The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-03-05
not as a votcr but as q Republican roter.

want him to divide. The use of his Eote VIII
then be the exercise OF his Individual lh'Giil-
gencc, and he will find friends on all Slnes
willing and anxious to cnlightcn ana lh1n-
ence him, and to sustain him In his decisions.
PROGRESS OF THE NEGRO DURING SLAVERY.
The whole country has passed through q
very painful experience In the solution OIL
this question. and no one can adcquatcis ut.
scribe the bittcrncSSof the trial OF tho south
| but she has borne 1t, and It seems 10 me thnt
n statesman who loves this great country oi
| which We arc all citiZeuS should feel tiiht INC
| time has come when n kindly Judgment oi
each others difficulties would bring us nearer
to that unanimity Of action which can alone
| aid the solution of q grave social ana p0llu-
cal problem. was born aud bred a slave
holder, born and bred among Slavc-holucrS
most beneticent aspect, My asS4ciati"ns
of the past of men and things are full OF love
and reverence. In all history never has q
heavy duty been discharged more faithfully
than by the shareholders of the South. Bnt,
If / know myself and those whom l represcn,
we have accepted the change In the same
spirit. No citizen Of this republic more thail
the SOuthcrner can or does desire to see the
negro improved, elevated or, civilized, made
n useful and worthy element in our political
life. None more than they dcplorc AND con
denim all violence or other means tcnalne u
hinder the enjoyment of his elective fran
chIse. The South took him, Ms lie was sent tt
her, wild and goddess barbarian. and mnde
him such that thcSorth has been able TO give
him citizenship without the destruction q
our institutions. The progress he made VIII
us as Il slave will not be arrested now that NJ
Is a frecman-unleSS party passion and pcrso
nal ambition insist upon using him as an III
runner for selfish ends And | have JOINED
In this discussion because ] regard 1t an non
est effort to remove inns question from ~,
hea.G" ~ tIon nr rthinkjnr mon to ,
tonSh ~ t"n ,.;sn ,nd nnnrnt,1 s]oIntion O
ptur,|cH ,riII In one Of the nohicst achieve.
mn I, NJ dcnnorrntic nj civilization.
sn,.rr,nx rp.,.n Avn ropcE.
Mr.. Blaine assumes that the Southern
States as whole-differing in degree, but Tit
same in c~tTect-havc through force and fraut
So suppressed the negro vote rs to make ne
GRO Suffrage MS far as possible OF none effect
n Statistics of election will show that tn,
negro vote throughout the South has not beer
suppressed. That there have been Instance
of fraud and force ! admit m deplore, bu
they have been exceptional. Take them nj
In the recent election and average then
among u population OF twelve millions o
people, and to what do they IN,
President, In reviewing the whole SUBJECT al
ter these elections, did nllege, and could onl,
alleye,. tina all in these States but seven Con
gressional districts exhibited results Whtcl
were altered by either fraud or force. "nei
we consider the fact that since the formation
of the Government there have been but few
Congresses, If any, In which there have no
been elections from all parts Of the Union
contested OH these very grounds, and thet
bear in mind that Mt no time in our history
and In no other part of our country has there
ever been SO keen and searching q scrutiny
into the facts OF an electlon rs tEat W WILT
the South has been subjected, these eSaSSera
ted statements OF force and lrauo must NC IL
duced TO their real proportions.
THE NEGROES RIGHTS ARE RESPECTED.
p,t srnnoso the alteration which Mr.
D,u"o n.ppoth tho aro,nnnnt of those who nd
bialie putsn 40 ~ $3.50 hn tr,a viz tho
vOcate ulSlrnncnlSciueI oe tlot, ,i", vnn
Inc plcSeuI " ~, y go ,f q nnmcrIcoj ma
Is ItactscI az svh W. t" nconiic white and black
but of the whites as one unanimous class
and let 1t be conceded fully that such n polit
ical condition, If 1t actually exists, Is nm evil
what Is the precise nature and extent OF ina
evil In the first PLACE, It is not pretended
that any OF these civil rights ol person n'!'
