The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-29
THE UNION REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

The Convention held in Columbia last week,
view it in what light we may, was failure
Whether we consider it as an adjourned meet
ing of the Convention held in this city several
months ago, or as new and independent or
panization, the conclusion we arrive at is still
the same-it was grand failure. The few
individuals, who were chiefly instrumental IN
getting it up, had taken great pains to impress
u.s. and, we presume, other outsiders also, that
this Convention would be grand affair, that
there would be q general representation from
eyery part of the State, and that some of the first
men in the State would be among its members.
Now this was VIGOROUSLY not the case. Had
the originators of this Convention been special
ly bent on defeating its main purpose, VIZ :;
that of thoroughly organizing the Republican
party in the State, they could not have accom-
plished it more successfully than appears to
have been done by these same organizers.
l. There were many districts of the State
not represented.
@ The delegates from districts that were
represented, in nearly every instance, were
either strangers, not identified with the in
terests of the people, black or white, they
claimed to represent, or else they were obscure
persons without standing, position, or influence
in their community; without wealth or other
stake in society, and most generally devoid
also of education or intelligence; therefore,
in no sense of the word representing the pco-
pie of the State.
3. The colored element largely preponder-
ated over the white, and the foreign over the
NATIVES thus, from the very nature of its con-
stituent elements, calculated to awaken sus-
picion rather than to win the confidence
of those inclined to cooperate with a
moderately progressive party, and confirming
and strengthening the opposition of those who
have looked with distrust on the entire pro-
gramme of Congressional Reconstruction.
4. The tendency, all through its delibera-
tions, was to adopt creed Of the most ultra
Radical stripe, repellng rather than attract
ing those who were still hesitating and doubt
ing as to the propriety of connecting them
selves with the Republican party.
s. The debates were not marked with that
courtesy which we, in these Southern latitudes
at least are in the habit of observing. They
not unfrequently offended against decorum,
and were throughout of character, calculated
to impress very unfavorably the unbiased
outside spectator.
6. The presiding officer-if the proceedings
of the Convention have been correctly re-
altogether unqualified for proper
of the duties of his post. His ignor-
ance of parliamentary rules we could pardon,
but not his total want of courtesy which mani
tested itself go frequently in opprobrious
epithets, such as branding every one "Judas,"
who ventured to express dissenting opinion
from the views entertained by the chair.
sJudasism" is a new word, contribution TO
the language, which future photographers will
credit to Mr.. Gleaves. Why did the Conven-
lion 80 invariably submit to the arbitrary de-
sisions of the chair? Why did they permit
him to make speeches and discuss questions?
Why did they suffer the billingsgate, always at
his tongues end? Because-we can arrive at
no other conclusion-the men who composed
his Convention were altogether incompetent
for the positions in which accident, not per-
,onal merit, had placed them.
This Was keenly felt, we have every reason
% believe, by few of the men who found
themselves in such uuwonted company; Mr..
g. O. DUNCAN, of Newberry, for instance,
whose letter will be found in the proceedings
Of Friday, published on our first page this
After what we have seen of the
nature and character of this Convention, we
have right to conclude that it was q pres
,ience of what would be the result, (from what
hey knew.of the men who had the matter in
handy, that kept others, known to be in sym
patby with the Republican party, from going
into the Convention. Upon no other reason
con we satisfactorily account for the absence
Of men like Postmaster STANLY G. TRoTT, Col
ector A. G. MAcKEY, Internal Revenue Col
DINGs, Hon. C. W. DUDLEY, l.. BoozER, Esq,
and many others, both natives and Northern
men, resident among us, and enjoying the
respect of their fellow-citizens. Their absence
is not sufficiently accounted for by the posi-
BILE plea that their official duties prevented
heir attendance, for if such were the case,
they could still have manifested their SYM
pathy with the Convention through letters,
which would certainly have been made known.
No, these gentlemen have shown by their
course that they had little confidence in the
present organization of the party in this State,
and the proceedings of the Convention have
fully justified their caution.
Look at the platform, adopted by this Con-
yention. To the three first sections we have
no objections. The fourth, however, is radical
revolutionary and agrarian-although care
fully concealed under specious form of words,
il means neither more nor less than confsca
ion. "AIild confscation," it is called by some,
who, with q euphcmism, think to sugar the pill.
This "mild confscation," when We come to cx
anime closely into its meaning, is the taking of
property from its rightful owners 1t is called
'mild," we presume, because it only proposes
o take from those who havea superabundance.
In other words, we are to consider it ''mild,"
because the Government does not propose to
substitute several millions of white paupers for
he present number of colored "wards." This
section was too much for Mr.. DuScAN, and
,ould not have been adopted, had there Leen
lnything like fair representation Of either
he white or colored people of the State. Take
Charleston for instance. Look at her delega-
ion: J. p. NJ. Epping, G. Pilsbury, Il. W. NJ.
'Iackey, C. C. Bowen, w. J. McKinlay, James
}. Price, and r. C. DcLarge. What proportion of
he white people of Charleston are represented
" NIessrs. Epping, Pilsbury, Mackey and
Bowen? And what percentage Of the 10000