fill the Offices at
this time under those pretended Governments.
These elections, as we'll those that may shortly
occu. here for the next President, and for Repre-
sentatives in the next Congress, are dectdred,-
not held. The army and the Fresdmau's Bu-
reau were sent here merely to declare elections.
The legal State Governments Of the South have
been abolished, if the Radicals carry the next
Federal Elections; but they have only been
if the Radicals be beaten in those elec-
tions. Then it is,to the result of the next eloc-
tions for President, and for the lower House Of
Congress, that We to look for having our rights
restored. Now in what way can we contribute to
the success of our Democratic friends at the
North in these elections2
We con do nothing in the Presidential election,
except give our moral support The Southern
States gre in double irons-fettered hand and
foot as far Us that election is concerned. II the
loyal voters of the South were allowed an oppor-
tunity, they would poll almost unanimously for
the Democratic nominees but the Freedman's
IL. D. al a1en.
tors chosen Throughout the South, and the present
Congress will count the whole, or as many as
may be necessary of the seventy-six electoral
yotea.of the South for Grart and Colfax. After
the electors of each Stnte have made out certified
ballots of their respective votes for President and
for Vice President, they a:e reqred,to to forward
such ballots to the President of the Senate Of the
United States, "who," says the Constitution,
"shall in the presence of fhe Senate and House
of Representatives open all the certificates and
the votes shall thon be counted" The present
Congress therefore, sitting in joint Convention,
will have exclusive and final power to determine
for whom the votes shall be counted, and in whose
favor the election shall be declared. Radical
honesty in counting votes is proverbial. There
can bo no appeal from the counting of Congress
in the next Presidential election, but if the 4th
of March next should witness the Inauguration of
two Presidents and one war, then Southern DEM
ocrats may be counted With Northern Democrats
Our friends at the North therefore must them
selves take care Of the Presidential election, and
the Inauguration. too.
AS the Freedmans Bureau, under the recon-
struction Acts, only declares elections, but does
not hold them, the Southern people will be as
powerlcss at the polls in the next election for
Congress as in those for President and Vice Pres
ident. Tho South can however make herself be
felt at the organization of the next Congress. Ii
the Democrats should lose the next Presidential
election, but yet secure majority Of the Hou'e
of Represen tatives all will be we'll with our Sec
ton: because Democratic House could easily
stop the wheels of the whole Federal Government
by Withholding all supplies of money, and indeed
by preventing any legislation whatever until JUS
tice should be done the South. Tho Radicals are
perfectly aware of this, and they also know that
despite all the Reconstruction Acts, the Army,
the Bureau, the Niggsrs, and the good friend OF
all Radicals--the Deyi,-that even the Southern
Democrats can at the organization of the next
House take such part as may give the control OF
the House to the Democratic party. The dread
of this probable Samson-liko power still existing
in the manacled South, to pull down all the Tenn
ples of all the Radical Gods is the skeleton which
haunts the "happy family" by day, and it's the
ghost which starts their sunbers by night.
The Froedman's Bureau may declare Radicals
elected to Congress here. but that cannot prevent
their seats from being contested in Washington.
Hence, Hhep the iisngrel State Governments at
i. South shall Aod tsoir s!sstIops for n.pfssen-
tatiyes lo the neSt Congress, tao unaissi1sce's'a
80. Ia every Congressional District should vote
VA. - will contest the scat
for decent Caucasian wnv-
Of his Carpet Bag opponent. Either this snou,-
be done or the voters in every Congressional Dis
rict ought to do tho next hest thing, which would
be to send Memorial to the new Congress before
i shall organise, protesting the right Of the Car
pet Baggsr elected to represent them. According
70 all law and prccodents of Parliamentary usage,
both in England and America, whom tho right OF
, Representative elect to his seat is contested by
! competing candidate, or is questioned by me-
norial from a respectable number Of the electors
If the constituency, such Representative cannot
1o;e as judge in his own case, but must with
lraw until the matter can be determined by i'm
partial judges-to wit: those members whose
eats are not contested. Not only is Represen-
.ative whose seat is thus contested forbidden TO
sots on his own case, but ho is likewise debarred
BY every eense of decency, as we'll as by law and
aaage, from participating in any of the delibera-
ions of the body of which he claims to bo men-
Der elect. He can never be sworn in until his
Ugh. to seat has been adjudged by those men,
oers whose places are uncontested.
If the Democrats here should fail to vote at the
next Cong ressional election, or if they should still
'urthet fail to send up either contesting members
,r protesting memorials. any Democratic member
rom the North, whose seat should be uncontested
could question the right of alr the Southern Car
pct Baggers to hold seats, and if such Carpet Bag
GERS were gentlomen they would stand aside for
,ncopte,ted members to decide the issue, but
would they do it2 After Wade,a vote to convict
President johnson, in order to make himself
oresident-the most infamous net that has ever
,een perpetrated by any public maj in America,
" perhaps in the civilized world,-could the Car
,et Baggsrs bo expected to show any sense of de-
ency, or regard for law (as the House is n law
INTO itself about admitting or rejecting members)
n contending for their seats md pay. There
ore let us trust neither to Radical decency, nor
o memorials. but do our whole duty by going to
he polls and voting for some Democrat who will
10 present in persan at the organization of the
n y T<