The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1869-10-22
For the Abb, vile Press and Banner.
POLITICAL SITUATION.

AIR. EDIToR.-I beg leave to saw q
fow words in reference to what in
our humble opinion, appears to be
our proper political policy at present,
ana under existing circumstances.
The question aa once suggests itself
what is our situation, and what arc
the circumstances by which We arc
surrounded. Every man answers
that we are a conquered people, and
arc surrounded by circumstances the
inevitable result Of that particular
situation. The consequence is our
State government has been remodel,d
to suit the views OF our conqucrors,
subvcrting our social system, impair.
ing the usefulness of our labor, ma
king severe cNactions Of us, imposing
heavy burdens upon us; they have
thus paralyscd tho energies and the
productive capacity Of ourpopulation
thcy have created what we never
before had to contend with, the antar-
onism between labor and capital, and
that worse and more prolific source Of
dlscord, the antayoniEm Of races.
But not only has the foundations Of
our State. government been swept
away by the current Of events, but
the government Of the United States
has been so construed, warped and
amended, to accord with the views Of
tho dominant party, that it has be-
yond dispute eliminated in nationali-
ty, and is striding rapidly toward con-
tral'Zalion, which is apparent to every
mihd capable OF reviewing the situa
tlon through the medium of phlo-
s'phlcal compoSurc. Already party
small, but sufficiently strong to sup
port an influential Journal, advocates
tho abolition Of the representative
principle of the government and tho
creation Of an empire.
The spirit and the principles of tho
old kentucky and Virginia resolutions
upon which the Democratic theory of
our government was built, can now
now no longer occupy a place in tho
political creed Of any party that firhts
for success; in other words no party
organization can ever hope for sue
cess when it opposes the settled fun
damental theory of the government
ana here at this point, we may prop
oriy ask what is the plain duty Of our
OLD Democratic party at present.
Ought we any longer to incorporate
rs part Of our. political. creed, States
rights, as understood before the war; ?
Is it sensible in III to continue at nrns.
cnt our opposition to the Reconstruc-
tion Acts Of Congrcss2 Can we cain
anything by opposing negro suffrage |?
Is anything to be gained by opposing
any right or privilege secured to tho
negro by the government? Now we
take the position that any such oppo-
sitlon ut present is perfectly futile,
and is nothing moro or less than a
stupcndous picce of folly. It is fight.
ing over dead carcass. The aues.
tions are dead and have no vitality in
them. Virginia and Tennessee each
have much greater white than black
population, yet their statesmen saw
the folly Of contcnding under existing
circumstances, for the lost cause. and
tho wise people of these states and OF
Mississippi have determined to accent
tho government as it is, and in onr
opinion South Carolina would do well
to follow their example. Wo arc fully
aware that there aro somo persons
whose minds arc so thoroughly inn.
bued with the Jefferson, Madison and
Calhoun theory Of our government
that they look upon ali disscnters
even now, as deserting their raco and
their country. Such men will never
be convinced that tho great principles
OF these giant intellects have now nc
poe',scal vitality. To say tho least
of them, these great principles arc cor
talnlybnow in abeyancc, and wo think
that it would require as great a revo
subveit. them. ~:
s..- g..