The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-10-31
The Convention.

The election which has been ordered
for State Convention is clos. at hand a
convection 10y which it is proposed to re.
volutionize our State Government, frame
a new constitution and make new laws
under which VIC are to abide in tho future.
All conoede the Importance Of ! body
and the vast consequence TO us Of the
result Of it's deliberations, and yet we see
no effort manifested by the conservative
whites of the Stste-tbey who possess the
intelligence, wealth and character OF the
country-to control, or in anywiso iulu-
enco is action.
The indications now are, so far as we
are abIo to Judge, that no such efforts will
he put forth by this class Of our citizens.
Relying upon returning sense Of Justice
at the. North, as foreshado we'd in the resul,
of recent elections in soma Of the States,
and believing that we can practically have
no influence in the coming elections, the
biacks being largely in the majority end
entirely under Radical control, our people
seem to be settling down upon the con
euslon that it is useless to DO anything,
and perhaps best to let the negroes have
full sway, in the hope that their very ex
ravagance and ineticiency will, of itself,
defeat the present reconstruction scheme
and prove TO the people of the North the
absurdity and wickelness of the measure
which they have attempted to force upon
u.s.
We nnderstand this to be the feeling OF
the whites in various portions ofthe State,
and we know that such are the sentiments
OF many good and patriotic gentlemen
men in whose judgment and discretion o
have very high degree of confdeuco.-
But we cannot reconcile ourselves to the
conclusion that, it is best to stand idle and
see the old State drifting to probable de
sruction, without some effort 10 stay, or
at least to emeliorate the storm.
BY introducing, as far as practicable,
good men into the Convention, we nav
arrest TO some extent the unfrienGly m cas-
urcs which will doubtless be attempted
against the class who formerly controlled
the State Government. A small minority
may be productive Of some good, and at
all events can do no harm while without
1t, the conservative whites will be utterly
without power or influence in the State.
We believe that there will ultimately be ,
revuslon OF feeling in the United States
which will do US justice, but in the mean
time South Carolina may become new
llayt, in which the present generation of
whites will be prescribed and ruined
We cannot afford to wait for returning
sense Of justice from those who have fore
ed this monstrous scheme upon US they
will be slow in seeing their error and still
slower in acknowledging it. The blacks,
assisted b. the Radical whites, may not
present 10 their Constitution such an ab.
surdity as will Immediately disgust the
people Of the North and induce them to
come TO our relief. They (Ihe blacks)
have already said that they are uuderrated
by the whites.
Again, il we stand still and let these inI
iquitous measures be cousummated against
us, our claims for sympathy and protec
ton from the American people will no, lie
as strong as they would be il we we're to
do all that we can to avert the i'm mpend.
ing evils. They may say that by our
apathy we lest the control of the State
Government, and we must bear the con,
sequences.
In times like these il is not easy to de
termine what is best to be done they
are full Of uncertainty and peril. Blu, in
our humble Judgment, we should do no
less than attempt, at least, to send good
men to the Convention. It is useless TO
discuss the propriety Of holding Con.
vention: il every white man In the State
should vote against it, (or do what would
in effsct be the same--not vote at alr) i,
would nevertheless. be held. We are
powerless to prevent il we can only en-.
deavor 10 prevent some OF the mischief
with which it is pregnant.
-
Die Charleston Zeituna.