The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-06-10
Significant.


tic field, we are not competent to Judge
correctly OF the policy Of local govern
mcnt pursued by some of the Southern
District Commanders. Possibly they have
good and sufficient reasons for orders
issued by them. which seem to US uncalled
for, ill-advised, and decidedly unjust We
ere puzzled to understand, for instance,
tho object of General Canby's recent re-
moval CLAY 26) Of thirteen of the Charles
ton aldermen, and the appointment ofnew
men, Of whom seven are negroes. Charles
ton we had come to look upon as about
the quietest Of places in tie quietest of
Southern States. We do not know another
city of its size anywhere in the country
whose newspapers are so lightly freighted
with reports Of crimes against the person
and property. The aldermen so far as
they have hand in the city government,
must be credited with share of tie prev
acnt peace and good order. We have not
observed in the Charleston prints any Of
those fearless exposures of aldermanic ex-
travagancc, which editors are fond of
seizing upon as the text for cable leaders"
The Charleston aldermen have probably
had little to spend; but if they had not
made that little 60 great way, the rival
newspapers would hardly have missed the
opportunity of airing and discussing the
interesting topic.
Whoever and whatever the aldermen
were, General Candy was SO we'll salts
fed with them up to the 24th of May,
that he Issued an ordor the effect of which
was to postpone the city election until
November This we should construe as
an implied approval of the aldermen's
course. But just two days later his policy
experiences sudden and mysterious
change By that convenient process of
the one-man power-a few strokes OF the
pen-he turns out q majority of the board
and rcconstructs it after his own fashion,
putting in seven colored men. The Ye-
moved members had received no notice
of this action, and were as much astonish-
ed as other people at their summary
taking off, No charge is made or whis-
percd against thenl-not even the com-
mon one that they were an "obstacle."
The Pacha of an Eastern tale never bow
strung victim with less ceremony than
the commander of the Second District
took off the official heads of these unof-
Tending aldermen. Tile local journals
have at last subject for amazement and
indignation which the peaceful annals of
the city government had not afforded,
They are perplexed as much as we are to
guess the real motive of General Canby's
strange abandonment of his former policy,
his cancellation Of his own order deliber-
ately issued and obviously representing
his sincere convictions, and his giving of
so largo number Of the new appoint
monts .s seven out Of thirteen to the
negroes. But, though indignant at be-
holding the lawfully elected servants of
the people turned adritt 80 make room
for the favorites OF a military commander,
thoy comment upon the outrage with
marked reserve, which we interpret as
commendable desire to avoid provoking
The wrath Of the master of SO many le-
pions. 4 man who can do OK undo Boards
Of Aldermen can play similar tricks with
newspapers, if he likes.
Various reasons might be alleged for
the extraordinary conduct of Gen. Cahby.
1t might be said that orders have gone
forth from the political managers at
Washington to turn out whites and put
negroes into office. This would be first
rate bid for the enthusiastic, unanimous
support of colored voters at the Presiden-
tial election. The freedmen have hereto
foro complained, not unreasonably, that
whilo they were relied upon to support
the extreme Radical programme in the
South thcy did not receive so large a
share of Offices rs they were entitled to,
under pro-rata division, but had to take
the lcavngs of Northern adventurers,
scarpet-baggers," as they are gcnerically
termed General Candy, by giving the
negroes majority of the new aldermen.
has dono something towards silencing
this cause of grumbling. The act of Gen.
Candy may also be interpreted to mean
that Southern Conservative whites must
not fatter themselves that because i'm
noachmcnt is dead thoy are going to be
treated with any more lenity than before,
but that they may look for a still severer
handling from their Washington masters
Whatever tho true explanation may be,
VIC deem it improbable that Gen. Canhy
acted without orders. He would hardly
be guilty, of his own accord, of changing
his mind SO completely in two days; or,
had any circumstances, such as could
properly bc s,atad. led him to alter his
views, it seems probable that out OF re-
gard to his own reputation for consis-
tenc.-. he would have explained himself
in an order 10 the people Of Charleston.
OF itself this may be small matter;
but in it's relation to the South and to the
political future, it may turn out to be an
affair of somo signifcancc.-Ncp York
Journal Of Commerce.
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= One of the sharpest political carica-
turcs is the dying impeachment glad,a
tor" Ben Butler lies prostrate in the