The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-08-31
GFfom the Chattanooga Tines.]
THE ERUR POLLOK.

The opponents Of Rsdioalism through
out the country arc under oblig atoms to
tho Louisville Courier.Journal for :. its
timely and able articles upon the true
policy of the Democratic and Conserve
tive party. We follow tho example of
the Democratic Congressman, in styling
the party opposed to Radioalism, not
because We have any objections to the
name Of Democracy, but out of respect
60 the prejudices Of large number of
voters, who endorse ske present attitude
Of the Democracy, but are unable to
forge. that they were onco its bitter op.
pononts. In time this prejudice will
wear away, but We do not think i.
likely to increase our chances Of victory
to now compel every man, however un-
willing, to call himsolf Democrat,
when he is perfectly willing under the
name Of Conservative to help us win
the great battle Of the people against
the Radical party.
The ensuing campaign is tho most
important ono since the war. Upon its
results depend, in a great measure, the
future prosperity of the country. Now,
moro than ever, wisdom and moderation
are demanded of the leaders, and har-
mony and unanimity Of action among
the masses. No unnecessary load must
be carried, but we must strip for tho
contest, and go in to win. There is a
small, but very noisy GLASS of Democrats,
who are continually dcnouncing as trail
tors oil who cannot pronounce their
shibboleth Of "white Mans party" and
it is from the asccndcucy of these in
our councils, that we have to fear as the
only cause of possible defeat Let them
be overawed by the sounder advice of
national men, and our success is GER
tain. Hence we are glad to SEQ the
Courier Journal talking to them in this
manner:
Some writer's profess to believe in the
existence of a conspiracy, the object of
which is to make the Democratic party
abandon its principles and approve and
indorse the three Radical amendments.
No Democrat has ever dreamed of pro
posing or aiding any such movement.
| No Democrat has ever gono further
than to recognize the fact that Radicals,
while they remain in power, will con-.
tinue to enforce those amendments !;
that the safety of the rights they have
conferred upon negroes is the only pos.
sihle bond Of Union left to the Radical
party, and that therefore the attitude Of
the Democrats towards those amend
ments ought not to be based upon op-
position to the rights themselves but
upon condemnation of the manner in
which they were conferred. When a
mob hangs man and its numbers arc 80
great that society is compelled to let
the crime pass unpunished, it does not
thereby surrender the law, participate
in the crime, or acknowledge the pre-
cedent. When treason assumes the
form of great rebellion, and is treated
according to the laws of war between
Independent nations, that is not an
abandonment and condemnation of
the Justice of the ordinary laws against
treason and murder. So when sue
cesstul revolution confers privileges
and rights upon persons previously do.
MED them, practical recognition of
those rights is thing very different
from approving the means by which
they were conferred. 1t is one thing
to condemn that invasion of private
rights which emancipcated the slave
without compensating the owner, to de.
nounce the Acknowledgement of white
men, the overthrow of State govern
ments, the forced amendment of tho
Constitution, tho usurpaion and tyran~
nies of Congress, and quite another
thing to demand that all this shall be
uudone and that all the State and Ma
tional legislation of the revolution
ary period shall bc declared and treated
as void ab initio. There is no abandon-
ment Of law or principle in treating
these things as the acts of dc facto gov
ernments are.treated. We may deny
that they exist by the exercise of any
rightful power, but prudence, the safety
Of society, the stability of government,
all demand that we shall accept accom-
plished facts rather than convulse the
country by q vain attempt to subvert
the revolution and replace every thing
IN statu quo.
Every Democrat in tho United States
opposed to the last, the Thirteenth,
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
No Democrat has ever proposed to
adopt either of them as q Democratic
measure, or give his approval of their
adoption in any way that can make him
an accessory after the fact, or accept
them as accomplished facts in any sense
which may be construed into surren-
der of the Democratic principles which
they violate. There is not Democrat
in the United States who, in any sense,
indorses the Thirteenth amendment.
We acknowledge tho freedom of our
former slaves, hire them to work for
us pau hon, for thot 1ahor which 9th ,