The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-03-23
11ss SSsss 0esSssssos.

Ia, Response to call from the Coldm.
bia GSardias, meeting Of tho auti.
radical press of the State was held at
Columbia, on Wednesday last, 10th
inst. The conference was large mud
influential. The following resolutions
were unanimously adopted:
1. Resofued, That this Conference re.
cognises the legal right Of all citizens
Of the Etste, irrespective IF color, to
suffrage.
Q. Resozued, That this conference
recognizes the legal right. of all the
citizens Of tho State, irrespective Of
color or former condition, to Office, SUBJ
jcct alone to personal qualification and
fitness.
g. Resolrcd, That, in the judgment
Of this conference, convention of the
people of the State, opposed to radical
ism and in favor Of good aud honest
government, should be held in the city
Of Columbia, at some convenient time,
for the purpose of nominating State
ticket, which, while assuring equal and
exact justice to all, viii! afford some de.
gree ofseOurity, prosperity, and good
gogcrpmcns.
4. Rcsolved, That this conference
respectfully suggests to the people Of
the State, Wednesday, the 18th Of June
ensuing, as a suitable time for holding
said Convention.
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS.
We annex, Gas far as they have come
to handy extracts from the comments of
the press upon the action embodied in
the above resolutions:
From the Charleston Courier.1
The press conference at Columbia,
forms an era in the history Of the State.
1t has adjourned after an unanimous
action. The meeting was largo and in
ilucntial and represented the tone and
spiri. Of tho anti. Radical journals of
the State. All acknowledged the i'm
portance Of the crisis and tho necessity
Of united action on the part OF those
charged with the public Interests, for
release from the misrule, corruption aud
unjust domination, which has op-
pressed the liberties, the general vel
fare, and the industrial advancement
of our beloved commonwealth.
The conference was free aud frank.
Every member was heard, patiently
aud thoroughly, upon the proper action
and course to be pursued. All addressed
themselves to the vital questions of the
public veal with honesty Of purpose and
fullncss Of expression. After hearing
each others views, there was not dis
senting voice as to the conclusion.
Those who desire good government,
from the mountains to- the seaboard,
are unit. Our ranks are formed. Our
counsels are one. We move forward
in solid and unbroken column.
The Courier speaks, subsequently, as
follows
We alluded ycasterday, very briefly,
to the action of the Press Conference in
reference to the political condition of
the State. Events have. in great
measure, determined their own destiny.
The results OF the civil war have brought
into existence a new state of things.
And with these We have to dc,' Time
has moved on with rapid march. This
presses upon us for a solution Of the
present. As in all other times Of po-
litical changes and convulsions, the dead
past must, Of necessity, bury its dead.
History but repeats itself Parties
spring up, perform their mission. and
then give way to the new combinations,
and the formation of new ideas and is.
n hos I,a 1o
tion of time. In this country We have
pregnant examples.
in the earlier periods the country
was, for many years, divided between
the Federal and Republican organiza
tions. But with succeeding Admins
trations the old issues were all rcgula-
ted by events, until at last the famous
declaration was madc-"We are all
Federals, we arc all republicans" After
this parties took new shapes, according
to the issncs presented, and resolved
themselves into the names Of Democrats
and Wings. The old names passed
away with the fresh incidents to which
time gave bir:h. The name of Whig
has already gone the way ofal events.
AID so will it ever be.
There must always be two parties.
But these will even be founded upon
the present and bo responsive to issues
as they arise. The contest, however, in
Which the people of this State arc now
interested, is not one of national politics,
but of State welfare. 1t is local in its
character. 1t is the redemption of tho
State from misrulc, extravaganza and
corruption. The responsibility is upon
every man in the community of what
ever previous politics or view, to en-
dcavor to obtSAn some degree of good
government, under which he may live
in security and which he mas transmit
with some degree of hope to his pos
tcrity.
1t is The question of bad government
or Sond government, Of extravaganza oi
of economy, Ola representation OF ig-
norancc or Of intelligence, Of corruption
or of good faith, OF ruin or Of prosperity.
The Press conference have planted
themselves upon tho basis of equal
and exact justice. They have acknow-
lcdycd every claim which the progres.