The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-10-18

Address OF the Central Democratic
Club to the Democratic Party OF
South Carolina.
FEI1ow-CTTIzENs: The election for
President and President of the
United States is now close at hand.
The great principles involved in the
contest; the magnitude of the inter
ests at stake, and the influence which
this State may have on the result,
make this q proper occasion to lay
before you brief address.
The tendency and purpose of the
radical party, rs manifested in words
and acts, are the absorption of tue
liberty of the individual; the de-
stru ctlon of States; the subversion of
the Constitution, and the erection
upon the ruins of individual and
public liberty, grand, grinding,
consolidated despotism. Already it
has made rapid strides in that direc-
tion. Little, now, is left for it to do
but to fuse into one mass, and then
crystalize into permanent form its
various acquisitions of usurped
power. Its capricious acts; its
wanton cruelties; its corrupt prac-
tlces; its enormous burdens you have
felt and do know. Against these,
and more than these, you arc now
called upon to continue resolute
fight with the peaceful, though
potent, weapon of the ballot. The
Democratic party here and every
where are striking with you for the
principles of liberty, and the forms
of Government to which we have
been accustomed, for q written Con-
stitution, a Federal Union and q
distinct existence of the States.
Surely, then, the principles of the
contest are important, and the inter
est great. Arouse, therefore, to the
magnitude of the emergency, and
spare no efforts for success. When
the time for registration shall come,
let no man fail to appear, and none
fail to vote. Let each one remember
that hls individual votc may decide
the election in his own District, and
that the electoral vote of the State
may turn the scale in favor Of the
Democratic party.
Our people must not despond. nor
relax their efforts, if there should be
failures elsewhere. On the contra
ry, they will have reason to hope, and
much to stimulate them to increased
energy, for it is yet possible to win.
State elections are Influenced. and
sometimes controlled by local isses;
and it has often happened that these
60 one way, and in a few weeks there
after, in the same place, the Presi-
dental elections another. This may
be the case in the present canvass;
and, indeed, we have reason to hope
SO. Recently we have received re-
ports 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 to do so be ascribed
to you.
The canvass in which you are now
engaged, is full of excitement, which
Will probably continue and increase to
the end. We trust, therefore, that it
Will not be amiss to drop you word
of caution. The criminality of few,
and perhaps the indiscretion of many,
have placed it in the power of malice
and misrepresentation to iniuru us.
and seriously to damage the common
canse. We urge you, therefore, not
onl to prevent violence, but to alb
stain from the appearance of it. We
are dealing with n false and subtle
1oe-prolitic in inventionsand venom
GUS in purpose-a foe who fully under
stands the temporary profit of a
nimble lie, which too often achieves
its end before the truth can even
buckle on her armor.
We need not urge upon you the
policy and the duty of treating, with
great kindness and forbearanoe, the
colored 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 YOU
have compelled their votes or by in
timidation kept them from the polls.
Their minds are rapidly opening to
the truth that the vagrant white man
from the North, as well as the rene
gade of the South, who live by de-
ceiving and plundering them, and
xx,I have la0v, -,