The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-08-25
The Columbia Phoenix,

capital, has or late fallen into tho
hands of On enterprising editor who
proposes, it seems, to make it inter-
esting by misrepresentation. None
who may have read it's CONNIE ents up
on our editorial on suffrage brought
out by the article from the Washing
ton Republican, which wo published in
full, and which ought to be ropublish.
cd by the Phenio again and again
for the benefit of ssthe Conservatives
of tho State," could get fair idea of
our position, which tho Phentp terms
our new alliance with the Republi-
can. In the samo issue, the Phonts mis-
represents the position of tho Wash
ington Republican, and loses, by SO
doing, card that would bring many
n black man over to "the conserva-
tives of the State.'
"The conservatives Of the State 70
Who're does the Phentn hope to place
itsclf by this convenient phrase :
What. docs it mean ? It proclaims,
in the Same misreprescnting issue,
that cit is too early for active roliti-
cal movements" and it prefers to havo
no position till some indefinite future
time. This strikes US as an uncom-
Portable poise on tho fenco. While
chlding us for favoring a third party.
which, in order that the negroes may
understand its nature, we prefer to be
called the Conservative Republican
party, for the negroes will not vote for
the defunct and heartily detested
Democratic party, what does the
Ph@nin mean by its words of promise,
and it's dissausion from active work,
addressed to 'stho Conservatives of
the State I" The Pheni~ is attempt.
ing tho calm and philosophio. Its
cogitations survey both sides of tho
fence. It evidently waits to follow,
and dares not lead.
Let our readers judge of tho fair.
ness of tho Phenin for themselves.
We quote
The Winnsboro News of the 18th,
states that it regards this as fixed
fact, to wit: that we have now Gov
crnment, both State and national, of
the majority--whose will is law, and
that its efforts, therefore, will be to
make that majority as wise and virtu.
GUS MS possible. 1t proposes to put
tho majority at once to school, and the
first lesson that it wants to teach the
Republican party, is to have said par
ty adopt an educational test in the
matter Of suffrage. Tho advice of the
News is good, but wo fear that it does
not yet command tho confidence of its
now alliance sufficiently to have it's
counsel accepted.
In roply, We do hold, that govern
mont by constitutional chccks and
balances has passed away, and that
government by tho majority has been
substituted for it, and that to mako
that majority ms wise and virtuous as
possible is tho only true statesman
ship left us. But Government by tho
majority is not necessarily govern
mcnt forever by tho present majority
of Radical destruotivcs. On the con-
trary, the present majority is sure to
lose somo Of it's members under the
guidance Of suoh observers of the times
MS ourselves, especially if other radi-
cal organs give us as good opportuni-
tics to make persuasive point as tho
Washington Republican of last weok
on education tho limit of suffrage {;
and thon tho third party,-tho Libor-
ais Of Tennessee, the Conservative
Republicans of Virginia, tho anti
Bittcr-ondors of Mississippi-will be-
como tho majority, and their suiU will
become tho lao. This third party will
bo supported by many republicans
now repelled by tho old democratic
party, under its old hacks as lead.
ers, and swamping both the names and
tho dead issues Of tho Democratic
party, will become the majority par.
ty. The only kind of government in
this country now is the ono which tho
Ph@nin wouldn't have, but has had for
four years, and will have to grin and
take for years 20 come-simplo ma
jority.govornment. Grant uncon-
sciously stated great truth, tho real,
triumphant, American, Radical, De-
mocratio, anti-republioan idea, when
ho wrote, in tho johnson Stanton I'M
broglio,--"The will Of tho majority
should DO the law of the land" It
po0v Houo1npa snko