Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-01-21
RAYS OF PROMISE.

The people of the South have, tor the past three
years. been the victims of calamities as bitter as
often falls to the lot of a subjugated people. They
have experienced nearly all the evils known to ma
tions famine, military tyranny, villifcation, poY
erty, and suffering in all its varied forms. When.
ever they expressed discomfort, they were charged
with being rebelious; whenever they besough'
their conquerors to remove some of the evils under
which they suffered, they at once awakened fresh
storm Of abuse, and experienced new forms OF op-
preston more humiliating and insuferable than
before. They never believed, however, that the
Northern people, as mass, were the willing IN
struments of their degradation to that extent 1t
finally reached
The motive was apparent even then. The party
in power had candidate in the field for the Pre-
sidency. The people were becoming tired OF the
party and its leaders and anxious for change OF
rulers. The Republican party must either go to
the wall, or else maintain its hold upon the people
by coup detat, as bold as it was hackneyed by
previous example. Its leaders determined that
the party must live if the country we're rent in
twain. Their press and spokesmen everywhere
raised the cry of 'srebep-the horrors Of the late
war were re-hashed and served up again and again
to the unthinking "Rebel prison pens, "slave
drivers" 'blood hounds" negro massacres, with
all the imaginary atrocities that the mind could
conceive, were served out day by day to the multi
tude, until it became filled with fury against the
South. Congress, to keep up the deception, pass.
ed the negro suffrage reconstruction laws, and
made the military power supreme over the civil.
Grant was elected, and the seething Of the poll
tical cauldron at once ceased. The Northern peo-
ple begin to think VIC were not as bad as we were
represented to be. The Congress has all at once
begun to manifest course somewhat resembling
Cancellation the politicians have ceased to defame
US, and the New York Tribune has again made
some approaches towards decency and truth. We
alone were the sufferers from this state Of affairs
Capital failed to seek investment here and proper
ty became almost worthless in value. There was
no money, no credit, no enterprise, and but little
hope.
The spirit of liberation that has lately sprung up,
and that seems likely to continue until the ap-
proach of the next general election, is already pro-
ducing favorable results IF the next election were
only far enough of, we would entertain some hopes
that the determination would become complete.
Already, capital has begun to flow in from abroad,
bringing population and business; and population
and business, in time, will help to swell the flow Of
capital. The Southerners have either all at once
quit that detestable habit of-running down and
killing, with blood hounds, their Northern visitors
as the Tribune related with so much pathos; or else
the Tribune and sheets Of thatik were misinformed
about the facts. Anyhow, the people Of the North
are beginning to look and travel Southwark Even
Thurlow Weed, who was not in the late war, but
who did more than most othersin producing it, has
buckled on his carpetbag for a winter among the
rebels of Florida!
We cordially welcome any and all who may
come-even Thurlow Weed-if he will only be-
have himself, and bring his dollars with him. We
want material prosperity. We are tired Of the
turmoil and trouble of the past few years, and
would like, of all things, to be let alone, at least
until we can restore part Of what We have lost
Our neighbors north of us seem to grow more tole-
rant; Congress has become tranquil again, and the
imaginary rebellion that has waged sinceth actual
one closed, has, somehow or other, subsidized.
In all this, there is sign of promise to US. Let
us 20 to work and improve the occasion, if not to
regain power at least to make bread and meat for
the country.