The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-02
"puBLIc OPINION IN SOUTH CAROLINA
From the Nsao York Herald Of F+iday.l


From the Ns,o York Herald Of F5iday.l
We publish below the third letter o1
:'Caroliniaus," which though perhaps not
altogether palatable, will, we feel assured
be nevertheless perused with interest by
our readers:
To the Editor oft tie Herald:
1t is unnecessary for us here to recapitu-
late the political history Of South Carolina
during the past forty years. The genius
Of Calhoun gave it shape and being, and,
whether for good or evil, his counsels du-
ring all this period in the main have been
implicitly followed. The small fry Of poll
ticians, finding that this was the popular
side, tuned their Tyres to his pitch, and
year after year sharpened their axes on the
State rights grindstone. To this doctrine
were we born, in this school have we been
bred, and this has been the harp Of a thou
sand strings on which politicians and news.
papers have rung the changes of anti-na-
tionalism. The people, in the proper
democratic sense Of the word, have had but
little to do with determining even the
most momentous public measures. A.: few
ambitious politicians or placemen sounded
the key note, and the forty thousand voters
took up the chorus. We are ashamed to
say this-we are grieyed to be under the
necessity Of making such confession but
stern truth demands it; and at this i'm
portant juncture-this turning point in our
political existence-such a retrospect a
rigid determination, may not be un-
profitable.
The leaders in politics, our Senators,
members of Congress and Governors, goad-
ed the people on to secession and to war
And when the war came, what did these
gentlemen do? Rush to the front or lead
forlorn hopes? A few Of them perhaps
may be found by the diligent and careful
historian on the long roll Of Southern
braves; but the vast majority in this and
other Southern States went to the: Confed-
crate Congress or held other civil Offices.
IF they were foiled in this, they still had
sufficient influence in Richmond to secure
exemption from field service. They be-
came postmasters and tax assessors, diplo-
matte agents, or collectors Of ';tax in kind,
We were called to mourn the loss of very
few Of these heroes, True, these gentle
men may object and say, they were not sol
diers and could serve the State better in
other capacities. This protest did not pro-
tect the farmer, the merchant or the arti-
san, who were all conscripted.i But sup
pose we grant that their reason fo- not 60
ing I'd the field was good one, is it not
equally good now for requiring them to re-
main at home and enjoy q dignifed ease
planting pease and asparagus if they see
ft), like Sir William Temple? Politics is
the trade they profess. They made it the
business and the study of their lives. They
were afforded the best possible opportuni-
ties for exercising their craft, and they
failed. All their prophecies have failed,
their counsel proved foolishness and their
devices have come to naug ght. Neither
their conduct during the struggle nor their
efforts since the close Of the war have
justified the trust reposed in them by.a too
confding constituency. Instead Of remain
ing at home, putting on sack-cloth and
ashes, and screening themselves from hu-
man ken, they were the first to rush to
qUush;ng ton, and Aiu would hare us forget
the bitter lessons of the past. They tell
the credulous people that in them alone lies
salvation, and again ask them for their
sufrages.
But our people, we are glad to know, are
beginning to have their eyes opened. we
are beginning 'at@last to shake off the tor
por, and to think for ourselves. We can
not undo the past, but God helping us, we
intend stretching every nerve to bring
about different result in the future. If
our present anomalous and by no means
satisfactory condition shall teach us to rely
on ourselves, to think, speak and act for
ourselves, we shall not have borne the mill
tary yoke altogether in vain. We want
not again the old political hacks. We must
make ourselves liable to the charge Of illog-
ically rejecting the skill and wisdom ac-
CURED by years and practice. But we
know tc our sorrow that years and virtue
do 1ot always keep pace Political wisdom
has come to mean political trickery, and we
want no more of it, Let us have new men,
honest men; and, viewed from this point,
the ethird section ofethe proposed Constitu.
tional Amendment may prove blessing to
us It seems not 80 much to have been
aimed at the soldiers Of the late Confeder-
acy as at her politicians. Were itnot for
the unfortunate latter clause of this third
section, which empowers Congress by a
two-thirds vote to remove the disability to
hold office, we should now have no difficulty
in reorganizlng our State government on a
new and altogether sounder basis than was
the case with US heretofore But with this
loophole in prospect every one of the poll
ticians will at once set out to run a race,
more or less Radical, the first feat to be
accomplished being a leap into the good
graces of this constitutional majority"
Already we see numerous indications Of
this tendency. If they succeed in.this
they will next petition Congress to save
them from the crime and sin Of perjury,
which can only be done by a repeal Of the
test oath-for if the oath remains fixed
test, as at present, many Of these politicians
will inevitably gulp it down.
The disfranchised are few, as we have
said in our previous letter. Of forty
thousand white voters in this State, there
are perhaps not fifteen hundred excluded
from Office by the provisions Of section 3,
article IA of the United States constitution,
as amended. There is still enough man
hood, intelligence and honesty left in the
State, after this abstraction has been made,
to organize and conduct republican gov
ernment. We are anxious to see it tried,
and the temper Of our people generally, we
believe, is in favor Of making the expert
mont