The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-12-25
AIKES,s "FOoD FoR 9HouGHr.v
Tho Congressman who Talks Right Out I'm
Meeting.
WAsfIKcro.. d. G. Dec. 90

nlG4t1EHs
WAshIKGToS, d. G.. Dec. 90.
~ De Editor Of The News and CM9ier:
You had "a week of sensations you cay.
Well, why not7 What would newspaper
be nowadays that was not sensational 2
Ny letter to the NetOs and Courier of the 9Th
December from this city must have created
n sensation, Judging from The editorials of
tho weekly press of the State, and the letters
pro and ooa have received from the State.
promised TO give your readers something
to think about and succeeded. have no
words Of reply for any of them but the
EewboIry Herald and Abbeville Pres and
Bdhner.
TO the former would say. not syllable
in my letter can be shown to tend towards
the "disintcgration or disorganization Of
the party" IN South Carolina. I wrote en-
tireiy of Federal politics. and believed eve
ry word wrote, and believe it yet. And
repeat what said, or intended to say, that
we Of the South, who are held responsible
by the American people for oil the legisla.
tion Of Compress, because we arc in the ma
jority In the Democratic party, and that
party is in the majority In both Houses of
cm allies (though they are in the minority }
that all our Federal legislation rebounds to
the benefit Of that section, and none, or
almost none of 1t, to our benefit. Northern
Democrats will vote with Northern Repub-
licans to defeat Southern measures. This
have seen done repeatedly. and hence my
aversion u the great Southern Democratic
the Northern Democratic pigmy kite.
The Herald Is considerate in its editorial.
for which 1t has my thanks but it must
pardon me for saying my position and that
Of Col. Keitts are as antipOdal as the poles.
The Colonel and may take the same po-
silion" in deprecating sectional politics, but
there would be divergence the moment
Gen. Grant. Heavens! and. too, in con-
Junction with Bayard. Where can two
more discordant representative men be
found | would not vote for the former,
and could not, with my present convictions,
advocate the claims Of the latter
know not the promptings that suggested
the editorials in the Press and Banner when
reviewing my letter. but they impress me
that the writer would be pleased to bring
ME into disrepute with the people of the
State, and have them believe I would dis
rupt the party in power in South Carolina,
and abet the following of the scalawags.
whom everybody ought to know hate as
hate Old Sin. If misinterpret his motive,
] ask pardon. If do not, would simply
say to my Scottish friend, look to your own
skirts. The people of South Carolina never
have and, perhaps, never will, fail to locate
me correctly in any and every crisis that
has or may occur.
Enough of this. Let the people think,
as trust they may, for If there Is fault
with our State, 1t is that the people do not
take interest enough in Federal politics.
When the public mind is directed 20 any
subject, the conclusion drawn is generally
correct, unless diversion Is created by de-
signing demagogues. In my Judgment, the
Republican party Is to-day led by just such
men; and, unfortunately, the National
Democratic party Is not led ct oil, but drifts
ern minority. And so we 60.
Last summer you stated that Garfield had
made speech in Toledo, averring that he
had no hand Of friendship to extend to any
Rebel" unless said "Rebel' would confess
bis guilt, and acknowledge that secession
was crime, or words to that effect. a few
days ago l was sitting in the vestibuls oi
Rev. a. I. Porter, of your city. Garfield
passed by, stopped moment, turned, and
In G most cordial way extended his hand
TO mo and welcomed me back, hoped had
been wci, CO, &C. AT oIioo run IIieTIhbeTesl;
the Toledo speech, but could not allude to
IL then. Subsequently sought him out
and told him what was teiegraphed as
him If 1t were true. He denied it in toto.
then asked him what he did say. He re-
Piled: II said I had no friendship for
those who said we were wrong in uphold
ing the Union" l asked him who ever ac-
tused them of being wrong in doing this
He said we of the South. 1 denied it.
Then he said, the "Okalona States "and
Bob Toombs" and q lot of other stuff that
was irrelevant to the subject under consid-
erntion, an suddenly arose from his seat
and left me. I am convinced he said just
what he was charged with saying. and by
just lCh moral towards are the masses OF
the North to-day deluded as regards the
South and her people. Under their leader
ahip the sectional line will never be oblit.
Grated. @
The most interesting debate of the session
occurred in the Senate on Thursday last,
upon Mr.. Voorhees's resolution to investi.
gate the North Carolina exodus. / may be
wrong here, too, but was amazed at the
course Of debate followed by me Democrats,
especially the Southern Senators. They
9uibbled about straws, and attempted to de-
feud the people OF North Carolina against
the popular charges of maltreatment OF
those negroes, when they must know that O
Yankee negropholite (ia theresu word p
would believe tho stories of the most igno-
rant negro sooner than he would the sworn
testimony of Ben Hill himself or any other
Southern Senator.
lam amazed at the opposition presented
by Southerners to this negro exodus. Why
not let them go2 If they remain in tho
South there is no development, no advance
ment, no accumulation of wealth by tho
toiling farmers or lnborers. Every enter
prise Is sub trdinated to this brake upon the
wheels of progress. Turn back the pages
of history for the past fifteen years and
search for the chapter ON Southern progress.
It is not there. Where else in all Christen-
dom can that chapter not be found? Have
we Southorners no enterprise, no push, no
go-aheadativeness Yes, we have; bu. how
can we assert it with this incubus of igno-
rance and stupidity hanging about US like
Q Calling yoke? But tho public mind says
we want tho negro here, and have eaid
the public mind Is mot often wrong. So,
perhaps, I err in wishing the exodus God.
ypeed. Perhaps do. do, nevertheless.
Congress adjoarned yesterday till the 9th
Of January, 1880. ] am hero for tho recess
necessarily, and will attempt to sand You
another letter about the list OF january, fur
nishing moro food for thought to your
readers, the farmer readers more particular.
ly, and perhaps of pleasanter nature than
the thought Of smashing political parties,
losing the StRte. and creating Indepeldert-
ism, &C., &c, Very respectfully,
a a d. WYArT AIKEN.