The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-04-26
The Anti-Radical Programme.

programme unanimously advised by the late
conference of the Anti radical Press. The
Inselliqencer sustains, Of course, the resolu,
tions OF the Press Conference recognizing
the equal right of oil citizens to vote and
hold public office; but it is decidedly opposed
to nominating a general ticket in opposition
to the Radical party.
What has been the effect, in the up-coun'
try OF the action Of the Press Conference,
we have no means of knowing. The Intel
hgencer says that, so far as its information
extends, that action ''has fallen unheeded
''upon the ears OF the colored people" This
may he the case in Anderson, 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 reform, we,
at least, should not be surprised or dis
couraged The refusal of the Democracy
to recognize, without qualification, the
equal civil rights Of all citizens did, un-
doubtedly lead the colored man to believe
that the white man was his enemy. No hair
! splitting, or special pleading, would con-
vince the freedmen that the whites were
their friends, so long as the Party to which
those whites ostensibly belonged denounced
the Laws which made the colored man citi-
zen, and threatened to repeal those laws
upon the first convenient opportunity. Now,
the legal rights of the coored man are Sc
cured to him by the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, and the white people accept that
decision as final, meet the colored man on
common ground as their political equal, and
recognize his privileges with the same frank
ness and honesty with which they formerly
opposed them. Considering, then, that the
white people stood in the position OF accord
ing tardy recognition of very obvious
fact, why should it have been expected that
the colored people would leap at once into
the political embraces of the whites? There
was no ground for such an expectation. All
that the Press Conference proposed to do
was to unite uti the whites IN a-general
affirmation or recognition of the civil and
political equality of all citizens of the State,
and to invite political alliance for the re-
dempton and reformation Of the State Gov
ernment. And what has been the result
With astonishing unanimity the white peo-
pie of the Stats do join in the recognition OF
the legal rights OF their colored tellow-citl-
zens, and do express desire to band all good
men together in o movement whose aim
shall be, not the success OF Democracy or
the subyersion Of Republicanism, but the
establishment of stable, honest and frugal
government. Turning to the colored peo-
pie, 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 change, and
which show taat fraud and corruption injure
poor as well as rich, the black man as well
as the white. But Rome was not built IN
day, and we did not expect to overcome, in
an instant, the sophistries OF Radicalism
and the prejudices resulting from years Of
malicious Misrepresentation. We believe
that the coIored people will work heartily
with US when convinced that we are thor
ougbly in earnest. And steady and patient
work and Just representation OF erory class
will give them confidence if we only perse-
we're. So far as the colored people are con-
cerned, we gee no reason for rdiscouragement.
But the Tatelttgencer thinks that 10 run an
opposition ticket will strengthen the efforts
OF the Radical leaders, and cause the colored
vote To he given, almOstas unit, in favor OF
the Radical nominees. The reply to this,
in our judgment, is plain and convincing.
Unless we have organization and concert OF
action, unless we have concentration OF pur-
pose and harmony OF intention, we cannot
by any possibility succeed. Anl this organ
ization, this harmony, this unity 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 oppo-
stion to Radicalism, encourage desertion,
and even drive our people over to the Radi-
cal Party, there to stay, there to work, and
there to make its defeat impossible. Thou
sands of white men will so bodily over to
Radicalism, unless We give them Party
with which to work. They will attempt 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 I,stelligenccr would desire.
We admit frankly that the one great thing
to strive for is change in the State Legis-
lature; for majority Of respectable and
upright men in that body could do much in
checking the Executive, however daring
and unscrupulous that officer might be. But
we say, emphatically, that the very course
advised by the InteNigmcer for securing
majority in the General Assembly is per-
fectly consistent with, and would be strength
ened by, an adoption Of the policy Of the
Press Conference. Ne cannot undertake to
decide, beforehand, what will be the action
OF the June Convention. We do hope and