The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-07-17

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cession nor of war to put down rebel
lion; nor the abolition of slavery In
the States by military order or by
constitutional amendment, upon which
Mr.. Lincoln was reelected in 1864;
nor vet is it the question OF recon-
struction, or of the fourteenth OF nj
teenth amendments; nor the question
of negro suffrage; nor the establish.
ment by federal power OF unlversai versa I, {
negro suffrage, as condition prece-
dent to the States of the South having
any rights, or any existence even as
States in the Union. 1t is none OF
these questions that is now IN issue.
All of these have been issues OF the
past; great issues, sufficient in them; :
selves to create and dissolve :politicalt.
parties, because ideas are stronger
than men and. parties; but they are
all past issues, they have been fought
out and fought to tho end, in the TO-
rum or in the fold, and they re no
more l., issue to-day than the Mexit an
war or the far-off rebellion. Eapplaui 9 ]
We could not reopen thom if we
would, and they. falsely misrepresentE
our purpose who say that we would
reopen them if we could. This great
union, therefore, means no step back
ward. [Cheers.1 Forward is tho
word. .[Loud cheers.l And, first OF
all, it means to-day, for all the other
States Of the South, what it. has al
ready done in Missouri. Instead OF
prescription, test oath, suspension OF
habeas corpus and military despot-5
ism, it means personal freedom for
the individual and Republican good
for all, Loud applause.1 Instead OF
negro supremacy, upheld by the. pro-
scription aud the bayonet, it means-
equal rightsto all men, white as welL
as black. Loud applause, Instead
of thieving governments, organized
to plumber subjngatcd States, itmeans
the dominance Of. intelligence and in-9
tegrity. Instead Of strife, hate and
robbery. it means justice, liberty,
peace, loyalty and goodwill; and,
gentlemen, for our whole country
East, West, North and South it means,
instead of o War-Presidont, trained
only in a military school, and whose
whole character has been formed in
the ideas, arts, habits and despotisnn
Fof military life; instead of this, it
means the election of a Peace-P Presi-
dent. [Cheers.] Trainedin the ideas,
arts, blessings and Republican sim-
Fplicity ofpeaee and uniyersat free
dom. Loud cheers.] Of peace, not
Eepchai1ed OF liberty, not under
arrest, awaiting trial, sentence and
execution by drum.head court-martial,
but that liberty and peace which the7
constitution secures by placing tho
civil law above the sword. Loud
applause.] By preserving in full. .yig-
or the sacred writ Of habeas corpus,
and: by the right of trial by jury.
[Applause.] It means another thing,
and perhaps the most important OF
them all-it means, to arrest the cen-s
tralnation Of power in tho Federal
Government Loud cheors. Ii
means to assist lhs vital principle Of
Republican system, in which it moves.
aud has its very being, that constit,i-
-tions are made by the people in. thoir
sovereign capacity for the express,
purpose of defending and limiting the
powers of all governments, Stete and
National. It means that we are dc.
termined that Presidents and Cover
nors, Congress and State Legislatures,
and every department of the govern
ment shall obey the constitution.
prolonged applause.
Mr.. Doolittle in conclusion said :
Gentlemen, II have thus briefly stated
the situation, the duties and thespur-
pose which bring US here. A great
responsibility rests upon this conyen-3
ton. IF its action shall be such as to
put an end to this misrule which for
the past few years has afflicted our
beloved country, this generation and
generations to come after US will re-.
member with pride and gratitude tho
convention at Baltimore on tho 9Th Of
July, 1872"
Amid loud and continued applause,
Mr. Doolittle took his seat.