The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-25
COLUMBIA.
Saturday Morning, May 25. 1867.
Conservation.

piled. Conservatism, as we under
stand it, is not exactly that line of
policy known as "old fogyism," nor
does it properly mean course of
conduct which leads man to shut
himself up in shell, conscious of
his own rectitude, and thoroughly
convinced that all the rest of man
kind are wrong, rash and reckless.
Conservatism is illustrated in indivi-
duals in everyday life, as we'll as in
political organizations, and in gene
raj, he who makes it his rule of con-
duct, is he who is most successful
among his competitors. A conserve
tive farmer is not one who obstinately
cultivates his land and plants his po-
tatoes, his turnips and his beans just
in the same manner and at the same
phase of the moon that his grand
father did, and who discards all fer
tilizers because they had never used
them-never having heard of them;
no more is that merchant conserva-
tive who blindly ard obstinately
adheres to the old-fashioned habits of
the founder of his house, it may be,
and who thinks that speedy ruin and
bankruptcy would follow the cxpendi-
ture of o few dollars annually for
advertising. His father and his
grandfather never advertised, and
yet made money; why cannot he do
likewise and prosper? We would an
swer, simply because the world moves
on in new avenues, highways and by
ways of trade and commerce are
opened, which are profitable, and in
which conservatism may always ac-
company the individual in following
them, while the stickler for the
''good old way" is content to run in
the groove OF old prejudiccs and is
left behind in the race.
The same rule applies to conserva-
tism in politics. A man is not con-
servative, who stendfastly believes
that the "Old Line Wings" were the
only true patriots. because his grand
father took Henry Clay for his model
rs n statesman; nor is man true
conservative, who believes that such
q party as State Rights Dem ocracy
still exists, and squares his line of
conduct according to that fallacy
cold things are passed away, behold
all things are new," is saying par
ticularly applicable to the political
condition of this country ut the pre-
sent time. Whiggery, with its came.
rican SYSTEM" has been exploded
long ago, and State Rights Demo
cracy has been effectually wiped out
by the armies of Grant and the bum
mer hosts of Sherman-nota vestige
of it is left in the South, and only q
mere party spasmodic effort, now and
then, at the North, tells us that such
party has ever lived. Is not this
the true condition of the political
organizations once blindly and de-
votedly adhered to, but now defunct
and obsolete.
Where then, it may be asked, has
true conservatism found IL refuge
where is the conservative, politician
or statesman to turn, to put in prac-
tice his congenial theory? To the
South. Never, in the worlds his
tory, has there been such a remarka-
BILE exhibition of conservatism as she
has displayed since her armies sur
rendered to overwhelming numbers.
Humiliated rs she was by the disas-
trous result of the conflict she had
engaged in, she, in the true spirit Of
manhood and moral courage, accepted
the terms the couqueror imposed-at
his bidding, sacrificed her ancient
prejudiccs-looked the situation fairly
In the face, submitted to all the requi-
sitions made of her, even to the up.
roofing of her time-honored notions
ofState sovereignty-of her system of
labor-of the immense wealth and