The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-08-17
The North Carolina Victory.
THE PRINOIP LES OF THE REFORM
PARTY TRIUMPHANT.
The Negroes Assured OF GOOD Faith.
CONSERVATIVES ADDRESS.

CONSERVATIVES ADDRESS.
FELLOW CITIZENS We congratulat
you upon the complete and noble victor
which you have just won at the ballo
box. A victory of truth, Justice, libert
aud law, over corruption and high hand
ed usurpation and tyranny. Let u
enjoy our triumph with the same dig
nifty and moderation which charaoteri
zed us as people, before and durin,
the excitement of the election.
1t was the policy of some of the lea
ders OF our opponents, to drive Us int
violent resistance and efforts were mad
to do 80 by repeated instances of law
lessness and oppression. But thanks t,
the good sense of our people they failed
signally failed, in their wicked purposes
and the whole American people nov
see too plainly to be misled in the fu
ture, that the military movement set or
foot here, was gotten up upon falls,
pretences by desperate men, for thu
purpose of carrying the election anc
keeping themselves in power.
Seeing the rising indignation of the
honest people of the State, suffering az
they were from all the ills arising from
wasteful and corrupt administration O
the State government, and that all wa.
lost to them, unless something could b,
done to avert popular condemnation
they deliberately planned and attempted
to execute the desperate scheme o
military violence which the country ha.
seen enacted, in the hope and with the
expectation that the people, alarmed,
overawed and helpless, would tamelJ
yield thir rights and allow the election
to go by default. The result has shown
how much they were mistaken in the
character of the people in North Carolina
We very we'll know, fellow citizens
that this is not nero party triumph
true it is, the victory has been won in
the name of our party. But let us not
forget that is victory due in great
degree to the uprising of honest and
conservative men of all parties. The
election returns show that thousands,
who in the former elections voted with
the Radical party, have come to our aid
and helped us to win the signal triumph
which now gladdens our hearts. Even
the colored race, controlled as it hither.
to has been by evil counsels and gross
misrepresentation Of our motives and
purposes as to them, in many portions
of the State, in very considerable num-
bers, broke away from the trammcls in
which they were bound and materially
aided in swelling our majoritics.
10 the colored people we say, fear
nothing. We pledged ourselves in the
legislative address issued in March last,
that all their rights under the constitu.
tion and laws of the country, in case of
our success, would be alike respected and
protected with those of white citizens.
Time will show that these pledges will
be faithfully redeemed. We know that
efforts will still be made to alarm, de.
lude and mislead them, for without
their aid the faction that has Just been
defeated, will hereafter be powerless
The interests of the white and colored
races in North Carolina are the same,
and what Injuries one will surely and
inevitably result in injury to the other.
Let there then be no strife between
them. Let each respect the rights of
the other and peace and harmony will
prevail.
The Governor Of the State, as you are
aware, has assumed to himself the right,
at his will, to have arrested any citizen
of the State, and to dctain him at his
pleasure, although the highest judicial
officer of the State has decided that the
privilege of the writ of haJcas corpus,
secured by the Constitution of the State,
cannot be and is not suspended. Never.
theless, the Governor has refused
obedience to such writs when issued by
the Chief Justice. The guilt or inno-
cence Of the parties held in arrest has
nothing to do with this matter. A great
question of civil liberty is involved, and
no free people or people fit to be free
will ever consent to yield it. Let the
parties seized and held in custody be
turned over to the civil authorities. If
innocent, let them be discharged, if
guilty Of any violation Of law, let them
be lawfully tried and punished.
Fortunately, while the Chief Justice
of the State has declared himself power
less to have the law practically enforced !,
there is full protection given to overy
citizen by the constitution and laws OF
the United States, in such cases, and we
are gratiiicd to inform you that Judge
Brooks of the United States District
Court, has issued writs of haJeas corpus
in tho name of The United States, or
dering the parties held in custody to be
brought before him, in order that tho
cause of their seizure and detention may
be enquircd into, and relief be granted
if they should be entitled to it.
Will the Governor have these writs
obeyed We hope so. But thcre arc
rumors abroad that he will not. A few
days at the utmost will determine. This,
however, VIC can safely say, that if he
refuses obedience to the writs he will
orly plunge deeper into difficulties.
The law of the land, in every we'll
regulated system of government, must
be obeyed. He who contemns its COM
mapds may, for time, evade the con-
sequences, but in the end he will surely
be held to strict account, whether he
sits in high places or is found in the
humblest walks of life. Mono is so
high as to bo above the law, and none
on lou thot ~ mill not roooi, b;,,