The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-23
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SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH %, 1857.
REON6AEZZATION.

! SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH %, 1867.
ta REoxe,AEzzAT1oN.
A simple acquiescence in the fact that universal
suffrage is the law Of the land, and that we must
submit to it's exercise, is not enough for the dis
charge of our duty, nor for the protection Of our
interests. ~. -.iye., - "sfs .i
The sudden addition Of . mass Or voters to a
constituency, the great majority Of whom are un-
fitted for the intelligent exercise OF the franchise
would at any time put most Of The interests 9.
ciety In danger, for there always will be base men
and selfish anxious to. uso their ignorance and
their preiudices for personal profit. Still is
it when the new constituency consist, as in our
case, OF those who have been excluded from politi
cal life, who have been taught to consider that ex
clusion tyrannical oppression, and who have re-
ceixad their enIrapchiaenent against the wishes
and spite Of the resistance of the governing class
Of the community. 3;i.,% a.,;:ttE..t.5f Al
y: But,ou position is even worse than this. Be
cause what has hitherto been the governing class
Of the South is not ut present either identified in
interest nor feeling with the majority, who hold
the power and control the legislation Of the coun
try. A great war ended in defeat-yast. wealth
utterly asnihilated political power completely
swept away-have made q condition Of material
suffering, political weakness, and personal discon-
tent; which excites constant suspicion and pro
vokes stringent and vndictiye Legislation on the
part Of those who hold the power Of the govern
| ment. a ss~
Now, of course, in such state of affairs, every
effort which the South makes to meet it's duties
| fairly viii DO distrusted and misrepresented.
Proud men who wiling as patriots to sacrifice
their feelings to their duties VIII resent the doubt
that will be thrown on their professions and in
tentions. Timid men will exaggerate, the difficult
ties which appear to stand in the way Of any line Of
practical action. And large class Of good men
will fold their hands in despair and disgust and
bend submissively to a fate at which they shudder
but which they have not the resolution to oppose.
An these feelings have to be overcome There
is no alternative of duty to-day, and every man
who either from false. pride, sickly sentiment OF
tmidty, fails in his duty now, is doing more harm
| to his state and to his race than the incendiary
who is Indignantly tanning the fires Of hatred, or
than the Ignorant needmnn who is making foolish
use Of Q privilege he does not understand. =
We have hitherto stated the reasons why we be-
ieye that there is no real antagonism OF interest
or feeling between the white and colored citizens
stantial educated freedmen, there is intelligence
enough to und .rstand and character enough to
maintain the truth. And with the great mass OF
the initerate, we have tho advantage which alwnys
belongs to capital in its relation to labor to
superior culture, to long political experience,
to wealth. aud above all TO that superiority which
belongs to the fact which no Radical rhetoric can
destroy, that in our old relation we were Just and
truo, and that our old power was tempered by d;
Kindness that is not yet Forgotten stssTIy, r.:
Of course, there. errors to correct there are
prcjudices to overcome, and there is d wicked in
huence to be checked and controlled. E. ' =
70 stand afar df, to fold our hands in cynical
apathy to sneor superciliously at foolish speeches
and to be very Indignant at fierce ones is not the
way to do the work before us Y Y " 41ls-:=s:s's! &
The FIRST thing that we ought to do Is to take
the necessary steps to exercise those rights which
arc left us-to show that.we are wiling to accent
and discharge the duties Of citizenship move.
that"we' feel that we are not the less citizens,
because they are so much the rnore--to make the
freedmen understand that alth oueh we think ,i
versal suffrage an unwise and dangerous experi3:s
ment. we do not feel ourselves degraded by his as
sociation There is great deal of foolish talk on
| this subject which ought to be discountenanced.
NO man can be degraded by the discharge OF duty.
however unpleasant that duty may be- For years
mas the negro been initiating us-copying both,
our wees and ocr vrtnes To-day he is doing the
same BE holds public meetings, because ueheld
public meetings-he makes speeches because we
made speeches wants to vote because we
yoted-and as we do our duty as citizens so win
he initiate us, and the higher we place that stand
ard, the more winhe endeavor to initiate it. We
thlns then, that an enlightened public opinion
VIII hold every man not DISTINGUISHED bound to-
register nus name, and to cast his vote and will no
more tolerate detection in this duty than it would
deserion from the ranks on the eve OF battle :
Next We should make It clearly understood that
whatever we may think Of the policy Of the Re-
construction Act have accepted it fairfy as the
practical solution ct our present difficulties, ind
as the basis upon which political life Of
the State rests. That while we intend to use that
legitimate influence which education experience
and the possession Of tenths of That property
which bears the burden Of taxation giyes:to us. We
recognize and win respect an the rights and inter
ests in the fortunes fof the State which that Act
confers upon the new voters. - stts a;5.tf;
And lastly, in order to do this ne should use all
the means Of instructing them as to their rights
and duties, of informing them OF their interests
and the interests Of the State Of which they now
form part, cf correcting the misrepresentation
which viii be made by those who are.interested IA
misleading them. in other words, without the;
contemplate hypocrisy Of pretending. .that We ra.S
jolce at this change without attempting to deceive
them, BY professions Of e1t-aysgant conaia
without concealing som convictions that We ara
wiser and better fitted than they are now, TO direct
the fortunes and shape the character of the State
let US in that spirit Of selErespect which never
fails to treat with due consideration the rirht az
others, t1eat them as what they are, citizens
Of south Carolina1 1whosevotes must oontrib to
maintain the strength, the fortune, the reputat
Of the State, or must aid those who do not love
her to sap that strength TO destroy that fortune,
and extnguish forever that rsputts sttion. ~
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