The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-12-21

would prevent their voting by violence, anu OF
this preteXt they were armel by the state th'
| further to alarm ard excite them. They were
told that we were rebels enemies Of the Genera
AID State Governments; that the President ant
the Governor, and the great Republican party
were o,,,. enemies and their filends; that thel
vould never be hurt do what they might
that high taxes we're nothing to them
they didn't pay them; that it would be gooo
for them II the landhoder Should be lorcea
! to sell his lands down TO mese homestead. They
would then have homes through the operation oil
| the land commission and other causes saat oil
the accumulated property here was the result ol
their labor; that it rightful,y belonged to them,
and that the way to get it was to vote for wha'
they were pleased to term "the Republican
party meaning the :uiing .dynasfy IN soutn
| Carolina. These were the arguments with which
the pretended friends and self-constituted al
visers OF the colored peop'e met the solemn peace
| Offering OF the whites, ratified bJ them oy 4
larger vote than has been polel since the war.
To these appeals to prejudice, cupidity and Is
norance we responded, that we were incapable
of the frauds imputed to us; that the whites were
| united in support Of our measures, ard Wcuid SC
prove by their votes; that we had neither Tie in
clinaton nor the power to remand them 10 slavery
no- could we in any way abridgc their rights II
we would; that sc were not responsible for the
introduction OF slavery; that South Carolina, by
| statute, twice protested against It; that 1t had
been continued 10 obedience to supposed nee
essity; that the system, good or bad, had the
merit Of redeeming them from heather barbarity,
to make them what they W ere; that we were hon.
ored by the Almighty in being chosen FOR their
masters and teachers, rather than their Northern
frIends-thar was to be presumed. He meant
well by them when he did so choose; that the eX.
pertinent of the two races coeXisting in the same
State rpon equal terms, in peace and anity, had
vet to be trled that VIC were ready to do our part
but If they made our former relations ground OF
hostility, we could never be at peace, sluce we
could never change the past; that the State could
not prosper SO long as the government was ad'
minstc;ed by the one race, in spirit OF hostility
to the other; that the mad appeals to their pas.
sons and resentmen:s could only lead to violence
and blood II they yielded to them; that we had
proved our Claims 10 the protection Of the laws,
by accepting the terms imposed by our con-
uucrors, and that they, not we, were rebels who
resorled to arms and violence against US in time
OF peace; that neither President nor Governor
could protect or encourage them IL such course,
without violating his constitutional oath; that we
had right 20 claim the support Of true Republi.
cans, because we had accepted the laws Imposed
by them; that If they brought on war against
the whites, they wonld be crushed out Of eSis-
tence before the white men OF America, who were
nearer to US In blood and nature than to them;
that the attempt to tax the whites ont OF their
property would certainly first ruin the laoorers,
who were snbsisted from their means; that prop
erty-holders would never submit TO be turned out
of house and home for the benefit OF few Office
holders, whose duty 1t was to protect the rights
of person and property; that such government
would be without the protection or the law, and
would perish as IL deserved. In brief, We expos
ed the madness, the folly aud the wickedness OF
such incendiary teachings, aud exhausted the re-
sources Of kindly persuasion, but they were for
the most part only the more rooted in prejudice.
and the more violent In It's manifestation.
This summary OF the arguments by which the
colored people were led to fasten upon the State,
for the next two years, the same men who have
so nearly ruined US In the past, demonstrates the
existence among them Of fatal hostility towards
ne. which cannot now be overcome by gentle and
kindly overturcs. 1t Is 30 violent 10 some quarters
az to threaten the existence of society. IL has
been fostered and famed, and kept alive in very
large degree. by those whose duty it Is to protect
society. Magistrates and conserVators OF the
neace have been foremost and unrebuked in in
cendiary utterauces and actions. 1t Is allied not
only with demagoguism-:hat demon, whose
province tits to prostitute the spirit OF liberty
but also with agrarianism, which strikes al the
foundations of civilized society. TO this, aud lg-
norance and the leadership OF the worst, mos5 un.
scrupulous and selfish men, as rule, and some
ftlea NAV be formed Of tae dangers OF the situa-
tion.
A danger known Is more than half averted. 1T
Is MOI our province to suggest remedies. These
will be for yo1r Determination. fes the utterance
OF personal views may be pardoned By your Kind
ness to those fully In sympathy with you' ana
having common Interest in all that concerns
your welfare as q people.
In the first place. let US set a. rest forever ell
doubts about our position upon the questions OF
reconstruction, which have been practically set'
tied, and deal wish them as we do Wsn otheF
laws. An accomplished revolution becomes law.
A contrary course isola.es IA from al eXlstins
political organizations, and shuts ous al nope OF
peaceful deliverance. Let Us retain, in some
form solid combination for mutual prose ctlon
and the preservation Of peace, law aud order, un-
der the lead OF the wses purest and best citizenS
in every community. Ceaseless vigilance, eau
tion and seltrestralnt, combined With adequate
and visible preparation for defence, will insure
the preservation OF peace. There are declarations
of vlrtuous purposes Of late from the Executive o.
the State and some Of our legislators. In ali the
good they do lei Us accord to them our hearty
SUPPORT. In some form, conservatism will surely
triumph in the next Presidential election. Under
whatever name it comes, the leading ideas Will
be the same. Free trade, acquiescence IN accom-
pllshed facts equal rights to all citizens, the su-
premaey of the General Government, but ITS limi
tatIon within the scope G, Its legitimate consitu-
tonal sphere aud the preservation OF the rights o!
the States under the existing constitution.
In view of the probable triumph OF these princi
pies, az evidenced By the resul: Of recent eiec-
tions, we may calculate that there will arise In
South Carolina within the next two years, In
the bosom OF the Republican party, . conServa-
tisrn In harmony with those principles. So far as
possible to do so without participating in Ii, let us
welcome aid and assist lts formation. II not re.
tarded by indscreet action on our part, it may be
made to succeed here two years hence. TO be
plain, any organization in which we took open
part would concentrate largely against il the
co,ored vote, under the lead OF their worst men:
plavlnc, as heretofore, upon their preuGces, pas.