The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-08-21
ARBEvILLE, August T.; 1877.

1
Editor AbbeviNe Press and Banner:
Having very modest opinion .
my own abilities I have no decided
prediction for appearing in th'
"publie print" but as. I happened t.
be ono Of the few who had the homo
of being mentioned by Judge Orr, ii
his reported Interview wi h the cor
respondent Of the Charleston Nes
as one upon whom he could rely fo'
laid in his movement to bring about
reformation in tho Governmental
affairs of our State, and as many O
those whose names were mentioned
in the same connection have felt calico
upon to como out in cards repudiatipG
the whole thing and have proceeded
to define their positions, | havo conclu
ded for onco to lay aside my natura
difidcncc and with your permission
through the columns of yonr valuable
paper, to define my position and pro
claim my viows upon "thc monentous
questions which are agitating the
minds of the good people of Able
Vile County at this time. In the
first place am Republican-in the
proper sense Of that word, and | hold
that overy man who accepts the 18th
14th and 18th Amendments to the
Constitution of the United States as
accomplished facts and who is willing
that every othcr citizen of the Uni
ted States should exercise all the
rights civil and political which be
claims for himself-is a Republican
But being Republican I am Lot Gas
many seem to think the word implies)
in favor of social Equality. But
mark you, in this I am not governed
as many of our people are, entirely BY
reason of the color Of the individuals
as there gre many white people, to
associate with whom, on terms OF
perfect equality, I would feel as much
an aversion as with any negro in
the country. I claim to myself the
inalienabls' right to determine rF'i|!' for 'r my
self as to my associates:
Because I am willing that every
man should exercise all the privileges
to which he is entitled under the b fun
damental laws Of oRr country, it
doesn't necessarily follow that, social
ly, should put myself on a perfect
level With him, nor does it follow that
I should endorse the acts Of every
private individua! or the official oaic con-
duct of every officer who may hap
pen to belong to tho same party. l
can readily understand why it is that
the white citizens of our county act
in so paradoxical 2 manner in the
matter Of their politics, viz: act as
Republicans yet deny that they are
Republicans, but at the same time |
must say that such a course seems a
little foolish to me. It is not the
principle Of Republicanism that our
people are opposed to, as was fully
shown by their acceptance in 1870, Of
the platform of the reform party in
this State, and moro recently, the
platform Of the Liberal Republican
party and the nominees of that par
ty. But it is to the yenal, and I'M
priucipled politicians, who}under the
Emisnomcr of Republicans, have Sc
cured 10 themselves places Of trust
and responsibility for which they arc
totally unfit, No man can DO more
opposed to such men than l, let them
be who the may, hut because I am
should not denonnce any and every
man as . scopndrel-simply because
being u Republican beis disposed tc
call himself by that name. ! mako
pretensions to no superior intelligence
and havo had The advantage Of but d
very limited education, yet I claim tc
take q common sense view of mat
tcrs which is something that many o1
our educated men certainly cannot
arrogate TO themselves. -,
TO ill1ssate-I met rcccntly with
the Rey. Mr.. -a prominent
minister Of the Presbyterian Church
but notwithstanding o man whose
prejudice sometimes gets the better
of hisjudgmcnt, and in speaking to
him of the strange Inconsistency on
the part of q majority Of tho, white
people of our county, in much o.
their conduct, ! said, you are n minis
ter of the Gospel. a man of undoubt
cd moral character, and one in whom
your congregation have unlimited
confdence-and if you were to turr
out and organize Sabbath Schoo
, composed of the colored children il
your neighborhood and on every
sabbath evening meet with them anc
instruct them in their catechism ant
in tho ways Of morality, &C., you1
congregation would commend yor
for n and would sustain Won in IL. bu1