The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-03-21

he should properly exercise In elevating the
best representatives of the black race to office.
Not only is the right Of the black man to
hold office q legitimate consequence Of the
right to vote, but 1t makes less inroads upon
tImc-honored prejudiccs 1t is step less in
advanceNless revolutionary in fact and in
semblance, than was the concession Of univer-
sal suffrage. tn make the bondman the mas
ter-the newly entrancilised the sole dispensers
of of1ice-to make the ignorant rule the intelli-
gent. and the poor controi the property of the
rich: this was so contrary to the principles OF
right reason. and the first instincts OF our ma
ture, that, granting this, we may well COZ
cede, without murmur, everything else IN
volyed We concede the principle In Its length
and breadth; we have no reason to Sickle at
any of its legitimate consequences. Negro SUI
frage has been established. We shall not gain
say the right of the negro to hold office. We
20 further: we prefer the negro In Office to the
rule of the carpetbagger and the scalaWaSS;
and this for two reasons-reasons which In
vulve the whole question OF competency-that
he possesses more Of ability and integrity:
lst The black man In office will naturally be
the best representative of his race, and surpass
the carpet-bagger and scalawag in intelligence
and ability. By the carpet-bagger we do not
mean Northern men who come to settle with
lis permanently for s'weal or woe;' we mean
mere adventurers. the 'bummers" of the
camp. They have not the stamina to compete
with solid men at home, but are mere walls
of the storm, thrown up to the surface by the
currents ofrevolution. They are insignificant,
inert and powerless for coed rs the scalawags
themselves-men who turn against their race,
and sacrifice their sel-respect and she good
opinion oftheir neighbors for the lust Of office.
Do you want to verify these conclusions? Turn
20 our late Legislature itself. Who were Its
controlling spirits Wright, DeLarge, Elliott,
Whipper. Northern men, some OF them, 1t Is
true, but the best representatives OF race
with whom they are identified In interest and
blood, and to whose advancement they are
pledging their best energies. iFC -
But 2d. Who were the most honest and con.
servatlve Republicans In that same Legisla-
ture? We believe no one doubts the honesty
of Wright, and we have heard no allegation
against the others They are also the most
conservative. It stands to reason that 1t should
be so. The carpet-bagger has left his home
and his associates, and allied himself with the
alien race. and oil for the greed Of office. The
scalawag has gone farther, and turned ag alnsi
''those of his own household" They have
both done violence to the instincts OF race, and
sacrificed reputation and self-respect, which
are the bulwarks of character Can we hesl.
tate long In choosing such man as Wright OF
DeIarge or bomax In preference We re.
spect an honest, conscientious. black man, Not
only do we not blame the colored men fol
electing such representative Of race, but We
endorse his action In the. prensles. We would
choose such ourselves In preference to the
others.
Such are our views, and such we believe are
the sentiments of the white men Of the South
those 'sto the manor born" The Republican
party claims the monopoly of good will to the
black man. We dispute the claim. Weappea
RI tha moot. xuo ora WillinO if mead hp tO 5pIVf
pledges for the future. Allthe associations o
our past, all the interests Of the present, oil
the considerations of the future, make us the
friends of the black man. This could be clear
ly made to appear, but we must defer Its con
slderatiOn for the present.