The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-24
POLITICAL AGITATION.

POLITICAL AGITATION.
We infer from the following extract from the
Tri6un. that while the Northern press Is begin
ming to realize the danger and injustice OF an
organized agitation throughout the South, it is
vet unwilling to abandon entirely the scheme
of mischief:
The Southern blacks are mainly ignorant-they
have been reared under the domination OF the law
of force-they have not been trained to reVerence
the rights of property-their experience does not
accord with the truth that the way 70 Str ar
ind ftugal1ty. 70 tell such men-strons only in m
rluscle and in numbers-that they have only to
wait till Judge is out of the way, when they may
'.hold high carnival, and that the properly rouno
them is rightfuliy theirs and will be 1nade over to
them utter whiIe--what s this but to arress pro-
ductve labor aud enthrone general anarchy
Never before was there such urgent need OF Wlse'
considerate, judcious canyassers as there Is 70
lay in tho South. They should be thoughtfn,
loving, noble, generous men, who know what 70
leave unsaid as we'll as what to say-who VIII IN
cucate charity and kindness, not wrath ana ven
geance In short, We need . hundrcd sucn iei men
as Henry Wilson to speak throuShoh1 tue Sou'h
for the next six months.
We hardly think that if he read carefully the
speeches of Mr. WILSON, Mr.. GREELEY would
lave referred to them as specimens of what he
considers, glowing, noble and generous. In
his speech at Richmond Dir. GREELEY himself
furnished better model; and putting aside
the disorganization Of labor which all such
agitation must provoke at time when
the steady, unremitting application of that
labor is vitality important to the welfare OF both
black and white, from such speeches perhaps
some good would result But no care or eau
tion on the part of Executive Committees can
secure the services of the men who could safely
he trusted to follow Mr.. GREELEY's example.
Nor is it reasonable to suppose that even
good men, who come here with honest inten-
tions but very bitter prejudices-who work
themselves up to the enthusiasm Of missiona-
ries, who are doing battle with the powers Of
darkness-will long be loving, noble or gene
rous. If they find open opposition their work
of conversion will become work of oontrover-
sy, and it is not in nature that On embarrassed
orator will be scrupulous as to the sort OF
weapon he uses in reply. Words, even dry
words, like dry sticks rubbed together, will
produce flame.
The object of this agitation is clearly the sue
cess Of the Republican party, not the benefit OF
the freedmen Emancipation and universal
suffrage are established beyond peradventure;
and travelling orators who would undertake to
convince the colored vote Of the South that
they were in any danger-that there was any
power or intention to unsettle thcm-would
scarcely be the sort of men whom Mr.. GREELEY
describes as fit to send. -
Now, if this be so, the only questions before
the voters of the State, are who shall be sent
to the Convention, and what changes shall be
made in the State Constitution. These are
questions upon which the colored voters OF the
State certainly need no advice. They know
better than any Northern counsellors who are
the men from whom they can choose. They
know their characters, their antecedents, and,
above all, what and how sincere are their pre-
sent opinions, as manifested by their daily ao-
tions. They are perfectly competent to select
their own candidates.
AS to the changes in the Constitution, and
the legislative action necessary to secure full
opportunities for education, provision for the
poor and infrm, wise taxation, just apportion-
ment Of representation, and all other benefits
of free and wise government, there is just
as little need Of advice from abroad. And the
colored voters Of this State are surely intelli-
gent enough to understand that if, as the re-
suit of such an agitation, the white and black;
vote Of the State are marshalled in opposition,
that while in some sections of the State the
numerical superiority Of the blacks will secure
"a representation, yet the general representa-
ton of the whole State will be Overwhelmingly
of the white majority, for they will not over
look the fact, if they arc practical men, that
this numerical superiority is not diffused over
the State, but concentrated in special sections
1t may control district, but it cannot control
either the Convention or the Legislature. 1t
is clear that their interest is not to 60 into the
Convention or the Legislature as compact,
but small, minority, but so to use their general
influence as to secure in these bodies represen-
tations who will cheerfully recognize their
rights, and whose superior influence and expe-
lrience will govern those bodies in perfecting
the requisite laws.
We are glad to SEQ oil over the Stat, evil
lences that this conviction is growing, and in
the recent meeting ut Sumter several of the
colored speakers expressed opinions which
were creditable alike to their sense and to their
feelings.
We would be glad to be spared summer Of
angry excitement. The condition of the State
is such that all the glowing" talk in the world
can do us no good. What we want just now
is steady, uninterrupted work, which will en-
able the laborer and the employer both to look
forward hopefully across these months of abso-
lutte suffering to the returns of successful har-
vest
We see that Judge KELLY, although he may
resent, has pro6ted wisely by the troubles in
Mobile, and at Montgomery has made speech
which might be listened to by all without
offence. It was, as we have it reported, a
glowing prophecy as to the capabilities Of Ala
bama, and their future prosperous develop
ment. Judge KELLY can serve that develop
ment even better than by speech-making, and
that is-sy leaving the labor and capital of the
country undisturbed by political agitation, to
speed the plough together in the hope of cer-
tain crop.
If, however, in spite Of all the warnings of
common sense, this agitation is commenced, We
think our people ought to be prepared to meet
it. We have received an account of meeting
in OF near Camden, at which, after the "out-
side" philanthropist had spoken, the meeting
was addressed by Hon. JAMES CHEsNuT, Gen.
RERsAAw and Gen. KENNEDY with great judg-
ment, and with the happiest effect. A higher