The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-04-07


tional Conyention-a Republican, body; and
finally capped the climax of political iniquity
by permitting himself to be elected to the office
of Circuit Judge by Republican Legislature.
People now say All this was right;N "Gov.
Orr was two years in advance of us )" "hadowe
followed his counsel the condition of affairs
would have beensyery different" But still the
prejudice: is hereditary and strong, and they
neither forgive nor forget.la ri :: tl,.j -
> 1 asked the Judge how he relished this oppo-
sition.:: ssfAVhy,. sir" he, answered, "a public
man in South Carolina, who thinks for himself
must have a hide like rhinoeeros, and forty
years of antagonism have made mine so tough
that all the porcupines in Christendom couldn't
draw blood; that is, when j know I'm right"
In the up country, however, the feeling to-
ward him is one, of almost universal respect
Known to be just in his administration of pub
lie. affairs, untainted by the, breath OF any cor
rupting Influences, often weighed in the balance
and never found wanting, afable with the hum
blest, and personally popular among all classes,
the people trust him. They confde in his
Judgment !. The, very. fact that he predicted
long ago present consequences, and advised the
public how to avert them, has more than ever
increased faith in his WISDOM, and fixed, as
am impressed, determination by thousands to
adopt his policy. What that policy is, is fore
Swallowed in the following conversation tx, y
THE PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION AND DEM
a.. 90 rsqi,l 5oCRATIC PARTY. I'd. y .'ss5e
i, O.. Judge Orr, 1fou have been long affiliated
with the Democratic party of the country, and
/ have some curiosity to learn why, so sooniaf-
ter the Philadelphia Convention off, 1865, IN
which yon played an important part, you iden-
tilted yourself with and espoused the principles
of another party not generally acceptable to
your rtownSpeeple.oof lts;mhh 80 ,.ti-1 - q,
A. The answer to, that question is simple
one. 1t was generally believed throughout the
South that the object of that Convention was
to restore harmonious feeling between the two
sections, and accordingly her representative
men we're selected to confer and act with the
Democratic leaders of the North. Results
proved. however, that elements OF disruption
were already at work within the party that
the West and the East were antagonistic IN
their views of public policy, and that In, many
respects the South was not in a condition to
agree with either The effort then made to
create. a healthy public sentiment toward lis
signally failed, and after q mere spasM of COR
tGality in the Convention, Its members separa-
ted as diverse In their opinions as ever. These
chickering's resulted in the election of General
Grant and the present supremacy OF the Re-
publican party. ,ans. -il't'll. ~ u,
@. But is it your opinion that the Democrat
ic party will never regain its power 3
A, "A party called Democratic may eventual
ly succeed, but the old regime is forever dead
The antagonism of so many leading members
of the party to the war will, since the war has
proved successful, put them in the same cate
CORY in all future popular elections with the
opponents of the Revolutionary war, the war
of 1872, and the war with Mexico. None OF
the parties opposing these wars had sufficient
vitality to recover from the damaging results
of their opposition. But the blunders OF the
Republican party, already made and which
they will continue to make, not moving cau-
tiously in consequence of their consciousness
of strength, will necessarily create reaction,
under the influence of which they, too, will be
overwhelmed in national politics, as the Jack
son party was overwhelmed in 1840 in the con-
test between Mr.. Van Buren and Gen. Harri-
son, when the election was won not so much
by the popularity of Whig principles as by the
unpopularity of the Jackson and Van Buren,
administration. High taxes, the consequent
stringency of the finances, and official corrup-
ton, is the rock upon which the Republican
er party will arise composed of the progressive
men of the country, whose leaders will be real
statesmen and economists, and under their
administration the Union will advance in true
greatness and solid prosperity. Doubtless the
next census will change the basis of power.
More relative strength will be- given to the
South and West, which will result in weaken
ing the influence of the New England States,
and transferring the control of the country to
the agricultural sections.
@. Do you think the country would be. any
better off under Democratic administration,
than it is at the present time?
A I can only answer that question with
qualifications. In my judgment the election OF
General Grant avoided violence and bloodshed
throughout the South. Under the administers
ton Of Mr.. Seymour, efforts would unquestion-
ably have been made to overturn existing State
Governments, even before his Inauguration,
because the people were stimulated by the de-
lusive representations of ardent partisans, who
believed he could undo the entire work of re-
construction. The truth is, however, that had
MIR. Seymour been elected he would have been
as impotent as Andrew johnson, in every en-
deavOr to render ASST tance to the South. The
majority of the Senate would have been against
him for ut least two years. and he could not
have removed or appointed a postmaster. The
House was in the same opposition, and none of
the party would have felt amicably inclined to-
ward one that had defeated their candidate.
GRANTS ELECTION BLESSING.
In this view, therefore, it was blessing to
the South that General Grant was elected
Some of the results to us, politically, may not
be agreeable; some of the Congressional legis-
lation that has followed has been based upon
misapprehenson of the real public sentiment
of the South but the end will prove the wis
dom of the election of General Grant. 1t
must be remembered that the war did not close
with the termination of hostilities Itrequired
time to make the people fully realize the fact
that they were conquered, and to adapt them
selves to the new situation. The principles for
which they had fought were, SO to speak, he
reditary, and it would be a marvel in history or
in human nature, for them to have even theo-
retically submitted to stronger power at once.
THE TEMPER OF THE PEOPLE.
O. Suppose, on the theory that the Southern