The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-12
Proposals for Peace.

The fundamental principle OF the Union
Reform party Of South Carolina Is the fecos'
nitiop of the equal right of all citizens TO
vote and hold public office. This is not as
the Ring attempt to make the colored peo-
nile believe, a sullen acquiesceuce in an ac-
complisbed fact. It is the expression OF the
Deliberate purpose of the whites to admit, ana
affirm, every privilege which the laws confer
unon the blacks; and this is done, not oe-
cause of greediness for political power out
becanse in no other way is there any hope
of establishing those kindly relations oe-
Tween the two races, without which neither
blacks nor whites can expect to obtain
peacefu, Just and frugal State Government.
The miserable crew who, trading upon the
political capital Of better and purer men,
GAINED the confidence OF the negroes, and
have made the State Government a sink OF
uncleanress and corruption, succeeded in
causing the masses Of the freedmen to re-
gard every honest white man as their enc
my. Sad experience has shown to thous-
ands OF the newly enfranchised race the folly
of trusting to the promises of horde OF needy
Adventures; but other thousands still re.
garded Scott and his lieutenants as their
political saviours, and were encouraged to
persist in their fatal error by the silence and
apathy OF the whites. In the meanwhile the
condition of the State was going from bad to
worse, and it was only too evident that, un-
less the majority Of the whites and the ma
lority of the blacks would unite in an effort
to secure an honest State Government, it
would soon be impossible for any citizen OF
South Carolina to improve his condition,
even If the tax-gatherer allowed him to re-
tain the little property he already possessed.
The whites alone could not change the gov
ernment. Under the guidance OF the Scott
Ring there was no prospect that the blacks
would choose better men to represent them
and US The only chance was in union
for the one purpose of reforming the State
Government and the first step towards it
was the declaration Of principles made by
the Press Conference, and, at later day, by
the Union Reform Convention. In that con-
vention the whites buried the hatchet. They
conceded to the colored people all that they
claimed, and they have stood squarely up to
their every declaration. A generous feeling
caused the whites to go even farther than it
was necessary to go. They were determin-
ed to prove that they had no after-thought,
no ingenious plan for cozening the colored
people, Radical fashion, out of the fruits Of
their labor In this way, an earnest effort is
making toscopvince the colored people that
it is to their interest to vote with the respect
able white people OF the State. This is done
in good faith, and, if the effort fail, there is
little reason for believing that the white and
black races in South Carolina can continue
to live together in amity and peace. The
whites have gone as far as they can go; and,
il the blacks now reject the honest hands
which are extended to them, they will not be
troubled again in hurry with proposals to
ely themselves politically with the great
party OF justice, moderation and peace