The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-11-25
THE A11kEs IDEA.

slang. Tho composition of tho letter
would do no credit TO u ward politician in
the lower strait Of politics in New York
or Philadelphia, and Is especially unbe-
coming in Congressman who claims as
his constituency q refined and cultivated
portion Of the citizens of South Carolina.
While wo do not admire tho stylo OF Col
Aiken's lettor, we shall not stop to criti-
else ii now, for tho positions assumed by
him in it arc SO monstrous, in our hum
bio opinion, that they call for the most
unqualified condemnation. Col. Aiken
refers to his letter in the News and Courier
Of last winter, II which he favored new
party but our readers will remember that
when Col. Aiken returned home he did
not attempt to form now party, and his
friends claimed that his lettol was q hasty
production, tho sentiments of which he
did not thon entertain. Ho did not rcpu-
diate these assurances. but allowed those
friends to ask the Democratic party to
re nominate him, which they did, upon n
strong National Democratic platform.
He accepted the nomination, and In less
than two weeks mt Townyille camo out in
tpeech attacking tho Northern Domo.
Gratis, and saying that tho Northern Re-
publicans wero moro congenial to his
tuste, and that they possessed the brains,
tho money aiija The culture Of tho North.
This speech was firmly replied to by
Messrs. L. NJ. kucker and r. Il. Murray,
and it was very evident that tho crowd
did not agree with Col. Aiken. Uo mover
repeated .ha! speech any moro, whether
it was because ho did not really entertain
tho sentiments he expressed. or because
he was plant enough to mould his senti.
mcnts to suit what he perceived to be tho
feeling of th0 people, VIC do not know;
but the people have the fact for what 1t is
worth-that before tho Congressional
nomination he did not cxpross these
views in any speeches, or in any wire
make them public; thut rs soon Us he was
nominated lie mndc his Townville speech,
md, after bcing robuktd for X, won't
through The balance Of tho canvass in
truly loyal man-ier. Had he made his
Townvillo speech before tho delegates TO
the Congressional Convention wero elect
cd, he woull over have been re-nonli-
mated. Had he continued to make those
speeches during the canvass he would
have been beaten in November.
What Col. Aiken Gays about his knowl
cdgo Of Northern Democrats Is ull ego
tisni. He is not the only man In South
Carolina who has travelled little. and
his previous acknowledgment shows that
lio has associated principally with Re-
publicans, and has mt least only u mega
tive acquaintance with tho Democracy.
Col. Aiken Feed not tell tho people that
such men as Charles Francis Adams,
Gov. 1ildcn, Senators Kernnn, Bayard,
Eaton, Randolph, Pendloton, Thurman,
Voorhees, and Mcdonald, Gems. Hancock,
Mcclellan and Rosencrans, and Repre-
sentativcs Hewitt, Randall, Potter, and
hundreds Of other Democrats of the
North are not men of principle, of .ncans.
OF brain, of culture and OF patriotism
equal to any that can be found In tho
United States, for every intelligent man
knows they nre such. 1t may be, and
probably is true, however, that thoy nro
not congenial to Col. Aiker's tastes, but
this happens to be no crime There is no
use of talking about it, the fights matlo
30 repeatedly by tho Northern Democrats
have been made for principle, and Meth
ing else. They have persistcntly run
campaigns when there wns 10 possible
chance of success and no benefits TO be
derived from then, except the mainte-
nance of the party organization. 1t will
not do, therefore, to assert that tho North
ern Democracy is party without prin-
ciplc, for tho facts do not bear out the
assertion. Col. Aiken says that we
Southerners arc Democratic to tho core
.pon principle. and yet he favors acting
with tho Republicans or Democrats rs
suits our convenience, because we have
lost by being Democratic upon principle.
Surely our Representative did not mean
to express such n srntimont! Men OF
principle to abandon principle because
they lose by it! For tho countrv's sake,
and for tho dignity GO humanity, wa say
no! What would become OF our world
II its principles were inado subservient
to the base ends of proft7 Where would
religion, or law, or order, or morality, or
honor among men be, If this sentiment
.: &c &c s''i1 40 0i v5.iitiiiu:e lot us ;Ju
men OF principle, and let us act up to
those principles, even If they do cause us
temporary embarrassments In this
case, however, wedo not agree with Col.
Aiken, that wo have lost by being Dom
ocrats upon principle. We hive redeem
cd our State Government by the Demo.
cratic party. and now hold It pure and
secnre by this organization. Not only
this, tho Democratic party OF the United
States has saved to the country all that is
left of Constitutional liberty. We have
therefore, gained by being Democratic
upon principle, and by remaining so ws
viii gain stlil more.
Col. Aiken says he had no idea tha
Hancock could be elected, and if he will
calmly consider his political course fol
the past four years, nc can, IL candid, dis
cover soss,e OF tho reasons for the Demo.
cratic defeat, as far as his influence upor
National politics extends. Col. Aiken.
first notoriety In Congress was achieved
npon his proposition TO sell out and Close
up West Point Military Academy. Thil
exceedingly injudicioua and really un
ysso effort, ofcourse, brought from til,
Republicans the reply, "yes. you rebel
want to destroy the United States Army
and close up tho school which trained th,
Generals who whipped you back into til,
Unionn Coming from a South Caro-
litiians =. Z !. .ns calculated 20 do us nothing
but hytrm. His extreme tariff speeche
down South, where they did no good