The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-03-09
Dulitiral.
RADICAL EXPOSITION.

z
Leslie on the Rampage-he charge.
home on the ertren,ists - dares an in.
vestigation--soys the appropriation Til
Is ddnndbie- curious revelaltons-A
lively deLatc-anotter ..clainn"
squelched- WaNace still after The
louues and fshes-6v jobs and
more Of them Hhittemore's status IL,
Lolumbia--M the Civil RightsbiW a farce.
COLUMBIA, February 26, 1870
The chief feature of public interest
today iu the Senate was q epcech by
Leslie, in which he'took occasion to say
things in his peculiar style, that made
not few Of his colleagues realize how
"uueasy rests the head that wears a
crown" AS you know, from past ex>
perence, he is one Of those impulsive
men, who, when the old Adam within
him is aroused, minces neither lam
guage cor truth, and no matter where
his shafts strike. whether it be in the
heart of friend or foe, whether they
leg bare the ro:teness Of Radicalism, or
reveal the corruption ofhis Own fellows,
he let's them fly like torcupine quille,
right and left, from quivef almost ex-
haustless. When unable to carry his
point by dip-low maoy, he INDUCES in Il
reckless species of high jumphacy, seizes
on the very pillars Of his party, aud
then if he fails, frolics amid the ruins
which, Sampson.like, he has pulled
around him.
This was his achievement to. day.
Cain introduced resolution that the
time of final adjournment should be ex-
tended from the 1st to the 18th of
March. and speech after speech indica-
ted the purpose Of the Senate to adopt
the same. Leslie, in his opposition,
represented the governor, who is un>
derstood to have declared that if the
Legislature remained here ten days
longer they would ruin the Republican
party aud doubtless he was also stim.
ulatcd By his own honest desire to en-
gage iu smoothing more profitable than
legislation. He said to the Souatc:
"Here you have been three months
aud spent twoh undred thousand dollars,
and 10 Gods namo what have you done ?
You have passed Act after Act in be.
half Of church organizations aud fire
companies; you have sat here legislatiug
on the most trivia! Of matters. aud yet
have little more to show for it than a
pile of Insignificant laws and your six
dollars day. Is there no shame, no
honesty, no sense Of justice that can
stop you this side of that point beyond
which dccency cannot 20 2 What do you
propose to do by staying here When do
you propose to flGish your work2 I
know. It will be when the last dollar
Isl gone aud the last cent is spent.
johnson, of Sumter, (colored.) Will
the gentlemen allow me to ask ques-
tion?
Leslie. No. sir. I'll allow you to
take your seat, aud keep il
Jillson. | want the gentleman to
understand that outstanding all
he may say, l shall vote just as
please.
Lealie. 1.-The likes he can take his
conscience and chain it 80 tight that no
whip or lash cab move it. He is like q
certain animal known 10 history, whose
hide is so thick you cant perforate
it,
Cain. I suppose you mean rhinoce.
f0s.
Leslie. Already this Legislature
stands convicted before the country as
failure and in the State Of New York
there is not II mothen's son Of YOU who
would rot be held to strict accounta-
bilty for every act done and every
dollar spent. Yes, in South Carolina,
nyou had responsible constituency,
not one of you wonld ever come here
again. and would say, Amen! In form
el times the General Assembly OF this
State sat from four to six weeks, and
accomplished something. You have sat
here three months have accomplished
nothing and you are not done yet /
know what it N cans. 1t means money.
It means that to keep this wonderful
body together fifteen days longer will
cost the State fifty thousand dollars, and
you want it. 1t means that you are
bound to ruin the credit of the State for
the sake of yourselves
Look at your appropriation Bill. Why
u man should stand up and criticise
mat document truthfully, it would damn
the whole Of US Two hundred thousaud
collars at least, have gone, and what
nave we got to show for it?
Nothing Yet there are men 10 the 9th ..
ei house who would not go home for a
whole year They would hang on like
!eeches sucking the very life blood of
Inc State. God knows the time will
some-and it may not be far distant
when all this action will be reviewed.
We cannot rob tho widow or starve the
orphan, or oppress people who arc
slrsady down, in vain. The reaction
vii come. The citizens of South Caro-
hOa, although literally exhausted, have
pa!d their taxes, to the best of their
ability, because 10 a despotic government
!a1es are paid 10 proportion to its power
o. despotism, but they knew that the
sn'it was short, and the time might not
&c tar distant when our own acts would