The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-06-08
S. G
Wednesday Morning, June 8, 1870.
The Movement for Reform.

SNA SS1bo SONSAdbAohp IL uuSt uOG Ue
overlooked, that there are many who do
not desire o reform. There are num-
ber OF persons-some white, some black,
some from abroad, some, alas, from our
own midst-who do not want any other
kind of government than tho one we have
had. These persons flourish in corrupt
times. just as some noxious weeds live
only in m infected atmosphere. RE-
FORM, RETRENCHAIENT and HONESTY would
be their death. To kill CORRUPTION
would be to kill the goose that lays for
them the golden egg. This class will, of
course, oppose any reform, and mark
them well, for they are the foes to good
government, to public morality, to pri-
vate honor, to the interests of the great
mass of the people. There are other
foes to reform. There is the open foe
the honest Republican partisan-who
either does not believe in the frauds
charged upon his party leaders, or thinks
that any other set of men would steal
quite as much, and, therefore, he does
uOG CuI6 W UluA0 u CAbdSOs U1oi oIIAo
class it is possible to argue, and let us
reason with them. But the chief foes to
the reform movement are GENERAL
APATHY, (white,) and GENERAL D1sTRUsT,
(colored.) As to this general apathy, we
regard it natural, under the circumstan-
ces, but neither wise nor patriotic. This
apathy, in Our judgment, proceeds, in
part, from the character of the move
ment for reform, and in part from the
general disgust that our white fellow
citizens feel for the subject of politics
so upprepossessing has the business got
to be in this State We have said that
this feeling is natural. But let us add,
that it cannot be safely INDUCED. Poll
tics is business. It largely concerns us.
In view of the duty we owe to ourselves,
our families, md our State, we cannot
properly divest ourselves of our respon-
sibility for the management of our pub
lie affairs. And we affirm that it is the
bounden duty Of every good and sober
citizen to strike now, and to strike always,
blows political, rs we'll as blows industrial,
for South Carolina. If we would i'm
prove the prospect Of the Stale, it is
plain that movement for reform is a
high duty. We have also to deal with
the general distrust Of tho colored voter
towards us. We do not know that this
can be remedied. But if we state plainly
what our disposition and our sentiments
are towards him, and his political stotus,
it may be that confidence may be re-
stored between tho two races in the South
We have nothing more to say or to do in
this behalf Our sentiments toward the
colored man ever have been liberal and
kindly. We acknowledge now, freely
and cheerfully, the rights secured to him
by law, and We are ready to deal with
him as man whose citizenship should
be improved, and whose services should
be utilized for the general good. But
we have no special appeal to make to him
now or evermore We do not consider
that the destinies of our race depend
upon him. If he can do without the
native whites of the South, we are sure
that the native Southerners and the
adopted whites of the South can do
without him. Let him make his cleo
ton, and then he will be responsible for
his future. We desire earnestly to see
both races in the South living i'll har-
mony and peace. But, our moderation
having been known of all men. thus far
have we gone, and we expect to go no
further in tenders of amity and propo-
sitions of political union.
There is, also, another bar to the re-
form movement, not hitherto mentioned,
and this is what We call spirit Of CAL
cULATIoN. We mean this: It seems that
in our cities, towns and villages, there is
class OF persons who, for fear Of their
business being injured, arc indisposed
to show their hands in political move
mcnts. They prefer to curry favor with
both sides, and therefore they are really