The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-05-27
COLUMBIA s. G.
Friday Morning, May 81. 1870.
soIf-RcIian nSe-e-The substance VS.. tho
Shadow.

Erlu&y MOrulHR, may 0ts AotVs
soIf-Relian nSe--Tho substanco VS.. tho
Shadow.
III this Southland, the tendency ever
has been in our people too much to for
get the virtue Of self-reliance. It may
be that the institution of African slavery
had this effect upon the character of the
Southern people. It was in the late war
between the States, that the South re-
oeived it's first stern but wholesome les
son on this point. The people of the
South first thought that their Northern
political allies would come TO their aid
in the issue they had resolved to make
This dream was broken, when the people
of the North rose en- masse to unite in the
war against us. Next. it was confidently
hoped and believed that, under the
presumed power of king COTTON, TO-
reign or European assistance was to be
counted upon. But no England and no
France came to our side in our unequal
struggle. At last, the South began to
realize that "who would be free, them
lesson was received and acted upon at
late period. The South, thrown upon
her own resources, made q grand effort,
developed resources not dreamed Of be-
fore, and, although ultimately over
whelmed and beaten on all unequal field,
did not succumb until she had extorted
the tribute of admiration from the world,
and made it consistent with honor and
duty to lay aside her undiscovered
standards. The war ended. The South
had received her first lesson Of self-rel-
dnce in the school of war. II seems,
however, that she was not thoroughly
impressed. A period of civil trial came
upon the South. Here, again, we re-
peated the mistake of other days. RE-
CONSTRUCTION was put on foot in the
South. Did the whites of the South
upon themselves depend?" They did
not. Hoping that relief would come from
Heaven or earth, in some way or other,
the business of reconstruction was we'll
nigh closed and the nail olinched, before
into action. It was too late. "Masterly
inactivity" had failed them, and Provi-
dence did not stretch out its hand to
those who had failed to help themselves.
So, now, again. The field of effort, in
behalf of good and honest government, is
opDn before us, and again there are men
who are for letting the forces of nature
work. Are we never to learn the duty
of EFFORT? Are we never to acquire the
philosophy of SELF RELIANCE? Is it to
be that some Delilah is again to cut of
the looks of the Southern Samson? Is
inglorious inactivity again to be our
political bane? We know that there is
virtue in PATIENCE. But we know, also,
that there is vast power in ACTION.
Patience and quiet endurance, in their
place. Ere good qualities; but there are
times, and these are of them, when all
the philosophy of our duty is compre-
hended in wise and we'll directed activity.
It was patient, in Micawber, to wait fol
something to turn up" but it would
have been wiser to go to work and turn
up something. The quiet forces of M
ture! Of these, much is said. We know
that they exist. They exist in the soil,
and yet mans labor and man 8 skill must
be applied to help them on and give
them play. They exist in the human
frame, and yet the physician gives his
active medicines, and the surgeon uses
caustic and lancet. scarifes the skin,
pierces the tumor or lops off the excre
scence.
Let these principles be applied to ou,
situation political, and our readers vii,
understand our philosophy. It is moi
new. It is not original. It is the phi
losophy of history. It is the philosophy
Of common sense. It means "business.
So much for the point political. The
same reasoning holds for the point in
dustrial. Upon ourselves we must de-
pend-must mainly rely. Take the
question of LABOR. No intelligent man