The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-19
A FUSS IN THE RADICAL FAMILY.


A FUSS IN THE RADICAL FAMILY.
The United States Marshal, Mr.. ]. P. M.
ErpING, of Charleston, ever since last Spring,
has been most active in organizing and manipu-
lating the Republican party in this State. With
this object in view, he early became member
of the "League," and associated freely, and on
terms of intimacy, with his colored fellow-citi-
zens; wrote letters, made speeches, travelled
much, and took no end of trouble. 1t was with
this motive wiz: the Cancellation of the negro
element) that he appointed colored man as
Deputy U. S. Marshal in Columbia. We say it
was for this reason he made the appointment
for we never believed he made the assertion
imputed to him, that he could not find
any white man in Columbia, at the same
time qualified and sufficiently honest, to be en-
trusted with the duties Of the Office. We learn
upon undoubted authority that there was in
Columbia, when Wilder was appointed, q
white man, member of the Republican party,
and of the Union League, who solicited the
post. Mr.. EPpINa, we presume, would not be
so faithless to his party as to have us believe
that he would question the integrity of man
connected with him by such bonds. This hy-
pothesis, therefore, as we have already men
toned, cannot be entertained for one moment.
Wilder was made Deputy U. 8. Marshal for the
same reason that Nash was elevated to the
magisterial Office, not because either of them
presented claims of intelligence, education, ex-
perience, or integrity, superior to many white
men in that community. They were selected
simply because they were negroes. Nash and
Wilder are both men Of limited intelligence,
and of scarcely any education whatever. But
it was considered fine political stroke, both
on the part of SIcKLEs and Of EPPIsG, to
single out colored men for Offices Of honor and
of profit Whether OF not, in addition to this,
disrespect was also intended by these acts to
the white people of South Carolina, we are un-
able to say But enough of this.
Marshal EppINa's experience with the Radi-
IL
compare small things with great, is not unlike
that of Mr.. SEwARD and the Republican party.
Mr.. SEWARD may be fairly considered the foun-
der of the party, and for years the only prac-
tical man of any prominence connected with it.
He was strong enough to let loose hurricane
on the country, and, like many revolutionary
do fhn iafo
thinking that because he created it, therefore
he would always be able to control it. In this,
however, he has signally failed, as the Giron-
dists failed in France seventy years ago. The
legends of the East, and of Europe in the Mid
die Ages, are full Of stories about msgicians,
who, by dint of study, of labor, and of COM
pact with the Evil One, at last succeeded in
creating familiar spirit to rise up attheir bid
ding; but these same tales not unfrequently 60
on to say that the familiar would not always
"down at their bidding" and the creator be-
came afraid of the creature.
So with Mr. EPPINa. He has long since
found that his conservative" ideas were not
palatable to his colored, nor indeed to many OF
his white brethren, native and imported. He
was able to start them-'Jacilis deseensas," etc.,
but he now finds his strength inadequate to
check the machine in its downward career.
The child has outgrown its father. There are
now eighty y-eight Union Leagues in this State
ostensibly political organization, but what in
reality we are unable to say. That they are
fruitful of mischief we know. On this point
we are not left in doubt. The papers
almost daily bring accounts of disturbances,
not unfrequcntly resulting in death; and these
riots can usually be traced to some meeting OF
''the League"
Mr. EpPrNo begins to feel alarmed, perhaps
somewhat ashamed Of his associates. AT Bel
ton, recently, in the upper part of the State at
a large public meeting, he made speech Of a
decidedly conservative character; and at the
Convention or meeting of the Grand Council of
the League, which assembled in Columbia, on
Wednesday, of this week, he fattered himself
with the hope of being able to control the
Radical wing of his party, and, perhaps, induce
a change in the government of the organization
in this State. For this purpose he introduced
the following resolutions:
Resolued, That organization is indispensable to
the success OF Republican principles in this State,
and that the organization Of the Republican party
must be maintained upon solid basis, and upon
correct principles.
Resoloed, That capabillty and merit, honesty
and fidelity, are the only tests for Office among
Republicans.
Rescued, That every citizen Of the State who is
loyal, End whose devotion to the Union ls beyond
question, is entitled so far as the late Reconsruc-
ton Acts will permit to the support OF Republicans
for places OF honor and trust.
Resotued, That we profoundly deprecate any line
of policy or secret Vaccinations which will array
race against race and citizens OF one class against
another.
Resoloed. fna2u, That we, as citizens of South
Carolina profess no other aim than to restore to
her people the nestimable benefits and blessings
Of the Union.
These resolutions, it is said, he supported
with long speech, which was printed at the
Courier Office in this city before the meeting of
the Convention We do not know whether or
not the speech was delivered. But we do know
that the Courier, in printing it yesterday, under
the head of Especial Dispatches" was not alto
gether ingenious. We could have made sim
liar display of enterprise, had we seen proper
so to do, for we have had copy of the speech
for several days.
The dispatch, published in our ielegraphic
columns yesterday, relative to this matter,
showed that Mr.. &. carried his resolutions with
,ut five dissenting voices, viz: PILLsBuRY,
ELLIOT, MAcKEY, BOWEN and WRIGHT. 1t also
showed that, upon a reconsideration, the reso-
utions were lost, and that thereupon Mr. E.
eft the Convention sin disgust"
This ends, we presume, the short, though
lot altogether brilliant career in the political
rena of Mr. EppING. He can now give his
Undivided attention to the functions and duties
f his office, and in his leisure moments reaecs
II the mutability of all things on this mundane
phere.