The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-04-17
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Oldo 80, when those whose eincerity we
cannot doubt, whose Judgment wa re-
spect, andswho, from their position, are
entitled tosan opinion, unite in counsel.
We have no objection to convention of
our people to consult upon the circum-
stances in which we are placed, but born
and bred in community who have ever
listened to those who would express their
thoughts, however much at variance with
the opinion Of the hour those thoughts
might be, we shall venture to consider
and discuss the principles which the late
Convention of the Press, in this State,
have unanimously resolved to announce
as the basis of our future action. The
principles which they have declared are,
that our people shall recognize the legal
right OF all the citizens of the State, ir.
respective of color, to suffrage. and their
right to Office also, subject only to per.
sonal qualification and fitness. This, we
are told, they advise as putting aside
dead issues, and accepting the situation.
We haze accepted The situation. When
we laid down our arms, we submitted to
the rule Of the conquering power. The
choice then before us was between star
walton, devastation and horrors greater
than those of war, on the one hand, and
on the other Government opposed to
our principles and averse to our tastes,
and which might be vindictive. We
chose the latter.
The people of the North seemed at
fret disposed to be contented with the
practical contradiction Of the theory of
power to retain the cotton States within
their domain. But the vigorous efforts
of the Southern people to renew their
overtaxed resources, their wonderful
success during the first two years after
the surrender, warned the radical party
that its power could be secured only
through the passions engendered by the
war. Hence the reconstruction mea-
sures, with the double purpose of adding
to their strength and humiliating our
people.
AS has been we'll observed by foreign
writer, the refinement of cruelty in con-
quest was reserved to the United States
q Government-the infliction of moral
degradation in the place of physical pun
ishment. The Northern people have, by
force, placed the former slave over his
master, and have elevated the African
over their own brethren of the Oauca-
sian race. They have inverted the pyra-
mid, and, for two years, have kept it
standing upon its apex by the support of
the bayonet. But all this was the risk
we accepted when We laid down our arms
in order to return to our homes to pro.
vide food for our starving families, and
to protect our defenceless fre-sides.
We accepted the situation, and when.
our most peaceful districts, we would
not notice their insolent bravado, and
when our fellow citizens were tauntingly
marched, under negro guard, through
our streets, we turned aside to hide the
tear of humiliation, or the expression Of
unavailing anger.
We accepted the situation, and when,
therefore, person publicly charged as q
public defaulter was placed over us as
Mayor, against the votes we were per.
mitted to cast; and when another as pub
licly charged as blackleg, forger aud
murderer (charges which, repeated
again aud again, he has never attempted
to deny) was admitted without question
as our Representative to Congress, We
made no useless remonstrance. When
strangers were put over us to be our
judges, we heard them declare from the
bench their ignorance of the law they
were undertaking to administer, strug-
gled to recognize in their pronunciation
the most familiar names of our people,
and bore without remark tone to which
we were not accustomed. Our neighbors
even ieered us for our forbearance under
taunts and indignities instigated by our
oppressors to rouse US to futile resist
ance.
Our people had accepted the situation,
and they submitted to all these as the
results of the surrender of their arms.
Without the power to resist, they dis
dained to complain. Their wealth, their
influence, their luxuries, their hopes,
were all put aside as dead issues. But
having so accepted the results of their
struggle, it is now proposed by some of
ourselves that we shall do more; that in
place of the Federal bayonet, our own
hands shall be raised to prop the invert-
ed, tottering pyramid. That aoe shall
recognize the right of all races in our
midst to suffrage and to office, ourselves
rivet the chains with which our hands
and feet are now bound.
Assured that those who have an
nounced these principles do not believe
that the results we anticipate will fol-
low, we propose to discuss the PROPOSE