The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-06

presence of determined enemy we cannot
afford to divide among ourselves. The past
glories or defeats of old political organizations
should be among the things Of the past. In
calism, reckless extravagance, corruption,
swindllng, imbecIlity and partisan tyran-
ny, why should we stop to inquire :
whether our leaders were in the past,
Wings, Democrats, Unionists or Secession.
lists, so they but lead us to victory and
save us from defeat, the result Of which
would be nothing less than absolute ruin TO
the State? That man who now attempts to
eXhume the buried past, to revive the preju-
dices born of issues long since dea., cod which
ought to. be forgotten, will, Intentionally or
unintentionaly, contribute to the strength of
our common enemy. Let the bicserings OF
the past be hushed;4 let us rise above the
dwarfed idea that would Iced us to inquire
what mans politics were IN the past; let Us
but ask, is he On opponent Of I.adicalism is
he honest, is he competent? Upon this broad
and elevated platform you can Invite the good
OF all parties and races to Join you against tnat
iarty, which has levied and collected taxes
them With wild extravaganza with the otneri
that has introduced into our halls OF legisla-
ton, corruption hitherto unheard Of there;
that has elevated to positions OF trust ana
profit, men wholly unworthy OF conddencsi
that has altered and confused our laws unul
the administration of justice has become COST
ly, and its attainment uncertain tnat has
sought to subordinate the civil administrator
to military power, by proclamation or martla
law, and petitions to Congress tor the suspen-
sion of the writ Of habeas corpus; that nag
more than doubled the current expenses oi
the State Government; that has enormously
increased the State debt; that has ruined the
credit of the State; that has cast foul blot
uuon her hitherto fair escutcheon, and tnat
for want of craftsmanship, and that for utter
disregard of the necessities Of the people,
without parallel in the history Of this or any
other State. With such cause as ours,
against such party, the undivided ranks oi
Conservatism must prevail. '.,'14s ~
In the last contest in this State, the prtncl.
psl issue was on the question OF colored SUI
frage and the civil rights Of the colored race.
That matter has been decided, upon solemn
appeal, by the people of the United states.
The guarantee OF their rights has now become
part Of the constitution. To that consuCu-
| tion we have ever been willing to defer, to the
| laws made In pursuance of It we yield, and
ever have yielded q ready obedience.
The Reconstruction acts Of Congress, with
tie civil and political rights they confer on the
colored race, we regard as flnallty. We ac-
cept them In good faith. We are one Of the
States of the Union. Let US seek to forget
the bitterness of the past, to build up the
places made waste by the unfortunate war,
all sections Of our great country.
The colored man now enjoys the same politi-
| cal and civil rights as the white man. We ac-
cept his status as fixed by the Constitution Of
| this State and the United States in good faith.
We regard 1t as final settlement of the ques-
ton. 1t now becomes our duty as good cii-
zens to elevate him morally and intellectually.
The Chief Magistrate OF this State, the head
and front of RadicalIsm, has seen ht to declare
one of our counties In state of insurrection,
and to call upon Congress to suspend the writ
of hdbeaS corpus throughout the State. We
declare there is no sufficient cause for this ex-
traordinary action of Governor Holden. There
is and has been no armed resistance. No up
rising of the people. No outbreaks to disturb
or hinder the full administration of the civil
law. We assert that there Is not county In
the State in which any sheriff or other peace
officer may not go unattended, and with
perfect safety, and execute any process
upon any citizen Of the State. It is
true that murders and other outrages have
fined to any particular locality or any political
party, and when Governor Holden represents
to the President and to Congress that these
acts are evidences Of disloyalty, he is guilty
of wilful libel upon people whose rights he
has sworn to protect. When he seeks TO con-
vince the Federal authorities that these viola
tions of the law receive aid, countenance or
OF the State, he knows that bis allegations are
nnfounded, and that he perpetrates great
wickedness. purely in the interest OF a political
party. He hopes by magnitying these out
RACES, by giving them the appearance of dis
loyalty on the part OF our people, to procure
the aid of Federal troops In overawlng them
In the next election. And ne further hopes to
wreak vengeance on his political opponents
through the agency of courts-martial, hedged
In by bayonets. Surely there never was
80 base betrayal of people by their chief
executive officer. We denounce crime whecc-
ever and by whomsoeGer committed, be the
perpetrators white or black. Loyal Leaguers
or Ku-Klux, II such organizations exist; and
we here declare them enemies of society and
wicked ministers to that spirit Of lawlessness
and contempt of the forms of law from which
our unhappy country has suffered so much un-
der Radical rule. Secret political organiza-
tlons are productive only Of evil; let them at
once be disbanded, and let men succeed at elec-
tions upon their merits, and not by force Of 9
confederates That man who, upon his own
impulses, or In obedience to the mandates Of
Others, seeks to punish crime without due
course of law, himself becomes criminal II
crimes are to be punished, If wrongs are to be
avenged, the courthouse should be the place,
and daylight the time. It has ever been the
boast Of our people, hin our country's dark
est hour, that they appeal for protection
only to the guarantees of the constitution
and to the forms OF the civil law. It was re-
served for the Radical party, In violation OF
this great principle Of civil liberty, to drag
men and women from their homes, try, con-
vict and punish them, without due course OF
law. Emulate not their wickedness. Our hope
for the security Of life, liberty and property is
in strict obedience to law. The peace, har-
mony and good Of society require that every
man should feel secure In these inalienable
rights. Let the power Of public opinion, more
potent than an army of bayonets, be brought
to bear in unmistakable terms to put down
those who would recklessly disturb the peace
OF society. When this is done, there Will re-
main no pretext for that abandoned wicked
ness, which would make the crimes OF Few
men pretext for depriying the whole people
of whole State Of the protection OF the VIII
Of the ha6eds corpus.
In order to make success doubly sure, organ
lzation is absolutely necessary. Tine executive
committee appointed at your last politlcal con,
vention il 1869, feel that their power expired
with the campaign OF that year, ana, as we
understand, will act no longer. we therefore
suggest the following gentlemen as an eXecd-
tive committee Of the State during the coming
campaign;
Your county organizations should be per-
fected as speedily as possible. Let three
young, active, energetic men be appointed In
each township of each county, to see that the
opponents OF Radicalism are fully organized.
r A., O