Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-07-11
:" Crushing Out The RebelIi0n.s

4NO uI hdSSlOIldIe OUSSI Wei VI Gut
proceedings of The Philadelphia Con.
vention can have failed to be impress
ed by the fact that in the minds of q
naj jority Of the members Of that body
Of those at least who took the most
active part in its proceedings, the
idea which appeared TO be uppermost
was that the great Republican party
had yet a mission to perform which
is only half fulfilled, and that our
soldier President" has work to do
which is at best but half done. That
work, that mission, is to "crush out
the vestiges of the rebellion" For
this purpose, in his congratulatory
message to Mrs. Grant, Mr.. George
H. Stuart, Of Philadelphia, piously
prays that the life OF her hero hus-
band may yet be spared.
In the teeth of the formal declara-
tion contained in the preamble to the
eighteen resolutions which constitute
the Conventions POLITICAL confession
OF faith-that the party has "sup-
pressed gigantic rebellion" it is
practically assumed, for the pur-
pose OF the present canvass, that the
rebellion is not Suppressed" that
despite the party's "eleven years Of
supremacy, it still lives and flour
ishes. While the platform approves
in the abstract of the amnesty so
grudgingly and tardily bestowed upon
/" those lately in rebellion" it ap-
pears that there are others still IN
rebellion" upon whom unrelenting
wal must be waged. Hence the need
Of "the revival Of the war spirit
upon which some of our contempora-
rirs.plume themselves, as among the
mosl;hopefal and gratifying features Re
have already mentioned, found vent
alter the nominations in singing Old
John Brown, and "Shermans March
Through Georgia" and other war
songs suitable to the OCCASION. 1t
was the spirit, in fact, of Il war meet
ins-the spirit which might have
ben ar proprialely evoked at so'2e
crisis OF our great struggle, alta meet
ing held in lurtuerancc Of the draft
OF for the encouragement OF volun-
teering. Like tue songs which were
sung and the speeches which were
made, it belonged to the year 1852.
Considered as happening in the year
years alter the close o!
the war-the whole thing was sim
pie anachronisln. The country in
State of profound peace, and >trug-
Cling with might and main 10 go oacl;
to the ways Of peace, has no need for.
/. "r vival Of The war >pirE.
AS for the supposed cSisency Of
The times. which, in the judgment c.
some of the delegates to the tonvcn-
ion, neccssia;ted the denomination Of
Grant, upon the s;,mc principle upon
which the renoninatiup Of Lincoln
vas urged in 1864, that it was bad
policy to swap horses while crossing
stream the analogy in point Of
altogether fails. With
,ther arguments and considerations
Which might be urged in favor of
rem. Grants denomination ne decline
o meddie. They concern the party
ind not MS. But the whole Amerl-
an people, without distinction of
politics, are concerned in denying the
and uniounded allaga-
ion that there is any red stream Of
var to be crossed in 1872, and crisis
+ the ,countrys fate now pznding, to
,e compared to that of eight years
ince. As fnr the shallow and hol-
ow pretence that the spirit Of REBEL
on, driven from the open field, still
urlts at the South, in the form Of Sc
ret and reasonable organizations,
very circumstance Of their present
ondition controverts it. The only
vestiges Of the rebellion" remaining
0 be crushed are the poor, impover-
she'd, suffering Southern people them
elves, prescribed by Congressional
lws, despoiled by carpet bag govern.
lent, struggling with what heart and
ourage they can still command to
etter their fallen fortunes.
We are surprised that the party
,aders at Philadelphia should not
1emseltes have seen the glaring in
onsistency between their actions. If ,
lie rebellion is suppressed and
to those " lately in rebellion |
a thing to be approved, and the
,read and growth Of fraternal feel
lg a subject Of congratulation, what S
eed for evoking the "war spirit"
new, for singing war songs, for +,
reaching a fresh crusade to " crush 6
it the vestiges of treason? If at t
n /" eleven years of supremacy, the q
,bellion is not yet suppressed, the
Mon not yet restored, what stronger e
'gument could be furnished in favor a
confding the unfinished work to g
her and more competent hands ? L
altimore Sun. h
---~.--s- a