The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-05-05
ANDERSON c. H. G., THURSDAY MORNING; MAY 5, 1870
The Anti. Radical Programme.

The Anti.Radical Programme.
We print, in another column, an article from
the Anderson Intelligence, in which are recor-
ded the earnest convictions of that excellent
journal, in regard to the political programme
unanimously advised by the late conference of
the Anti-Radical Press. The LntellsgenceT sus-
tains, of course, the resolutions of the Press
Conference. recognizing the equal right of all
citizens to vote and hold public Office; but it is
decidedly opposed to nominating general
ticket in opposition to the Radical party.
What has been the effect, in the up-country,
of the action of the Press Conference, ne have
no means of knowing. The htelGgencer says
that, so far as its information extends, that ac-
tion "has fallen unheeded upon the ears of the
colored people" This may be the case in An
derson, but it is not the case in the tide-water
region, and if there had been no public sign
whatever that the colored people were willing
to cooperate with the whites in the work of re-
form, We ut least, should not be surprised or
discouraged The refusal Of the Democracy to
recognize, without qualification, the equal civil
rights of all citizens did undoubtedly, lead the
colored man to believe that the white man was
his enemy. No hair-splitting, or special plead
ing, would convince the freedmen that the
whites were their friends, so long as the Party
to which those whites ostensibly belonged de-
nounced the laws which made the colored man
a citizen, and threatened to repeal those laws
upon the first convenient opportunity. Now,
the legal rights of the colored man are secured
to him by the Constitution of the United States,
and the white people accept that decision as ii.
nal meet the colored man on common grohnd
as their political equal, and recognize his privi
lege with the same frankness and honesty with
which they formerly opposed them. Consider
ing, then, that the white people stood in the
position of according.a tardy recognition OF s.
very obvious fact, why should it have been ex-
pected that the colored people would leap al
once into the political embraces of the whites
There was no ground for such an expectation.
All that the Press Conference proposed to dc
was to unite all the whites in general affirma-
ton or recognition of the civil and political
equality of all citizens of the State, and to in
yite political alliance for the redemption and
reformation of the State Government And
what has been the result? With astonishing
unanimity the white people of the State join
in the recognition of the legal rights of their
colored fellow-citizens, and do express desire
to band all good men together III movement
whose aim shall be, not the success of Democ-
racy or the subversion of Republicanism, but
the establishment of q stable honest and fru-
gal government. Turning to the colored peo-
ple we find that, in this region, they are ready
to lend willing ear to our statements, and are
anxious to hearken to the arguments which
prove the necessity of a change, and which
show that fraud and corruption injure poor as
well as rich, the black man as well as the ewhite.
But Rome was not built in a day, and we did
not expect to overcome, in an instant, the So
phistries of Radicalism and the prejudices re-
sulting from years Of malicious misrepresenta-
ton. We believe that the colored people will
work heartily with us when convinced that we
are thoroughly in earnest. And steady andpa-
tient work. and q just representation OF every
class will give them confidence, if We only per-
severe So far as the colored people are con-
cerned, we see no reason for discouragement.
But the Lntelligencer thinks that to run an op-
position ticket will strengthen the efforts of the
Radical leaders, and cause the colored vote to
be given, almost as unit, in favor of the Radi-
cal nominees. The reply to this, in OUR judg-
ment, is plain and convincing. Unless we have
organization and concert of action, unless we
have concentration of purpose and harmony OF
intention, we cannot by any possibility succeed.
And this organization, this harmony of action,
can only be had by running general ticket for
Governor and Lieutenant-Governor against the
Radical nominees. Unless this be done OUR
strength will be frittered away; we shall be
whipped in detail. Nor is this all. We shall
break up all organized opposition to Radical
ism, encourage desertion, and even drive our
people over to the Radical Party, there to stay,
there to work, and there to make its defeat i'm
possible Thousands of white men will go
bodily over to Radicalism, unless we give them
Party with which to work. They will at
tempt to make Radicalism reputable, and,
whether they succeed or not, no Anti-Radical
Party could defeat them for ten or twenty years
to come This is about the last thing which
the IntelLtgencer would desire.
We admit frankly that the one great thing to
strive for is a change in the State Legislature; !;
for majority of respectable and upright men
in that body could do much in checking the
Executive, however daring and INSCRIPTIONS
that officer might be-. But wesay, emphatically,
that the very course advised by the Intelligencer
for securing majority in the General Assem-
bly, is perfectly consistent with, and would be
strengthened by, an adoption of the policy of
the Press Conference. We cannot undertake
to decide, beforehand, what will be the action
of the June Convention. We do hope and be-
lieve, however, that it will adopt policy which
will have all the strength and unity which can
be given by an organized opposition to Radical
ism, and will, at the same time, leave every
county perfectly free to do the best that it can
for itself in the election of members Of the
Legislature and county officers. We do believe
it necessary that there should be opposition can
didates for Governor and Lieutenant-G Governor;
but we do not think it necessary that there
should be opposition tickets for each county.
We should prefer to allow each county, while
working for the State ticket, to do the best it
can for members of the Legislature and county
officers and where it can be arranged to have
but one county ticket, such ticket as the whole
county can support, q contest would be a seri-
GUS injury. This, at all events, is the policy we
have advocated under the name of the CITIZENS
Reform movement. The June Convention may
not countenance that movement, or may prefer
another name. But we are earnest in our con-
yictions that proper State ticket can succeed,
nnd Of the same time rive To anch county all the