National Republican., 1878-07-25

| between the white and coloied people of this
State aud of the entire South rs an sntagonism
OF race, not adiharenco of political parties"
and that white supremacy Is essential
to our continued existence as people,
Senator BUTLER In his address, says
cmphatically that ait Is no longer
question Of race, because all races are repre-
sentod and protected alike" In this we agree
with him. Furthermore, we agree with tho
Edgeheld platform In holding that white su-
premacy Is essential to our continued exist
enoe as people," aud we agree with Senator
BuTLER in saying that, rs a mstter Of fact,
TINS Is s"awhite mans government We can
not, however, admit for q moment that II Is
just, or wise, or beneficial TO the Democratic
party to deny colorod people, who have proved
| themselves TO be Democrats, an equal voice
with white Democrats in the conduct and man
agement Of the Democratic party. We have
in view the ends and mono othcr, which the
Edgefeld Democracy desire to reach. The diff
| ference is that we are convinced that they can
only be reached in a way that is diamctrically
different from the way that is blazed out In the
Edgefcld platform.
We extract thus literally from the re-
marks Of the Ne,cs and Courier that we may
present to the readers Of THE REPUBLICAN
fair exhibit of its embarrassments and
difficulties Ia handling question that has
50 many bristling points to be covered and
evaded before II can be touched with any
comfort by Southern fingers For seventeen
years the cry has come up from the Confed-
crates Of the South and their Bourbon SYM
pathizcrs at the North that "this is n white
mans government" thereby pressing the
argument ut oil points that none but white
men have any part or lot in this Govern
| Tho n1nthinv Of fot,r t,,tlIinpa nf ha
colored race with the vestments Of freedom
and the rights OF citizenship has been no
bar to the proscriptive cry, This is white
mans government" hence implying that
though four millions Of colored men, women,
and children have been enrolled rs citizens,
they are no more entitled to participate in
the honors, blessings, and benefits Of the
Government than they were when they
were decked with the jewelry Of slavery.
The awkwardness of this absurd proposition
begins to be felt by General BUTLER and
his followers to q degres that prompts them
to much special pleading and awkward
apology TO hide their true position. The
Ners and Courier, after endeavoring to de
fine its position by concealing ii under a
sophistry of words, admits that the policy OF
BUTLER and his adherents Is, in the organ
izing of government, to "include the whole
body of the white citizens Of the State
"and exclude the vast majority of the
colored citizens" This brings us to the
milk in..the cocoanut." All are to be ex-
cluded except "the colored people who have
proved themselves 70 be Democrats"
In this view of the case Mr. BUTLER and
his South Carolina followers should amend
their declaration as to whom this govern
ment belongs, so that it shall read "This
is the Democrats government" white and
colored as the case may he, for If tits proper
to exclude the colored man from recognition
in it because he Is not Democrat, the same
rule should apply TO the white citizen and
this brings us to the point where the seeds
of secession and rebellion first began to ger.
inmate. Whom, by tho vote of the people
in 1860, this Government, which had beer
so long held under Democratic domination
that the party bearing that name regarded
itself as its legal and rightful possessor, wa
taken out Of its hands, the Democrats flew
D to arms for the purpose Of conquer
f ing or destroying it in bloody strife
. because the people had declared, through
: the potency of the ballot, that this Govern
, ment did not belong to, and conld not thei
: be longer used for the peculiar benefit o
= that party. The people rushed in and save,
O the Government from destruction. Its enc
mics and would-be destroyers were whipped
@ back into subjection to its Constitution an,
$ laws. They ostensibly surrendered, but hav,
r been chatting in discomfort ever since. The,
v have cultivated spirit ofavenging hate tow
@ ard the people who had be,n emancipate
# from slavery into citizenship, and the Re
I, publican party, through whose instrumen
a tality they had been redeemed to citizen
i soil Of South Carolina has drunk up the bloc
n of hundreds, yes, thousands of white an
o colored Republicans to propitiate this hat
il which centres in the overthrow first of tn
e Democratic party at the ballot-box, and tn
., subsequent crushing of the party, when il
e open and armed rebellion against the Uniol
= and Constitution.
2. General BUTLER steps to the front an
1. proclaims this to be "the white man
1t government" and his friends move t
0, amend by declaring that the colored peopl
q shall not be excluded "who have prove
l. themselves to be Democrats" Now, lie
@ us for one moment consider the instru
e mentalites and agencies by which the col
"a ored people have been led to any extent h
# prove themselves to be Democrats"
n policy of bloody and murderous proscrir
# ton has been inaugurated and maintaine
> within the limits of the State of Sout
e Carolina until there has been no guarantee
h safety except by taking refuge in the Dem
d ocratic party. The murders at Hamburgl
Al ih which this man BUTLER bore q conspit
\ uous part form but one of many chapter
ia in which men, white and black, hay
4 been slaughtered for being Repuh
:. lcans, and for having dared t
il assert their principles, either on the ro
p trum or at tho ballot-box, and all to max
n this "the Democrats government" TIL
10 blood of murder was scarcely dried OH III
il hands of NJ c. BUTLER when he defantl
and nilnnsiNely nrassel himsplf into n sc,