The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-08-10
fRst Is. ,WaseSrsS.I

r. NE. RDITQRsss3Aftss natntee npaec-
.ion, and esrasst tstudy Of The afspatian;;
1 have sriysdsst, the essslusion thai
We alfousht 10 support tho Reform
Party and its nominees. g,
The evils under which We live. arise.
principally from -:one qause, yis:
The actual separation of.shs White and
eolarsd raaes which !'inhabit this State,
in al political matters. - - ,
| The remsdy--snd tho only feasible
.one--is such an UNION Of those Two
races, politically, as viii prevent ssp==sls
to race distinctions or ,prsiudices. The
alternative is neither more nor less than
a total withdrawal from all political 40
tiop. ''"! .'.a. y
The white race is a minority in South
Carolina, and e refusal on their part to
affiliate, politically, with the colored
race, is simply their own disfranohise-
ment.
The reform party proposes to accept
the present legal status of the colored
race as an accomplished fact, aud to
unite with such Of those races as arc now
ready to ignore past political differences,
and by combined effort, 10 purge the
body politic of those leeches which
have fastened themselves on the vitals
Of the State.
1t is said that We should refrain from
any action in the present election, be.
oo.,.. Eask tho ohonoo Oe ouooao. 20 mt
good and second, because success would
be an Abandonment Of our previous
political principles.
The first objection is very easily
answered. If in any political contest,
the chance Of success should be the
measure Of effort, the result would be
that the dominant party would remain
always in power. But all experience
shows that parties arise aud overthrow
those which havo previously ruled,
making change aud succession, rules
aud even principles Of political econo.
my.
AS to the second: "Our principles"
arc words which have universal appiica.
tion, but are not always expressive Of
the same ideas. In 1860, our principles
carried us into division of the Demo.
cratic party. In 1861 they led US to
war, aud there we took leave of them,
referring their future to the arbitra.
ment Of the sword. In 1865, having
failed to sustain our principles, by force
of arms, we accepted the result Of the
war as necessity, and recognized the
freedom of the colorcd race. In 1868
wo fur thor recognized the legality of the
Civil Rights Bill, and in 1870 we admit
the Fifteenth Amendment to the Con.
stitution. What remains Of those
principles ne held sacred in past time ?
Now, the coorcd race has the right
to the franchise, acquired as such rights.
always arc-by legal enactment. We
have voted along. g.side of him, and have
oecn taxed aud governed by those whom
his votes elected. Shall we hesitate to
recognize in words the status which,
every day, We freely admit iu our acts ?
Or shall We adopt the maxim of MIR.
Micawber, aud wait for ''something to
turn upY
The maxim of the true statesman
must always be to make such practical
issues only as are conclusive to the
"hASoi"'o "uo iasIiuS pcueut VI Ino
State.
The only question now, on which the
people of South Carolina can possibly
defeat the present reign of vice and
corruption is complete obliteration of
mere distinctions in poiitics, and such
fusion as will render any man in the
State eligible 10 any Office.
Such programme will not harmo-
nize with our past feelings and prede-
lections, nor would ithpw be accepted
as matter of bare Shdsce. At best it
would be but choice of evils. But we
cannot have things as We would. We
must bo thankful to escape greater evils
by tho voluntary endurance of minor
ones.
For these, and other reasons which
arc fully satisfactory to my mind, have
concluded to render full, free and
hearty support to the Reform Party and
its nominees, and will cheerfully entcr
into any organizatoL for that purpose.
Respectfully,
e.. w. NOISE.