property that negro suffrage was lhtchueu I,
protect have been ilfadeu or ehuanseIeu
Indeed, thiss seems to be impiicdiy anin,ttct
though not explicitly stated In Mr.. Blaine,'
article. The object or the flitecntn anlenu
ment Is fully disclosed by coitcmP0rahcnll
debates. 1t was TO protect aud establish frc'
labor in the South, in all Its new relations o
rights and interests, by giving to the cmanc!
patcd laborer the political mcanSo maintain
Ing those rights and Interests. NOW, "lilan.
one deny that this purpose has not nchicVcC
its fullest consum1nation under existing con
ditlons? Is free labor any where on cnrtf
more firmly established, more luiii! ucfclnp
cd, or more absolute IN us demands even io
exaggerated rcmnEcration), and more secur'
and unrestricted in the enjoyment or IL
gains, than in the South? nall respects, nc
gro freedom and negro cquallty before ul'
law, security OF person ana property arc alii
pie and complete, 70 protect these, shoui!
they be invaded, he has the lrahrnisc VII
which q frccmal can Waihtail MS llsnts
lie may n" longer allow ~ 70 &c aS,u az t w,
iorthe rapaclt! polllicuI uu'e,dt"rhhH ~, A.
ni,iinpc stntrS that his right to vote is to him
self and his race n shield and sword OF dc
Tense.
u,,,I rp,,.vr,,
iHif'''i"n->~H "A"N
The question, then, urSIconceui 10, o,
the sake OF argument, tiihl IN ~ Hou,n poaIi
ical RUE represents not ihe Mii,w VI nieae nu.'
bcrs, but me lhlelieciuai cullu'c, the nv"
labor. the useful capital OF that entire sccuoi
as well as It's political cNPcrlence-ls NOT lhl
result exactly what me in.eii.Eemce' tm"."o
ter, ana property Oh Tue country 9rc ntli'ihE
to effect In every CongrcSsiohai district II
the Union, and IS 1t not q perfectly icSli
mate result OF placing the Daiiot ~ INC hhnu
OF a population uniaihai,ar W. 4, -, 10 "s 81 ",
VINO are peculiarly susceptlsit W " 'niiuo,i
ccS whlch property ana pial!iH naFc "l""9
cXerted In popular governments!
anticipate the answer: IT Is, mat I'M
property and intelligence OF inc othcr Sue
lions seek to control the votes or the masSr
by different methods that are legitimate ant
peaceful, while the Southern whites H;tr'
achieved their power by means which ar
unlawful and unjust. so far / nave 10 som
extent, for the sake or argument, concedc'
the assumption that the negro vote has oecl
subjected to the forciblc control of the whit
race, but that | deny. Reference has beer
made to tn" great change which the elcctloi
returns show In the negro vote throughon
the South. The phenomenon is easily cN
planned.
ut xo,-pcE1E IN urs PLACE.
,,
Let any lhtciiiScnt NnTtncru n'Hn icriG"
the history OF the otate uosci,ir !. VI .li
south FOR the last zen years unoer hCpuoiaca,
ru'eIthelI eroNS anu ,s. n"nnT,Hi
W. y C,.aMm"n.rui, ~ If ,t nntiv % intsrnsts
the social ornnics through which they have
fnrccd nil that was good and pure to pass n
throllrh = fiery urnacc the character OF til,
mcnEmnny OF ,hcm-iley have placed IL
power; and then say II such n state of things
in q Northern or Western state would no
have been II sure and natural precursor OF
Republican defeat, so absolute and coIuplct,
that the very name OF the party would har,
become In that State Il lame Of Scorn and re
pr0ucb, Then why should not that result
have occurrcI i'm tle South ? Are we to MS
cmn,o tl,ut thn blnck race have neither instinc
nor ~encon-hnvn M sense no Intpllipencc
"cnn.rinncn noinIcncnbcucc that In crcr,
SHnthcrn state tho throldom of the ncrr,
vntn RI n,rtv leaders even when nhn ndonpt
Nv tb,uh 10 co nnuucsiioninr and uhicct tina
NJ NJ aISn,Int of misrule cun cutbim loose from
natural and wholesome political alliance