The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-12-24
Ct!,DElU!M'lBElI.;4Al C.,t!,) #. q ] v Ml[lE II s.. C.
saturday Morning, Do,o,embe4sA. lsg6.
GsneFal> Kersiaaw's Aadress---Our Fu-
.H'li''E ~ n ttare Policy.


mittee Of the late Reform organization.
General J. B. Kershaw has published
an address 70 his political associates.
This address reflects the fair, candid
and patriotic spirit SO characteristic of
the author. and will he received with
great consideration. It contains the
:c<:Ha! announcement Of tho dissolution
Of the Reform party. It contains the
candid admission that the Reform policy
failed, because of the antagonism of the
negro race against the white race. We
heartily concur with General Kershaw
in his philosophy Of the Reform failure.
We heartily agree with him that there
is no propriety IN the white peoples
continuing their efforts in that line. AS
General Kershaw well says: 1T is both
wise and just that room should bo made
for other agencies to do the work that
must be done, in order to save the
perishing State" And he correctly says
that henceforth the whites OF the State
will be found in ''solid phalanx, steady
and determined, ready, willing and pre-
pared to do and to dare all that honor
woull sanction. or God approve, to res
cue their people from ruin and despair"
General Kershaw, in his address, reviews
the canvass in this State, gives al analy-
sis of the arguments used pro and con-,
and, in our judgment, rightly interprets
the failure OF the Reform movement.
We would, perhaps, have put the case
somewhat stronger. General Kershaw
attributes the failure of the Reform
movement to the success of the effort
made to employ against the whites the
antagonism of race. This is doubtless
true. But we hold that the cause lies
even deeper than that. The Reform
effort sought to reconcile that which is
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to bring togeth-
er on equal political terms that which
God and nature have put asunder. It
demonstrated that the negro was not
willing even to divide the Government
with the white man, but that just so
long as he could, he intended to make
the most of his opportunities. Thus
God in his providence puts the white
race upon its mettle-and thus let the
matter rest. The issue will be accepted.
The white race must rule the South
must give tone and direction to our
oivilization-not by denying to the CO.
lored race their just rights, but by H.
Illustrating those qualities that everywhere
ultimately assert the mastery.
Gen. Kershaw closes his address by
some suggestions as to our future policy.
We admit that the views he offers are
plausible, but we cannot say that they
meet our assent. For us quietly to wait
for conservative growth III the bosom
of Radicalism. is. in our judgment, to
wait until dooms-day. Radical oonserva-
tism is horn of decided, strong, resolute
opposition on our part. We want white
self-assertion. We want. our flag raised
and kept flying. We want our princi
pies boldly proclaimed and resolutcly
asserted. We want it understood that
between US and the present regime there
is au irrepressible conflict. When tho
HAlto poOplo VI SUuGu CbTOlluu are Or
ganized in their power and in their
pride-when the policy of severe SELF
ASSERTION shall be adopted linked ,oitA
spirit that is reasonable and .jusi-then
will there exist condition favorable to
that conservative growth from which,
like Gen. Kershaw, We expect good re-
Suits. but which we expect to spring
from white activity and not white pas
siveness. AS for our political associa-
tions, we are clear. AS parties now
stand, the whites of the South and of
South Carolina must be in accord with
the national Democracy. Nor let us
hesitate boldly to avow that we stand
under that flag, just so long as it covers
our spirit, our hopes and our interests.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN JACKSONVILLE
FLoRIDA.-A very destructive fire occur
red in Jacksonville, Fla, on Monday
night, 10th instant. Many of the finest