Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-10-18

depravi,y Of their own. They simply reveal how
terrible has been the demonstration wrought by
one class OF the people reducing another class
TO brutal servitude, from generation TO genera
ton; and the curse still clings to them like lep-
rosy. Yes, negro slavery has cursed them In the
city and in the field; in their basket and IN their
store; in the fruit of their body, the fruit OF their
cattle and the fruit of their land; in their man
ners and morals, their pursuits and asprstlons,
their understandings and hearts yet they are pre-
cisey what any other portion of the inhabitants
of the land would be, placed under the same de.
basiDg circumstances. Truly, they grope at
MONDAY as the blind gropeth in darkness, and
they shall not prosper in their ways for they
are smitten with madness. Bedlsm has no form
OF insanity more desperate, more deplOrable or
more hopeless than that moral insanity which
persistently calls good evil and evil good; which
puts darkness for light and light for darkness;
which regards chaos as order and declares 10
reign is worth ambition, though in hell. Better
to reign in he'll than serve in heaven"
Such, alas is the spirit, such the condition aud
such the determination of large majority of
those at the south, who, in order to establish vast
slaveholding empire, rose in rebellion TO effect
bloody ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the union, never doubt
ing of success; and who, defeated in their evil
design, are still strongly under the influence OF
lunacy. Hence their loss OF all moral discern
ment, OF all power Of reasoning, of all sense OF
justice, of all self control, when it is question as
to the enjoyment of equal rights and privileges
with themselves on the part OF those whom they
once "yoked with the brute and fettcrod to the
SOIL whose Chains are now severed and on whom
has been conferred the title of American citizen
ship by the constitution and laws OF the land.
Hence their equipment with the bowie knife, the
revolver and the shot gun in order to control by
murderous violence where they have no legal right
to rule; and hence, too. the many horrible atrocl-
ties they have committed upon white and black
republicans alike.
When charged with these. they have three
modes of defence. Fret they boldly declare that
no such atrocities have been committed that 1t Is
only base device to "wave the bloody shirt for
political ends, and that the exercise Of the fran
chise is as free and unconstralned for all classes
at the south at the north. Second, they I'M
blushingly maintain that the entire responsibility
for their occurrence lies at the door OF the coored
people, and especially their leaders, who have
sought 10 bring on bloody strife so AS TO invoke
the nterpostlon of the federal arm TO place them
in the ascendency. Third, when unable TO OUTAGE
the facts presented, they neatly attempt to screen
themselves from merited condemnation by aleg-
ing that the outrages complained of were perpe
trated by a few hot-hcaded young men, or low
class of whites and that no countenance is given
to them by the respectable members of society.
These pleas it will be seen, utterly incoherent
and irreconcileable. The last one, however
though most untruthful has served to deceive
very considerable number of persons at the North
and thus TO allsy that alarm and Indignation which
informed, No such state of things would exist if
the intelligence responsibility, and wealth of the
city, county, or State did not give at least pas
sivc sanction to it..
In some cases, no doubt, hot-h headed yong men
and lowborn whites have been particularly active
in driving the terrified negroes into the bushes, or
burning their dwellings, or subjecting their per-
sons TO horrible torture, or shooting them down
like game at sight; but never against the prevail
ing sentiment of the dominant class, upon whom
rtfr (.o.l, na+rx aaA h ~
and in due time bring fearful retribution. "Were
they ashamed when they had committed abomina
ton !: Nay, they were not at all ashamed neither
could they blush; therefore they shall fall among
them that fall at the time visit them they shall
be cast down, saith the Lord
Who were they that instituted and upheld the
accused slave system that dehumanised its
victims; that provided its letters and thumb
screws; that employed its save-drivers and slave
hunters that kept its blood hounds ready to take
the scent of the fugitive at a moments warning
that enacted its barbarous slave code; that pro-
nounced it a patriarchal and diyinel sanctioned
institution; that subjected to lynch law Danish
ment all who dared in its immediate locality to
question It's rectitude; that gathered their wealth
from the unpaid labor of their lash-drven chsttels
that trampled upon all the dearest relations of life
that abolished the marriage institution; that sold
the husband from the wife, and the mother from
her babe; that made it a fagtious crime to teach
a slave the alphabet; that denied the Bible to the
of the slave power; that plotted rebellion against
a government they had sworn to uphold; that for
four years waged deadly war to consummate their
reasonable purposes; that saddled the nation
with debt of thousands Of millions of dollars
that sent to bloody graves a mighty host
Were they the poor white trash" that are
everywhere at the South, ignorant, degraded,
vicious, and only slight remove from the lowest
barbarism; were they those who stood recog
nized highly respectable, intelligent, cultivated,
wealthy, pious, and (save the mark y chivalric
So il is now. The same class rule to-day in
essentially the same spirit, and must be held re-
sponsble for whatever additional suferings have
been inflicted upon their former bondsmen.
And how palpably they indicate their unchanged
spirit by the nomination of the leading slavehold
err and rebel in the State, Gen. Wade Hampton,
as their standard-bearer and candidate for Gov.
ernor of South Crolina! In what attitude he
stands to the cause of liberty and equal rights,
what are his avowals and designs no room is left
for doubt.
If fraud, intimidation, violence, and the she'd
ding of innocent blood can effect it, he will be
your successor, Gov. Chamberlain But TO your
triumphant reelection $50 well deserved at the
hand of every voter,) there can be uncertainty,
provided these methods not resorted TO, to the
driving of thousands of your warm and grateful
friends from the polls. You can be defeated only
in this manner, thus rendering legal choice inn
possible Whatever may be the result, you have
The proud consciousness Of having acted well your
part and faithfully discharged every official duty
and OBJ .igaton. Yours is position as sublime as
it is critical. Faithful and fearless to the end,
you shall take your place in American history by
the side of the foremost champions of liberty and
Justice.
Fraternaly yours,