Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1884-12-04

creasing superiority shall be conceded
/ to the Southern white man in the
government Of the Union. II that
be quietly conceded in this genera
tion, it will harden into custom, until
the badge of inferiority will attach
TO the Northern white man as odious-
ly as ever Norman noble stamped it
upon Saxon churl.
This subject is Of deep interest to
the laboring men Of the NORTH. With
the Southe. n Democracy triumphant
ia their States and in the nation, the
negro will be compelled to work fer
just such wages as the whites may
decree; wages which will amount, as
did the supplies Of the slaves, to
bare subsistence eqnalin cash perhs p'
to 35 cents per day, if averaged over
the entire South. The white labcrer
n the North will coon feel the de-
scructive effect of this upon his own
wages.
The Republicans have clearly seen
from the earliest days Of reconstru;-
tion that wages in the South must be
raised to just recompense of the
laborer, or wages in the North ruin
ous!y lowered, and the party have
steadily worked for the former result.
Tue reverse influence will new be set
in motion, and that condition OF affairs
will be produced which years ago
Mr.. Lincoln warned the free laborlug
men of. The North would prove hos
tile to their independence, and would
inevitably lead to ruiuous reduction
Of wages.
A mere difference in the color OF
|
the skin will not suffice to maintain
an entirely different standard OF
wages in contiguous and adjacent
States, and the voluntary will be
compelled to yield to the involuntary.
So completely have the colored men
in the South been already deprived
by the Democratic party of their con
s;itutional and legal rights as citizens
of the United States that they regard
the advent of that party 10 national
power as the signal Of their reens!ave
ment, and are affrighted because they
think all legal protection for them is
gone. Few persons in the North realize
how completely the chiefs of the re
bellion WELD the political power
which has triumphed in the late elec
ton. 1t is portentous fact that the
Democratic Senators who come from
the States of the late Confed eracy
! all-and I mean all without single
exception-personally participated in
the rebellion against the national
=. : I. q :: u = zv... .-17r ~,
! nificent fact that in those Statet no
man who was loyal to the Union, no
IN liter how strong Democrat he
MY be to-day, has the slightest
cnauce Of political promotion. The
grea, avenue TO honor in that section
/. he record Ct Jealous service in che
war against the Government. Il is
certainly an astounding fact that the
section in which friendship for the
Union in the day of'ts trial and agonyis
sill political disqualification should
be called now to rule over the Union.
All this takes place during the life
time of the generation that fought the
war, and elevates into practical COM
m4nd of the American Government
the identical men who organized fer
its destruction and plunged US into
the bio diest coItest Of modern times.
I have spoken Of the South as placed
by the late election in possession OF
the Government, and l mean all that
my words imply. The South furnish
ell nearly three-fourths of the elec
toral votes that defeated the Republl
can party, and they will step to the
command of the Democrats as un-
challenged and as unrestralned as
thsy held the same position for thirty
y,ars before the civil war.
Gentlemen, there cannot be politl-
cal inequality among the citizens Of
free republic; there cannot be a
minority Of white men in the South
ruling a majority Of white men in
the North. Patriotism, self-respect,
pride, protection for person and safety
for country, all cry out against it. The
very thought of it stirs the blood OF
nan who inherit equality from the
Pilgrims, who first stood on Plymouth
Rock, and from liberty loving patriots
who came to the Delaware with Will
lam Penn. 1t becomes the primal
question of American manhood. 1t
demands hearing and settlement,
and that settlement will vlndlcate
the equality Of American citizens In
all personal and civil rights. 1t WILL
at least, establish the equality OF
Waite men under the national Govern
m ent, and wil give to the Northern
man, who fought to preserve the
Union, as large a voice in ats Govern
ment as may be exercised by the
Southern man, who fought to destroy