The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-01
of the creed of progress, and the one news
paper which never lost faith in the future
Of the people and the State.
The Peace OF tho State.

South Carolina, the so-oalled "cradle of
"the rebellion" is, on this New Years day,
1869, the most peaceful and secure Of all
the Southern States. We have o colored
population Of four hundred thousand and o
white population Of two hundred and
seventy five thousand or less; but order
and quiet reign within our borders, and no
such thing as widespread riot or tumult
has been known in this State. 1t is not that
we have been free from the exciting causes
of trouble and dsafection. Political fire.
brands and itinerant thieves have been as
plenteous here as in any other part of the
South; but white men and colored men labor
soberly side by side, and the business of
the whole State is in healthy and thriving
condition.
The reasons of this are not difficult to be
| understood. In this State brute violence
| and rowdyism have always met with public
reprobation. Street fighting and bruising
have ever been condemned, and the beha-
vior Of the people has always been marked
by reserve and self respect. These quail
ties stood them in good stead when the war
was over. They were not willing to mouth
or rant because they had been defeated,
nor were they desirous of wreaking puny
vengeance upon these to whom they had
given life time of benevolence and oare
The honor which made them just in tn cir
dealings with one another made them just
in their dealings with the freedmen, and
these latter soon became conscious-and
the feeling grows each day in strength -
that no South Carolinian would endeavor
to defraud or oppress them. The fair deal
ing between the white race and the colored
race made bad blood well-nigh impossible,
and the freedmen, if they were not disposed
to trust their old masters without res erve,
were, at least, prevented from cherish
ing bitter and angry thoughts. And the
calmness and conservatism which this pro-
duced was increased in force by the pres
cnce of a number Of intelligent and trust
worthy Northern men, who settled in the
midst of us and made this State their home.
Bat 1T would be unjust at this oint to
N--A
orderly behavior of the colored people Of
the State. They have not been without
fault, nor nave they been wholly free from
blame. More than once, and in more than
one place, they have shown an astonishing
capacity for idleness, unthrift and violence
of speech and act But taking them all in
all,-making allowances for their changed
condition, the character of their compan-
ions, and the use that has attempted to be
made of them-we do not fear to assert that
the freedmen of this State have been, on
the whole, we'll behaved, and that, in their
general conduct and increasing Willingness
to work diligently and we'll, they ha- .
shown bright example to the freedmen f
the South.
The circumstances which we have recited
account, to OUT mind, for the difference be
tween this State and the other States of the
South. We have no bloody riots; no am-
buscades; no threatening Of war of races;
no long lists of white men killed by negroes,
as in Georgia; no deep seated disaffection
and distrust, as in Alabama; no contend
ing Legislatures and rival Governors, as in
Florida; no apprehension of conflict in
the streets Of the capital and certainty of
collision between hostile parties in the coun-
try districts, as in Louisiana; no murder
ing, plundering s'loyal militia" as in Ar
kansas; no long rolls of assassination and
lynching, as in Texas; no such timidity
and uncertainty as may be found in any
other ofthe ten Southern States We say this
in no spirit of exultation We grieve that
there should be riot or mob law in any
part Of this Southern land. But we do re-
joice that on this, the New Years Day, we
have, in South Carolina, LAW, and ORDER
and PEACE, and that we have, on every side,
the omens Of bright and happy future.