The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-05
BuryIng the Hatchet.

the party-no less person, indeed, than
Daddy Cain, editor of the Missionary Re
t6fd; a dignitary OF the African Methodist
Church, and State senator from Charleston.
Governed by an honest desire to begin the
new year well, or calmed by the peaceful
atmosphere of the quiet village in which he
spoke, Daddy Cain delivered an address so
practical and pacific, as to draw from our
correspondent the remark that, 'tif all the
speakers OF his party would speak as
ssCain spoke, it would at once secure pro-
found and perpetual peace in the State"
The seed had no sooner fallen than it
brought forth fruit. A committee was ap-
pointed to invite speakers OF the Democratic
party to address the meeting, and the invi-
tation was accepted by two distinguished
Confederate soldiers General NJ. G. Butler
and General Mark Geary. These gallant
gentlemen were willing to meet the speaker
from Charleston in the same liberal spirit
which he had exhibited. 'None" they said,
'desired peace more than they, and the
"white people generally. They desired to
''see tho colored race prosperous and happy,
surrounded by all the comforts of life, and
''their children enjoying the blessings OF
''education." Eschewing politics, they
counselled forbearance, and encouraged
kindly feeling. The Confederate soldier and
the negro senator occupied the same plat
form, teaching like lessons of peace and
good will.
This public mingling OF the leading men Of
the two races is not altogether novelty in
South Carolina. During the last canvass,
the candidates for Congress and for Pres-
Dental elector, in this district, met the col
ored champions in public debate, and at
Democratic meetings in Lexington and
Richland colored men often spoke, winning
no slight applause. But it is something
new for maa like Cain, with all his honors
thick upon him, to announce his willing
ness to bury the hatchet, to admit that
whites and blacks should live together as
friends, and to declare that nothing would
promote the general welfare so much as the
peaceful relations Of the races Unfortu
nately, however, the practical value of these
expressions Of opinion, on the part of Cain,
must he measured by the steadfastness OF
the speaker, and the extent Of his influence
over his colored constituents. Unless he
preach tomorrow as he preached yesterday,
unless he retain all the power which he is
believed to possess, his words are Of no
more real consequence than the soughing OF
the wind.
The Confederate soldiers who addressed
the Edgeheld eolored men spoke from their
hearts, expressing the deliberate opinions Of
the white people of the State who desire
peace, not war-prosperous industry, not po-
litica1 agitation. They know well enough
how the confidence of the freedmen has been
weaued away by the efforts Of native and
foreign adventures, who know that when the
white South Carolinian and the South Caro-
lima eolored man think and work together,
there is an end forever to the mad carnival
of Radical riot and waste. 10 secure this
there must be sincere and lasting union of
the representative men Of the two racss-of
men who lead and sway the masses. Is
such a combination shadowed forth by the
Edgefield meeting?
We think not. Daddy Cain, morally, is
as weak as water He is one of the most
unstable of notoriously unstable race.
This is made manifest by all his public and
private works. Take as an example his CO.
quetting with Democracy at the time Of the
Charleston elections. Study the blurred
pages and rude Typography Of the Mission
a,y Record and pore over the oracular
utterances of its editor. They are warm
enough and strong enough, but the white OF
one moment is the black Of the next. In
one issue Daddy Cain denounces the corrupt
Radical officials, and foretells the wrath to
come; in the next he proves that only the
Radical party, with these very Radical off,
cials, can save the land from ruin. One
week he commends peace and quiet; the
next week he mutters threat that the op-
pressed African will apply the torch to our
homes and sound the knell Of ou. race.
Now he babbles of meekness and forbear
ance; but before theink is dry he shrieks out
that the negroes are spelling for fight, "
either with Georgia rowdies" or white
Carolinians. To-day in the Senate he lays
bare, with steady hand, the follies and vices
of Radicalism; tomorrow he will vote for
the measures he most bitterly abused. And
this will be his conduct to the end. The
Edgefleld speech may have expressed what
Daddy Cain thought at that moment, but
a moment afterward he may have had in
his head cunning scheme for sending
another squad Of armed militiamen to
beard and brave the very gentlemen whose
words he had applauded to the echo. And
there is another consideration. If Daddy
Cain consents to work with the men who
are known as Democrats, whatever the ex-
euse, how long will his influence endure?
Will he, can he, apart from -Radicalism,
command one voice, or vote, which could
not more easily be had without his friendly