The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-05-29
CHARL.ESToN
FRIDAY MORNING, MAY %. 1868.
Tho Plea OF General Candy.

/! - ~ Tho Plea. OF General Candy.
Inhis letter tos"ColoneI CoaswELL, [, U. s.
a., Mayor Of Charleston" announcing the
removal of thirteen Aldermen and the ap-
.pointment cofs6their- successors, General
CAsBY says: "The change was determined
upon by considerations of. q public nature,
involving the interests of the city and State. ="
Whataresth considerations of q pub
4 lie nature p" Has not Charleston been the
most quiet and law.abiding city in the FIVE
military districts of the South Although
regarded by the entire Northern people as
the nest .ofrebellion, and the epitome Of all
thatsis violent and vindictive; although 30
disreputablstin the mind of the prejudiced
Northerner, that many tourist has passed
her BY in fear, while others have timidly
walked her streets expecting q Ku.klux-klan
to meet them at every corner; what black
mark can be set against her name during
the three years that she has been under the
rule Of the army Of the United States?
There has been exhibited degree of for
besrance which has left no room for COM
plant by the most violently partisan North
ern journals. The relations between the
whites and the colored people, although
changed in form, have been in fact as kind
as before The advent of emancipation, and,
notwithstanding that the negroeshavs met in
convention to make laws for the government
Of their old masters, their political antics
have been regarded with more amusement
than irritation. Prejudice in Charleston
has been as strong, and tempers have been
as high, as in any community in the world.
We have suffered notifications Of the flesh
and vexations of spirit, which, at the North,
would 5haYes,inAamsd the multitude and
found their expression inbloody turbulence
and riot Yes! efforts to produce such have
been made, but without avail We have
borne ourselves, through series sfinsults,
which have made life to the proud man an
earthly purgatory,. with calmness and
self.coutrol which hare. extorted from our
worst enemies an unwillingpraise.
The City Council, elected by the people,
has eo-operated with the military authori-
ties.in the execution Of military orders, and
their, r,administrationsof city affairs has been
governed by considerations Of public
nature" equal at least in their purity to
those unexplained considerations which our
sphynx-like military commander assigns as
the cause of his recent order. General
CANBy's own representative "Colonel
CoaswEII, U. 8. A., Mayor of Charleston
acknowledges SO thousand obligations for
the consistent support" which the City
Council has extended 10 him, and says that
..he has never been thrown into contact
with y bodyof gentlemen whom he esteemed
more highly" According to this avowal Of
his own representative, "lhe considerations
of public nature" which moved General
CANBY to make so extraordinary change
in the city government, must, therefore,
have been of q political character, and not
the result Of any default on the part of the
City Council. To further these political
ends, this militarygoyernor, who theoretical
ly stands above the level of political cliques
and parties, appoints in the place ofthe gen.
tlemen he has removed number of per-
sons, large proportion of whom are not
identified with the material interests of the
city, are utterly inexperienced in the man
agement of public affairs, and unfamiliar
with the wants and condition Of Charleston.
For cause which he hides from public
view, he has insulted the community by
foisting upon it at this eleventh hour Just
on the eve of the restoration of civil gov
ernment,-seven colored men, not more
than one of whom would ever have sought
the Office for himself. The honor was thrust
upon them, and the responsibility rests with
General CASBY alone. He has done this
foul thing,-as we mus, believe from the
circumstances Of the case,-fr :. no other
motive than to punish and humiliate
proud, brave, manly, wrong-hating people,
because, forsooth, they may have felt un-
willing to pay him that social respect and
private praise which he thought his name
and position deserved. We say unequivo-
cally that it is an act which, in the North
ern States, would have been as fire to
train of powder, and which will, we believe,
be denounced by every honest white man.
no matter what may be his political COM
ple1ion or the State of his nativ;ty,-as an
exercise of power unwsrran.ed. uncalled
for, and une1ampled in the history of
America.
It is a dangerous thing to izrugn the
motives of any individual, aud particularly