The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-09-01
BE sure that every Democrat !
yow tounship is assessed before the
7M day Of September.
GEy w.j,r'nivproy

The Republicans who delight in honoring
Gen. Longstreet, Ackerman, guerrilla Mos
by and other prominent seccssioniss, are
especially hostile to Gen. Wade Hampton,
the Democratic nominee of South Carolina.
His personal character, his purity and abili-
ty-arc as unquestioncd as that of his
grandfather, who won immortal rcnown in
the Revolutionary war. Last week we pub
lished the noble declarations of the South
Carolina Democracy, and the public are
familiar with Gen. Hampton's speech of ac-
ceptance. But we now publish letter
written by him in 1868 explaining his po-.
sition as to the issues, results and conse-
quences of the war. From this letter it will
be seen that Gen. Hampton cordially accept
ed the result of the war, lie says:
The main issues involved in the war were
Secession and Slavery--the first, the primary
one, the latter brought in at n later period.
In regard to these adopt fully and without
reservation the principles announced by the
late National Convention in New York, and
in the words of the platform promulgated
there, consider these questions as settled
forever" accept this as the result accom-.
plished by the war, and as its logical and
legitimate consequence This | have done
from the day the war closed, and | have
counselled our people to look upon it in the
same light. ! was strongly in favor of the
action taken by this State comforting on the
negro equal civil rights with the white man
aud more than year ago | advocated the
policy of giving to him as soon as we had
the power to do so legitimately, suffrage
based on qualification. Tho Democratic
Convention held here inApril last recognized
him as "an integral part of the body polite,
and declared that it would. when our party
came into power, grant him partial suffrage.
The State Central Club has just reafrmed
this declaration, and l have no doubt but
that this declaration is sustained by vast
majority of the white citizens Of the State
We regard the Reconstruction acts as un-
constitutional, but we look for their over.
throw, not by violence, but, in the language
{ of a resolution unanimously adopted by the
Democratic Party in Convention assembled
"by constitutional agencies and peaceful
remedies alone" We invoke decision on
the constitutionalty of these acts from the
! only tribunal competent to pronounce on
them the Supreme Court of the United
States and we were prepared in good faith
to abide by that decision. IL may not be in
appropriate to correct 4 Misrepresentation
widely spread by radical papers touching
these acts. In these | have been charged
with having dictated tina. portion of thu
Democratic platform relating to reconstruc
ton This charge | have more than once
. denied. and do so again most emphatically
The sense in which | spoke of the word
Unconstitutional, revolutionary and void,
as being my plank in the platform, referred
to them n constituting the plank to whicl
: /, as well as any other Southerner, clung fol
safety.
, The letter concludes rs follows:
, If the people OF the North wish to bulC
up strong and lasting Union, let them b'
maguanimOus and generous to the South
let them confde more fully than they hav'
done, to the honor of our people, and the,
i will meet with heartfelt response. Th'
, future destiny Of the Republic is in thu
hands of the North, and upon their actor
it depends whether there is again to be
Union, based on fraternal feelings, or On'
held together by the iron bands of military
, rule.