The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-06-11
Reform.

it, Maj. 8. P. Hamilton offered the fol-
lowing preamble and resolutions, and
urged their adoption in speech of con-
siderable length, replete with good sense
and convincing argument:
Whereas, by the passage of the ff-
teenth amendment to the Constitution of
the United States, equal rights-both
civil and political-have been granted to
all citizens of the United States, and in
every State of the Union the said fif-
teenth constitutional amendment has
become the law of the land. Therefore,
be it
Resolred. That we recognize the said
constitutional amendment as the law of
the land, and that we, the citizens of
Chester County, will truly and in good
faith carry out the principles therein
contained.
Resolced, That the resolutions hereto
fore passed by the Press Conference ut
Columbia, are hereby approved and no.
cepted, not only as the announcement Of
proper principles. but also rs the first
trumpet note to rouse the whole people
for the impending overthrow of the ene-
mics of law and order, truth, virtue and
common honesty.
In discussing the resolutions, Major
Hamilton first depicted, in forcible
words, the great changes tho revolution
had brought about, and appealed to the
white men present to recognize these
changes, and to accord to the colored
man cheerfully. sincerely, and truthfully,
nll the civil and political rights that the
law now gives him. He met and exposed
the falsity of the charge mado by the
enemies of reform, that the new move
ment is nothing but the Democratic
party under thin disguise. The De-
mocratic party in South Carolina, he
said, was dead; that the main question
of difference between the Republican
and Democratic parties had been the
status of the colored man, and now that
the reform party accepted in good faith
the fifteenth amendment as the law of
the land, there WAS really no difference
between the platform of that party and
that Of the Republican party.
We regard with favor the resolution
offered by Major Hamilton. However
irregularly and outrageously the fifteenth
amendment became la,D, it is lac, and Oh
this account, and for other high and
philosophical reasons, we deem it best,
in good faith, to receive tho decision
embodied therein. But when the author
OF the resolutions proceeds to seek
to make reform agreeable to the colored
people of Chester, by ''going back"
upon the Democratic pnrty, and by pro-
nouncing the South Carolinn Democracy
"dead," we take issue with him, and
Undertake to suggest that he hus adopted
n ,s,ofhn1 f1 1,aIo IL r
reform. In seeking recruits for the re-
form movement. one does we'll: but it
would be well for him to bear in mind the
obvious proposition that, after all, the
fight has mainly to be made with the old
soldiers, and it is bad policy to discredit
them before the new troops huve even
been mustered in. Nor do we agree
with the speaker, in the suggestion
thrown out by him, that the status of the
colored man having been the main ques-
ton of difference between the Dem ocra.
tic and Republican parties, and this
question having been settled, that there
was no further reason for our adherence
to the Democratic party. Our past and
present adherence to the Democracy of
the country is based upon higher
grounds. Even admitting the full status
Of the negro citizen, we hold that these
parties are wide apart on various ques-
tions relating to the great principles of
government.
Let the movement for reform be rigo-
rously pressed, and in good faith carried
out, but it will be u fatal policy to build
the movement upon an ignoring of the
Democratic associations of the people of
the State. Nor does any one, either in
Chester or elsewhere, help the cause he
has at heart by this line of argument
If this or that man has ceased to be O
Democrat, in becoming an advocate for
reform, not 30 with that large number
of good and true men who are in SYM
pathy with the principles of libcralized
Democracy. What is the reform move
ment? 1t is the ignoring of national
issues to meet local wants. It is fair
proposition that all men, Democrats, Re-
publicans, white and colored, she'll move
in harmony for the cause of good and ho-
nest government in South Carolina. The
movement for reform is general and
comprehensive, but it ceases to have our
sympathy when it grows anti-Demo-