The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-21
CHI n r LIE S T ON
THURSDAY MORNING. JANUARY 81, 1865
Fair Play.

We have been surprised ut the exceeding
unfairness characieriziug many Of the Re-
publican reports of the state of affairs at
the South. They virtually assert that the
law has ceased to control the people. They
persistently represent every crime commit
ted amongst us as due to political causes
They assign them oil to one class of our
citizens, discrediting the well attestcd cases
of outrage and murder perpetrated by any
other And they 60 SO far as to fabricate
history, on the plea that their surmiscs are
more likely to be correct than the dis
patches Of their own correspondents, who
are on the ground, and have every oppor-
tunity of investigating the facts.
Thus the Nation, which is, in the main,
: conservative and hightoned paper, dis
plays o creative ingenuity in its reconstruc-
tions of Southern items which other de-
partments of poetry and fiction can scarcely
parallel. Just enough of fact is given to
start the ready sneer and to carry the de1-
ferrous fabrication. Perversions of history
have, indeed, become so common in its col
umns that the nefarious business is carried
on without disguise. Sometimes the news
manufacturer apologies for his work by
complaining that "the details are meagre, !"
and so must be supplemented by conjecture
Sometimes he boldly asserts that "the ac-
"counts must be read backward, whenever
"negroes are concerned" Sometimes he
launches o monstrous slander with lift
of conceit; he says, "The fact of the mat
"ter we take to be this" and after such q
preface, ofoourse adds whatever he chooses
The treatment Of the Ogeechee troubles
affords an illustration of the unfairness Of
which the orderly people of the South, Of
both races, have reason to complain. The
outrages committed on the plantations were
such that property and life were insecure.
Gin houses were robbed; residences burnt
down; families driven from their homes to
the shelter of the woods or the city. There
was not only suspension Of agricultural
operations, upon which all classes of the
people depended for subsistence, but all
civil order ceased Tue woods were infes
ted with armed and irresponsible ner; the
fields were picketed and patrolled; peacea-
bic travellers were arrested; farmers were
shot down on their own fields. The incen-
diary doctrines Of the convict Bradley
threatened TO prr .uce war of races.
Aud now, such fermcnt of the social ele-
ments as might wei. awaken universal So
licitude, is simmcred down in the Nation
to the exploits of few thieves Of both
races, who sometimes shoot at each other !!
To our mind, there is not only ineffable
meanness, but ineffable folly, in thus deal
ing with the difficulties of Southern recon-
structiop. We have been gratified in OBJ
serving the growth of a better understand
ing between the white and oolered people
of the South. The public welfare requires
its promotion. Whatever interferes with
it, must neither be sneered away, nor laugh
ed away, nor lied away; but reprobated
and removed effectively. If an outrage
has been committed, it is not the less to be
condemned because the criminal is Of such
or such party, or of such or such color
But, according to the Nation, when mans
house is burned, it is necessary that you
should also blast his character; if he is de-
spoiled Of his cotton and rice, you must
also rob him of his honor; if he appeals to
the authorities for protection, you must de-
! nounce him before the tribunals of the
world. But he who steals the crop and
fires the mansion is an intelligent patriot
and worthy citizen, and rather an injured
man than otherwise. The poor fellow needs
sympathy.
Fine fun to you, gentlemen of the Ma
tion, and the Chronicle, and the Tribune;
but death to US. You are very kind to in
terest yourselves in our affairs so constant
ly; but, really, you must pardon US if we
say that the breeding of bad blood is not o
social necessity with US just now. We can
get along tolerably well without it. To
array class against class, labor against cap
ital, muscle against mind, may be very
wise procedure in your latitude; we prefer