The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-07
The Negro Declaration OF War.

No one pretends to deny'that the members
of the last General Assembly, with q few
honorable exceptions, were both ignorant
and corrupt. They who we're only dolts
when the session began, were accomplished
knaves when it's labors came to close; and
they who had, from the first, o fair stock OF
efTrontery md viciousness, sharpened the
edge of Il r wits until they could measure
to hal breadth the comparative profit
OF the different varieties of legislative ras-
cality. The members OF the Legislature rep
resented only one class-that OF negro labor.
Accumulated capital, landed estate, personal
property, intelligence, experience and station
had no voice in their deliberations. The
ninety thousand poor laboring .colored men
could have what they liked, because four
filths OF the lawmakers were themselves
negroes, or were elected solely BY the negro
vote. But the sixty thousand white men,
who form the brains and the wealth of the
State, were disregarded altogether, or were
told frankly that they must pay for whatever
help the General Assembly might htcondescend
to give them. Au increased public debt, an
extravaganza administration, enormous taxes,
did not affect the members of the Legisla-
ture. They were not taxpayers, and were
not likely to be 80 until they had stolen
something which might be taxed. This ac-
counts for the .wantonness with which the
public interests were disregarded, and for
the rapidity with which the public monies
were squandered or fooled away.
The sixty thousand white voters knew
where the shoe pinched, and saw clearly that
only Legislature which was thoroughly
honest, and thoroughly representative, could
adjust the public burden 80 that all classes
might be taxed according to their strength,
and none escape their share OF the common
load. Such Legislature could not be had
without the cooperation OF the blacks, who
were in numerical majority, and that CO.
operation could not be obtained unless the
blacks were treated fairly and generously,
and were satisfied besides that their freedom
and its privileges were no longer in danger.
The XVIII aud XVIII amendments to the
Constitution OF the United States determined
the status of the colored man, and the Re-
form party, organized to obtain pure aud
representative government, recognized the
validity and binding force OF those amend
ments. It declared that its aim was the
election OF good and trustworthy men, with
out regard 10 color or politics, and, in pur-
suapcu of this declaration, the different
races anu classes were found side by side
upon every platform, in every commit
tee-room, and upon every ticket. AS
body, the whites stoutly supported the
new movement, and if the blacks did not
come 10 understand the one cenCal idea OF
the Reform party, it was not for want OF
teaching. We believe that they did under
stand it-that they did know that the
government was corrupt-that they did
know that taxation was fast becom-
ins too heavy to be borne--that
they did know that the defeat OF the
Reformers would put in power set OF men
worse than those who ran riot last session
that they did know that continuance OF
the Scott rule, under the old plan, would, in
less than two years, drive thousands OF
whites into exile or reduce them to beggggary..
With the plan and principles OF The Re-
form party plainly before them, the blacks
voted to sustain the party OF corruption.
They did not, as class, vote in ignorance
or under intimidation. They voted for Scott
and his clique. because they see in strife
and prohigacy opportunities OF gain, and
because they see, in the very evils OF which
the whites complain; the means by which /
their Radical oracles may work out their pro-
ject of confscatiDg to the usesof the Radi-
cal negroes all the2property in South Caro-
7. - $50 III