The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-11-02
Gen. Frank Blair's Views Of the Political
Situation.
MoNTGOMERY. October 20.

MONTGOMERY, October ~.
Senator Blair, who is here as one of the sub
Ku Klux Committee, made speech last night:
The following is an extract of it US published
in the Advertiser of this morning:
Fellow-citizens There are some questions
growing out of the position of the South which
/ feel called upon to mention, but with diff
dence, and disclaiming any purpose Of giving
anything like advice to the people of the South.
I have read letters. and speeches by distin-
puished men of the South which touches sll the
South, and all who sympathize with the South
in other portions of the country.
!. I;have seen it proposed that in the next DEM
ocratic Convention. to be held for the nomina-
ton of candidate for President of the United
States the South should forbear to take any
part whatever, and that the South should de-
cline to be represented, but should accept what
ever candidate the Democrats of the North
may See proper to offer. Idissent entirely from
that proposition l think may have the pro-
test of every Democrat in the West and North.
Renewed applause. The triumph of the
Democratic party is the safety of the South,
and who should guard its safety but Southern
men If they fail, why may not also Others
fail? Ny citizens, triumph which will
relieve you is the thing the South looks to, and
looks to alone. They have no questions of per.
sonal favorites to be advanced; to them all
Democrats are alike; their choice will fall upon
him who is most likely to carry that banner to
triumph.
wise COUNSEL if she fails to send her prudent
and wise men, who will go there with an eye
single to success; if they leave the Democrats
of the North to struggle for a nomination
amidst the contending factions of the aspirants
she will withhold from us the benefit of the
wisest and most impartial counsel we can have
If she should abstain even upon the ground
stated by some of the distinguished gentlemen
who advocate this course, and who say that
their presence in the convention in 1868 was
laid hold of and used 10 the destruction of the
Democratic party, 1 tell you that their absence
now will be claimed as a refusal to so with the
Northern Democrats because they have adopted
the new departure.
1t will be claimed that the spirit of rebellion
still fingers and burns under the smoulderine
ashes, and it is lighted into new flame of III
dignation because the Democratic party OF the
North, or a large portion of them, have as
sumcd, for reasons which seemed good to them
to make certain concessions in their platform
IT would be suicidal, it would be the destruction
of your very best interests. | do not know
how we'll it is known, but to those who care fol
my opinion it is known that am no friend O.
the new departure, but believe in the patriot
ism and the purity of the motive of those who
have chosen that path. But while l shall still
hold to the opinion which have heretofore
expressed, and shall not yield one inch of my
own convictions as to the collstitutionality o
the usurpations of the Radical party, | an
willing to fight the Radicals in any shape thu
Democratic party may determine.
| believe that the new departure, so fur from
being good policy, has proved disastrous, bu
what the party adopts as its policy shal
maintain, without surrcndcring my own cor
yictions believe that this policy has tailc,