The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-04-22
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conrse of action ourselves, and in 80 mo-
mentous time as this we would scarcely
venture the expression of en- opinion
were not our convictions in regard to our
course so strong. and did we not feel it
due to those from whom we dissent that
we should indicate, AT least, what we our
selves would do. The plan we would
suggest, then, is simply this--to accept
The situation.
If We can gather any one lesson from
our history since the war, it appears to
us to be this, that our conquerors do not
intend, Mt least for the present, to per-
NIT us to control our affairs. Every step
taken by us to regain our influence and
control, even by the means they seemed
to have provided for us, has been re-
sented by the ruling party. Few of us
deny now the mistake we made in i'm
portuning President Johnson for his Pro-
visionsl Government. And when against
his own judgment ho gave us that gov
eminent, what use did we make of it?
We volunteered. it is true, several works
of penance, and inflicted upon ourselves
many notifications, the bitterness of
which we only appreciated. But then
with the power, once more in our hands,
as we thought, we could not help med
ding with the policy Of our conquerors,
and we enacted negro code. We all
now know the effect Of that measure.
Then came the Philadelphia Convention,
"the big machine" which Governor Orr
thought, she was running" There again
we attempted to direct the affairs OF our
masters, and perhaps showed too much
ability to do so, if force was not to be
counted. And then was the Presidential
election, in which no one could have
judged from the tone of our press aud
speeches, that we were but newly forced
back into the fold we had attempted to
leave. The Reconstruction Acts were
passed, and our people seemed to believe
that they were the fulfilment, the cou-
summation, the end of the work and
policy of the radical party-that having
secured the African in the enjoyment of
rights and liberties, thenceforth they
would leave him to maintain them; and
so we Immediately commenced trading
politics with the negro upon his newly
acquired franchises.
In this we are again repeating our old
error. The radicals have not freed our
slaves and endowed them with rights as
on end, but Us means-the means of
controlling us. and the better the bargain
we make with these newly y-created voters,
allowed by the radicals. They have not
given the negro this liberty. aud this
power for his benefit, but for their own.
He is much their slGvo now Us ho was
ours in the olden time-the form only of
his bondage is changed.
Do we expect, then, to overcome the
radical party by the vote which they
have created for their own purposes, aud
which they can control by the same force
which gave it existence? to destroy them
with their own sword? Our plans for
alternating this vote may be very inge-
NOUS, but when did power ever care to
reason, or condescend to measure words?
Have we not seen that every flaw we
have discovered in their laws has been
Immediately remedied by more stringent
enactments, and every difficulty in their
application solved by the sword?
Would not the Press Conference place
our people in the position of some poor
unfortunate who hns been tempted by
her impatience of poverty, to sell her
virtue-only to suffer in dishonor when
her virtue is gone?
Let us learn from nll this the necessity,
If not the choice of our position. the ne
cessity of IA patient aud enduring per
sistepcc in well-doing in the face of dis
couragement. This was Mr.. Adams
advice in 'GS, which we asked for, aud
which though perhaps given somewhat
bluntly, is nevertheless still worthy of
our consideration. And what is this
well-doing in which we are to persist? It
is not in seeking Office and mcddlipg
with the politics of our conquerors, but
in maintaining the silent protest of un-
aggressive but unyielding principle, in
developing the physical and intellectual
resources of our people. Let education,
agriculture, mechanics and commerce be
our only politics. Around such we'll
doing, power, both physical and intel
lectual, must gradually accumulate, and
Will make its presence felt. The giant
Is under the mountain and can only
move it from beneath
1t is, Messrs. Editors, the consoling
reflection OF those who did their duty
during our glorious struggle. that they
are III no wise responsible for the evils
that are now upon our people. AS long
us their liberties balanced in the scale Of
war they fought, they suffered, they en-
dured, they bled. and when at last num-
bers and wealth weighed down their