The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-07-19

of our institutions, these good men mus
tered at st. Louis. AS the purpose was
noble 80 the place was appropriate-a
magnificent city on the western bank of
the father of waters, and about the centre
of the greatest valley of the world. AS
the telegraph informed you the Conven-
tion adopted platform of fprinciples the
burden of which is REFORM! REFORM!
REFoRM!!! And with the utmost har.
mony and enthusiasm placed upon it as
our standard-bearers, Samuel J. Tilden,
of New York, [Cheersl and Thomas A.
Hendricks, of Indiana, [Renewed
Cheering] and with them, under Provi-
dence, we hope to sweep the country
with whirlwind Of resistless success !!
After these preliminary remarks Cen
eral McGowan spoke in substance as
follows:
Ny fellow-citizens, the skies are
frightening. The day is breaking after
a long, dark and dreary night! We
have reached turning point in our po-
litical condition. 1t is now more than
ten years since the war ended, and that
DECADE has undoubtedly been the most
disgraceful in Jour history. Perhaps it
was to be expected. After the priva-
tipps and excitements of civil war, there
is always reaction q period of love of
ease, love of wealth and of luxury, and
these bring in their train demoraliza-
ton. During the last ten years the
vices always incident to restoration,
arrogance, injustice, oppression, vain
glory, revenge, extravaganza and cor
ruption, have flourished and grown
rank! The administration of the gov
ernment has been exclusively In the
hands of those who considered them
selves, par ercclience, the saviours of
the country. They had rendered more
or less service in crushing what was
called the rebellion, aud like the minis
ters of Charles II, after the old restOra-
ton, they seemed to think that as a re-
ward for their services, they were en-
titled to steal all they could lay their
hands on from that country which they
claim to have saved! MacCaulay's ac-
count Of the corrupt Court of the Merry
Monarch might stand as picture of our
II
"Politics was regarded not as science,
of which the object is the happiness of
mankind, but as an exciting game OF
mixed chance and skill at which dex-
trous and lucky player may win.
Ambition, which In good times aud iu
good minds is half virtue, now dis.
Joined from every elevated sentiment
becomes a selfish cupidity little less
;--ok1o than ov,oriao ifoolfD nn
not recognize the picture? Offices have
heen sought and won not for merit and
virtue, but by loud professions of
DEVOTION TO PARTY,
and when got used only to enrich the
lucky aspirants and all their kith and
kin, lineal and collateral. This spirit
of making of public office private prop
erty and of covering roguery under the
mantle of patriotism, has permeated the
great mass of officials from the highest
to the lowest. The case Of the late Sec
retary Of War Is not exceptional. Others
are believed to be even worse than Bel.
knap. The leprosy is epidemic. OFF,
cial corruption is rank and rampant.
An immense host of officers and office
hunters cover the earth as the waters
cover the bosom of the great deep. Like
swarms of locusts in Egypt, or grass
hOppers In the West, consuming, Dlast-
ing and whitening every thing ON the
face of Gods green earth:
"Innumerable! as when the potent rod
or Amram's son, in Egypt's evil day
Waived round the coast up called pitchy cloud
or locusts, warping on the eastern wind
That DER the rGalm ofimpious Pharaoh hung
Like night. and darkcned all the land Of Nile"
All this state of things, bad as it is,
has been aggravated ten-fold in the
States Of the South. This can be under
stood when to the general demoraliza-
ton is added the painful but well-knOwn
fact that as q general rule in the South
ern States the o fiji ials have
been ignorant and incompetent, and
actually inimical to the people whom
they pretend to govern, but in fact rob
and oppress! AS far as the poor South
is concerned, the whole thing has been
regarded as something like "pious
fraud" allowable, indeed praiseworthy,
as against "those lately In rebellion"
The administration of public affairs In
this poor State, with rare exceptions, has
been one long
PROFLIGATE REvEL OF A MONGREL
CREW
of all colors "from snowy white to
sooty :" satyrs, mountebanks, buffoons,
and political Gorillas, worse even than
Anacharsisi Klootz OF fthe French Revolu-
ton. We have had hideous night
mare of vulgarity, injustice, extortion,
bribery and corruption. What rich
field for the political bummers and
cleaners was afforded by the plains of
the poor, PROSTATE South. Everything
in confusion from the recent overthrow
in the war-the property of late rebels
living around loose and victorious
party to cover and back everything
done in its name!!
STEALING IN THE NAME OF REPUBLI-
More stealing has been done in the
South in the name of Republicanism
than should damn an hundred parties.
When protest was made it was smOth.
cred, by the eternal cry of "Republican-
ism !n "Republicanism !! !" The good
people in their anguish have often been
compelled to cry aloud in the words of
Madame Roland on her way TO the
guillotine, "Oh, liberty, how many
crimes have been committed in thy
name"
The people of the United States have
been tolerant, patient and long.sufer-
ing to q fault. They did not compre-
hend the thing in ill its hideous dimen-
sions. The facts. which neither hypoc-
racies nor the cry of republicanism can
longer cover, are now being exposed to
public view and say, with the most
intense earnestness, that If there is in
telligence, virtue and patriotism enough
left in the country, the masses will rise
In their majesty and overthrow this gi-
uantic incilhns They will In self |