The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-11-15
For enc PhonIx,

Il 81 1t was once .Wr1tten by learned
man (Seneca) as q provefb of truth,
/ that "tihe man is deserving OF praise
| Who considers not what he may do,
but what is becoming him to do" OF
the application of this saying to your
selves, there is no more proper time
to verify it than the present. The
citizens of Columbia have just emerg-
ed from the excitement of an cleo
ton, in which were involved the
dearest interests and most important
issues. That there is League among
you, concocted, encouraged and or
ganized by renegade white men from
other States, is fact we'll known;
that these unprincipled white men,
who have no honor, virtue, honesty
or patriotism, have seduced very
many of you from the kind associa-
tions with which you but lately lived
and enjoyed encns JoaT former own
ers and white friends, is matter of
fact; and that so many of you have
listened to the falsehoods and base
representations Of such mon, may not
be so much q matter of surprise,
when considering the short time in
which you have enjoyed your FREQ
dom. The greater propotion of you
have been born, raised, nurtured and
cared for among US, the white citizens
OF this city; and those who have been
brought here and have been living in
the city for many years, can, with the
native colored man, testify to the
general kindness and care which has
always been shown and extended to
you.
But in an evil hour men have ap-
peared among you aoh0n, you Enew
not, strangers many of them, without
home, and perchance, too, without
country, which would acknowledge
or know them as citizens. These
men have taught you, not rebellion
against your former masters, for you
were freedmen, and there was no ne
cessity for rebellion or insurrection;
not insubordination, for your former
masters bad by their oun act, in
Convention of the State, resigned all
control over you, ,and hence you were
dHfree; but these men taught you
that as you were mo,o freedmen you
had one privilege, never before en-
joyed, and that was to hate ariM q
acN, and to work out all injury and
opposition to your former masters
and white friends, and defeat them,
euen TO the assumption of controlling
and managing the State and city 60
vernments, and generally to do as
you should think (under their special
direction and advice) most proper for
you as freedmen to do Nay more,
some Of these special leader counsel
ed in their incendiary speeches to
rob, to burn, aye, to kiA."
Well, let all this pass Many of
you joined the League; it was some
thing nep for you;you were counted
in" for the "free fight" A fight
would certainly be on hand, and
the first came on the question
of " Convention or no Con-
vention." Very we'll, you beat us,
then and there. Next was "Constitu-
ton or no Constitution. Very we'll
again-you beat us there, too. Next
in order was the grand rally for Go
vernon, &c. In this trialIyou beat us
again, and elected men whom many
of you did not know, and the most
of you had never heard of. Men who
were not citizens of the State; did mol
own as much dirt as would cover
them were they dead; nor were they
responsible for dollar in taxation.
But under the wise, ablo and disin-
terested white leadership of this pre-
clous and immaculate League, yon
oyerslaughed your white friends, and
gave the State to haueling strangers.
You gave to these trdcelerS all the
Offices. the pickings, fragments, honors,
powers and emoluments, and you
were SO generous in your donations,
so lavish in your obedience. (ren.cmJe,'
yoM are .free,) that you did not reserve
and keep and set aside and bestow
but one to any of your race. This
acUs extreme generosity in your
League. or there was carpet-bag-
scallawag lash held over you. In
kindness, however, and with good
feeling toward you, it is considered
| hn4