The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-10-03
Charge OF His Honor Judge Aldrich
to the Grand jury.


which is subject of congratulatjon. the
signs of the times betollcn dark futuro
Military supervision has been greatly re-
laxed, and tho civil magistrate can again
exercise, generally, his appointed duties
without interruption. 1t is ONLY occasion,
ally that some ignorant or insolent subor
dinato ventures to interfere; such ipno-
rance is usually promptly rcdrcssed, and
the insoence severely rebuked bv the intel
hgent and well-bred general officer com
mandlng the department. in the District; but
when we look North and sec how surely the
destructive radical power, which now con-
trolls the country, is gathering strength, it
shadows another era of sorrow and of blood
70 US, who have suffered so much. whose
wounds are still bleeding, aud whose for
tunes are 80 broken, this is a sad contea,-
platlon: We have no heart and no wish to en-
gage Ill another contest. With decimated
country and exhausted means. we have no
power to MAINTAIN our constitutional rights
or TO re-assert the grand principles upon
whlch THIS great Government wa. founded.
and for which we so ardently and so hope
lessly contended. Gloomy, indeed, is tho
future, and sad, indeed, is our fate. When
say 0,u, mean the whole country, iur
see no escape from anarchy, tyranny a1.a
mlsrule, but q return to those fundamental
principles upon which the Government was
founded and which are announced in the
Constitution. But this is not the time or
the place to speculate on the political fu-
ture.
We are greatly embarrassed in the ma
naScment of our domestic affairs, by the
presence and interference of the Freed
mons Bureau. / believe, if the difficult
and delicate problem OF organizing the
labor Of our former slaves was left entirely
to us, who once owned the freedmen, uIi-
derstand their character ana feel for their
condition, things would be so managed as
to enable US, very soon to regain their con-
tidence and to infusc into their minds a
feeling of security and protection, which
will be mutually beneficial But. as mat
ters now stand, distlust is engcndercd. the
freedmen are taught to be suspicious of
their old masters--to believe that their in
terests are antagonist-and encouraged TO
dlstrust their counsel, advice and aid; all
which would soon cease, If this Interested
aud prejudiced Bureau was removed. 1t
Is 4 great, useless, expensive and mis-
chlevous machinery, which seems to be
kept up simply to grind taxes out OF the
people for the support Of cunning politi-
clans, excited fanatics and political preach
ers. Our poor black people, wards of the
natiou," as they arc called, whose best
friends are the men who reared and owned
them, would receive little sympathy from
tieir new-fountl friends as do the poor
,:iitc I,coplo of the North, were it not for
,hc millions of money which the Congress
las placed at the disposal of the Bureau.
All that we can do, under present circum-
stances, is to treat them justly and kindly,
encourage them to work, and assist them
in every way to better their condition and
improve their education. The State has
placed them as fully under the protection
of the law as the white residents, and it is
not only our duty, but our interest, to see
that they receive this protection, and are
not imposed upon. Hero and there, have
no doubt, there are instances where feel
nf dow, fo1
the negro; but these instances are rare,
and, will venture to say, it will be found,
on exam. alton, that the men who thus
outrage public sentiment are those who
never owned slaves and We're always known
as bulleS and rowdies. Such violations of
the law are.not to be encouraged: The ne
gro, now, as he was under the Old system
is protected by the laws, and it is our
policy, as well as our duty, to see that this
protection is secured to him. We must let
him know and feel that we are his best
friends, that We will sustain him when he
| is right, and thus encourage him TO become
| a useful member of society. In no other way
can we make him a profitable laborcr; in no
other way can we induce him to assist in de-
| vcloplng the resources of the country. 1t is
! true, he follows, now, his old instincts, and
there are frequent cases of theft, which
| must be punished, until he learns the du-
| ties and feels the dignity of freedom In
the institutions of society, as well us the
white man, and that it is his interest to
| do so; but, whenever he does commit crime,
| let the punishment be admins. cred in due
! course of Jaw, by the proper authorities,
and he will soon begin to feel his RESPONSE
bilities and fear the disgrace and punish
| ment which follows q violation of the lax
of the land. If q different course be pur-
sued, and the aggrieved parties take the
punishment into their own hands, it will
excite feeling OF resentment and hos
tility, which will bring on collision, and
may end in hloodshed.
! Tho respectable colored people those
who have always maintained good charac-
ters and secured the esteem and confidence
of the whites--should stand up for the i'm
provement and respectability of their race,
and bring al vio!ators of the law to Justice
This is high duty which they owe to
themselves and to the country, because il
they wink at crime and screen offenders
and all snifer alike in character and repu.
tation. They must do as the white people
do-wilcn the laws are violated, turn the
offenders over to the magistrate, let war
rants be issued, witnesses bound over, and
! the case brought to t;.al. In this wav
and in no other way, can society be pro
tected, and the character and dignity OF
the race promoted. l think the black peo-
pie, who are trying to do their duty to
themselves and to their country, will take
this counsel. 1t is the counsel of wisdom
| and the advice of Il friend.
AS pauperism Is not to be encouraged, sc
ought vagrancy to bepunished. The laws,
If properly en- forced, are amply sufficient
to put down this evil. Let every person,
white or black, who is found living on the
| community, without known or visible