Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-12-25
The siainspring of Our Oppression.

We reproduce for our readers the fol-
lowing very able, and truthful article from
theiIouisvile Courier Journal, II. shows
faithfully the moving causenofI all tho
miseries and toppressionwhich have been
fastened upon us:a: Iaa sl. Il 10 ii
~. THE. PRESIDENT IN The sourH.sdi
For the past few days, we lmte been
giving g the details'of those outrages in! the
South which have grown either. directly
or indirectly from the policy which, has
been systematically pursued by the Ac7
ministration toward that unfortunate peo.
pie. The disease may be traced To that
source and, to nd other. The President is
responsible for the present revolutionary
condition of affairs which have reached a
sad and s. perilous Crisis, both in Louisiana
and in Alabama He has held the shield
of authority over the thieves and plunder-'
ers who have robbed and ruined those
States. He has given them countenance
and succor. He has emboldened them by
turning TIE scale'in their favor whenever
the honest masses of the people have risen
against them and threatened to wrest from
them the power which they have soshame-
fully and criminally abused He has en-
.couraged them in theconviction that there
is no outrage too daring and no robbery
too gigantic for his approval Under the
cover Of such authority it is impossible to
ascertain the degree of corruption that
has been reached or to measure the enorT.
nifty of the crimes penetrated: If the
reeking horrors Of their rule could be
dragged to the light of scandalized day
the country would stand appalled, at'their
infamy.H Ad5i-ish!n - sd -. -
His, emissaries have spared nothing.
Even appropriations for the asylpms Of
the diseasedIin mind and body, the rev.
enues Of orphans, and taxes, wrung from.
the emaciated bosom of the entire South,
have gone to satisfy their cupidity and
their greed. Their tainted hands have
been laid upon municipal and State poll.
ties, and they have corrupted whatever.
they have touched. The property, of the,
citizens has for years been eaten away by
their gnawing assessments. Nothing, in
short, has been kept sacred from their rude
and violent invasions. Statutes are mere
cobwebs; constitutions have lost all their
inviolability. & aii
And now that in two States the people
have legally succeeded in driving these
criminals from the control of affairs,
they hold on by violence When their
ascendency is imperiled they appeal to the
the President. and the PRESIDENT orders
United States troops to support them
The most respectable elements Of the COM
munity demonstrate and plead for the pro-
lection which demonstration guarantees
they plead in vain They have sent
manly and digniiied protests these pro-
tests have been spurned Every struggle
they make is but a struggle against fate.
Like the chained victim writhing under
the weight of bis fetters, their exertions
only enable them to realize the strength
of the gripe and the vigor of the arm that
holds them. For. years they have furnish.
ed the country with the proofs of their
forbearance and their patience Ill. a,>a
They have presented a ritiaLle picture
Of brave people struggling against the
oppressor's wrong. They have shown
with What fortitule they can bear their
many and crying grievances, hoping that
sense of justice would return and : touch
the hearts of those who had tyrannizcd
over and trampled upon them; for we
are told that even the most cruel and ar
bitrary despots have been constrained to
the exercise of magnanimity by the digni.
ty and courage with which their victims
have borne sufferings wrongfully inflicted.
The course of the Administration, how
ever, toward both louisiana and Alaba-
ma, banishes all hope Of relief. 1t is i'm
possible for single State TO prevail against
combination SO wicked and so powerful
as that Of the carpet t-baggers and the Adj
ministration together and that there is
coalition between these two forces lie one
can longer question. Incvery emergency,
the President has shown. his sympathy
for the thief and usurper in their efforts
to plunder and oppress the honest citizen.
In every emergency that has arisen, he
has turned the sword against the former,
and in favor of the latter No 1one can
now mistake IBIS position or entertain a
hope that he will change it. HI, has new
er varied III his policy which has been con
stantly directed against the best interests
Of society, against the eternal rules Of JUS
ticc-against humanity itself. % . i''' 81