The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-06-15

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explained. I will endeavor to do 80,
but the limits of newspaper communi-
cation will not, of course, allow me to
do more than briefly give the main
ideas.
The Virginia third-party scheme will
not work here. Let US keep up the
organization of the Democratic party in
this State. We can constitute no other
party, even in name, howmuch soever
we may endeavor to do so. We are De-
mocrats; let us call ourselves such.
This name furnishes the only real line of
division between our friends and our
foes; and is the name of the party
which, sooner or later, will overthrow
the radical party in the United States
While We look forward to this redemp-
ton, we ought to use what power we
have as effectively as possible; and while
we need not play the sycophant, yet
while our hand ia in the tigers mouth,
we ought to irritate the animal as little
as possible.
We must bear in mind that in the
State, as whole, in three Congressional
Districts, and in twenty Counties, we
are, for some time to come, in hopeless
minority. It is hopeless, because de-
pendent upon the color of the voters.
That it is SO dependent, Except in few
instances where the high intelligence or
integrity of the colored citizen enables
him to declare himself political free
man, emancipated from the slavery of
the leagues,) any seriously reaecting
mind must admit. No courting of the
colored vote has the slightest effect. No
exposure of villainy on the part of the
radical officials has the slightest effect.
The colored vote is deaf to anything utter
ed by an honest white Democrat. Hnn,D-
ton, Thomas, and others may talk them
selves hoarse, and all they may have said
can be wiped out in one minute by some
petty lying scalawag. Declarations that
we will in good faith abide by the 18th,
l4th and 18th amendments, can do no
good; for they meet such declarations
with a sneer.
What are we, then, to do? Preserve
our party organization, and while ut all
times we may be ready to Interchange
views with intelligent colored citizens,
cease courting their votes. It makes them
shy on. In the eleven Counties where
we have majority, elect Our mon; this
will give us the check when two
thirds vote is required in the Legislature.
In the one Congressional District elect
one of oar men who has no political
disabilities, who can tell the story Of
our wrongs ut Washington. In all State
elections, in the other three Congress
sional Districts, and in those Counties
where wo are in hopeless minority,
make no nominations, and act AS "a
balance of power party"
At the first alactinoa tbo oufbor;fv .,e
the leagues may prevent the Republican
party from running two sets of candi-
dates; but ambition and the selfish
principle will, as soon as thny SEQ we are
IN earnest as to running no candidates
OF our own, certainly cause influential
independent" candidates to come out.
Then we can select the more honest and
best qualified, and by throwing our
balance of power in the scale, elect the
one we favor. From that election on,
as long rs we adhere to the policy, we
will control matters, just as the Abolition
party dill in many of the Northern
States year after year. Our vote will be
courted, promises will be made to as,
and measures of State Government and
Legislature will bo shaped to retain our
vote IN the next election, by those in
Office.
"But suppose no split is made?" This
supposition, except at the first elections,
involves the abolition of the selfish and
ambitious principle. But if no split is
made, We can vote or not, rs VIC please,
and we lose nothing. We gain in prevent
ing agitation, and in taking away from
the radical leaders, the motive for en-
gendering bad blood between the races,
and of using the militia la Tennessee.
The foregoing is certainly our proper
policy, while awaiting redemption by
the slow changes of the mortuary and
immigration tables, or by the hurling
from power of the present national des-
potism by the great Democratic party of
the country.
The greatest difficulty in carrying out
the foregoing programme (for which 1
claim no originality, since many of tho
best men in the State entertain the same
ideas is, first, the disinclination of the
chivalric South Carolinian, with his high
spirit and high sense Of honor, to pur-
sue any limo of conduct that savors of
policy; and, second, that we have among