Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-09-10
Friday, September 10, 1862
LIBERAL DEMOCRACY, AND CON
SEaV ATIVE RE:UnIIraN!sM,

! lie discussion which has crown TN
{! 'ct" cen thc Journals Of thc States -
20 ;he third party movement Seem.
TO involve rather question of no
mcnciaturc--of party designation
than Of principle OF policy. However.
iHuch we m"j' deprccatc the rcsult>
Of reconstruction, yet FOR the present,
1T least, they arc accomplished facts"
and it would be folly to ignore them.
Negro suffrage, we bclicrc to bo "thc
Ilirriul aprins Of woes" unnumbcrcd-
the instrument by which unprinciplcd
men, sustain their rule and ruin pol
ICY; yet we must accept the situation.
and fight our foes with their OWE
weapons, anil vanquish them. as ",
trust we will, on fields OF thci" OWL
ichoosing. The question Of sun:a~.
We believe, to be question belonging
solely to the States, but our Lewisla
:ure has committed us to the Elf.
tc2nth Amendment, and no action.
here can change the result. How.
ever, much then, We may endorse tn,
position Of the Ohio Democracy OH
this question Of negro suffrage.
it is to us no longer 4 practica! issue.
Did we stand upon tho sa.no ground
VIC might fight with fight will, The
same weapcns; bat il We Of the South.
are to conquer Radicalism, wo must
20 it with tho aid ssof tho ncsrc
h;mscli-IIcncc, whatever name we
may adopt, whether " Liucral Dcmoc-
racy' or "Conservativc Republican,
'sm, we must still .;tand upon the Mas
sachusetts platform, accept the facts OF
Reconstruction, and ignore all else
but practical issues. TO redeem our
State from the oppression Of Radica!
mlsrulc is our first duty, and "anti
Had.":'lism" should be tho great rally
;F5 cry III the elections Of 1870. On
this point wo would endorse tho ft'
lowing views Of the Charleston Acus:
"Anti-Radicalsm in South Carroll.
na, is in truth, the outward sign OF
the inward determination Of our rco-
pie to obtain State government un-
der which the people may be secure
IN the enjoyment CT their property,
and all classes be encouraged to labo.
steadily for their own and tho com.
mon good. 1t has no political leader.
no political plantform but upon mos,
asscntia! points there is lit;lo if any
difference of opinion, The "pcacc u
VIC seek and tho reforms we nccd.'
we expect to obtain by peaceful agcn-
cics alone. Our victory is to be won
by the ballot. and We go into the fight
recognizing accomplished Gacts, and
meeting our foe upon the solid ground
Of honesty against dishonesty, econo
my against extravaganza, intelIi gcncc
against Ignorance, and low taxation
against high taxation. We still Lc,
/ !iovo that the large majority Of oul
colorcd population are not fit to lie en-
: trusted with the suffrage; but VIC dc
not propose to. Interfere with the
privilege which tho law give them
as the law stands, tho colored pcopl,
have the right to vote, and that Icga
right we recognize as an absolute fact
"ln this way the questions which, en-
ter into national contests will rot af-
tect our State elections. The strur
: gle with us is for q pure and capable
: government, instead Of ono which i:
J. rotten to the core. And it is mos
, important that tho recruits who swell
our ranks shonld find nothing in ou,
party namo, as they will find nothing
in our party principles, to throw then
, into the embrace Of Radicalism. Fo,
this reason, the plain broad phrase
Anti'Iadicalism-is, to our mind, f;,,
better than "Libcral Democracy,
which the Republicans will not touch
or the conservative Ropublicanism ,
which stick in tho throat of ever,
] Ccmocrat in the State"
But asks tho Augusta Constitutional
Isl, shall we lend aid and comfort to
] tho enemy and discourage our friends
! at tho North, by assuming lower
ground than they? We ncithor en-
f courage nor discourage. We arc
fighting our own battles. We ignore
national issues, because they are no
longer practical. We occupy differ.
ent ficlds-we encounter different is.
sucs-we must fight with different
weapons.
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