The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-05-11

whole country. Yours is situation, which
the Constitution Of the United States, prior te
/ the election Of that princely American, Abra
/ ham Lincoln, to the Chief Maglstracy, d1d mo-
80 much as contemplate In the light 81 possl
:bility--A ,situatanp t!hirh q fsS ysafs sinct
'lSyot, yontseiyeB, sccn1d not have seriously an
fficipstsd&a% situation for which you have
| made no preparation, the necessary quaiitca
| tions to enjoy and employ, which the laws o.
South Carolina took no notice, and made Nc
provisions-a situation requiring at the start
| II not experience, good degree OF culture o.
mind and Life. IL it has. its blessings, high
ennohlipg and .prireless blessings and pfivi
leaes, thas also oorespoh dangers, which
by lack of application upon your part, may sud
| denly rain curses upon your head, more blight
| ing and indiscriminate than the dreaded cat
|. erpillar, which, like the destroying angel IN
Egypt, lays affuence and hope IN the dust, IN
q angle night. -
The delicacy Of tnis elevation to which you
have been brought is heightened by the abort
but searful history Of j., and single glance at
Il would be unjust to the country-toj you,
| to your former masters and rulers, and to my
self-were we not to consider that yocr eman-
cipstion and elevation to citizenship vas an
event of fearful violence and sudden result %
h This fact, I say, addsIto the precariousnes
Of your present status. ~
4[6RQE QEQ6r6 D66uh hBEdQlhi nppIkJetcu Uy Poooo
full laws, and Industrial and intellectual acti-
,yitiea-r running, say through series OF years,
the dangers OF the present novelty would be
incomparably less than they now ere.
Public sentiment would have grown, and, by
well.known universal law, soon have accus-
toned itself to the Improvements, Now, public
opinion is the one great mountain to be re-
moved-an sopinion (which has outlived the
weary marches Of the terrible war, and has
L.. a. oil fhn ukO
and more determined Tor the flames and the
trial. This public sentiment is not thing to
/ play s'punch and judy" with; but it is some
thing to conciliate and, overcome--t0 educate
and train-to control and win. q.
!, 1t can never be done BY violence in tree
country. Call it unlawful If you will because it
it conhonts you and hurls its feeble challenge
that but now it was Law itself, and constitu-
ional law at that.
,,t tIs is, your, mission to save this sentiment,
convert it, and make it loyal to your rights,
and not because you are able, thrust it down
to grovel in humi6ating dust. whence YOU have
but escaped. 4
But men tell you it is hopeless task which
iIladyise. lsit?e You know better. Sueh ad-
visers, I may be allowed to prophecy, will al
ways be those who would have you gain no.
thing, by your elevation, and themselves lose
nothing by your fall.i Those who are SO well
described by yourselves as ''carpet-baggere,
whose occupation is spoils: "''.
.sssDuIl rogues who afYec. the politicians part;
And learn to nod, and smile and shrug with art;
Who nothing have to lose, and hence the war be-
~. iewail. atS sl2f '5ra4 = -'r'-i 2t
And who. nothing have to pay, st taxes rail" aas
They win talk learnedIy and with affecting
grace Of your former ills and your present
power. But heed them not. You are making
new history-haye care that it may never need
to be ashamed Of itself. p
Every sentiment which stands against your
Just rights and your constitutional privileges
will, nestle IN your friendship in due course II
you undertake the work Of winning it.
That Won ere of my mind I am convinced,
but allow ms to point out to you that here it
becomes you to stand firm against invasion,
agaiIfst flank movements on the part OF willy
politicians, against false brethren, against sap
pera and miners, and all conceivable enemies
impassable the gulf between you and all opp4s.
sing political sentiment, which may lie IN the
breasts ofsyonr former masters and EN-.
Second. The chief reason for this will be seen
when sT direct your minds to the first and
present means by which you are upheld and
sustained in your new experience. I!9' :
[. The power that sustains You, and that has
stood between you and difficulty from the close %
Of the war until now, is the power Of the mill
tary-4otherwise known asithe Freedmen's Bu-
reau. The e1igency which called for this inter-
yening power, representing the central govern
ment, was composed as much OF your inability
to comprehend and employ your new liberty as
of the menace and opposition Of your former
owners and rulers. ..}.s.s0
was condition OF things which called for
q strong arm Of projections double protec-
tion-from yourselves and others. You were
You had nothing but freedom, which, however
important in its place, could not I'LL your
hungry mouths and olothes your destitute
families Hence the bureau. But the bureau
is q transient passenger; come affirm that he
lis an expensive and luxurious, If not usurious
one. But at any rate he VIII shortly pack up
and no home. You will soon be left to depend
supCaa ayom own resources entirely, and you
will be compelled to exert your manly powers
for. q. subsistence in the very heart of senti-
ments altogether opposed to you politically.
Now, then, selI-interests will prompt You TO
cultivate friendly relations with your neighbors,
and be more the good, studious, industrious
citizen, quietly attending to all your duties as
such, than political partisans, following indis.
Greet leaders, white and black, on the trail OF
public power.
1Q6 IudL, uUt tuo pOlltlClnus
The citizen, not the partisan.
The American, not tho niger.
The domiciled neighbor, not the predatory
mischief-maker.
The industrious, honorable, economical pa
triot, not the idle street loafer, who, having no
visible means of support, takes to preying upon
the resources Of the country he disgraces.
Let these be your watchwords: Build
Schools not politics. Form your children into
line, and march them to the halls Of learning,
and let public political improvement, by way OF
agitation, alone. BY 30 doing you will accom-
plish two things. /.
l. You will overcome all opposition, or at
least the most formidable part of it. :.
q You will prepare your children fora just
application Of citizenship, and leave them,
constituentsof the State. on whose progressive
manliness the State will look with pride.
But not only will you shortly be left to de.
pend upon your. own resources, but it ls not
possible that you can long hold the balance Of
power. Or rather you must not hope to be IN
the majority long as class.
The disabilities which rest on thousands OF
your white brethren, because of their partlci-
patton in the rebellion, will not always weigh
them down.
They will be removed, and all the now dis.
ranchised will regain their forfeited rights un'
der the constitution, and will again, at the
hustlngs and at the polls, employ them.
Their experience, and knowledge, and en-
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