The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-30

| for it's ruin. 1t will not be an abandonment OF
the principles of our party, but only union
with our former foes who accept our principles
and join us to rescue the State from corrupt
and incapable hands.
But very great care should be taken in
movement of this kind not to be humbugged.
In some of the States such movements have
been a mere s'sham.n In Virginia it may be
considered grand success. But in Tennessee
it seems to have resulted in throwing the gov
ernment into the hands of the Z" irreconca-
BILE" Democracy The same would doubtless
have been the result in Mississippi and Texas
had it succeeded. Rather than have such a
result in South Carolina, it would be better to
suffer still longer the evils of the present gov
ernment. Our experience Of the old Democra-
cy has not been such as to make US trust too
implicitly to simple professions. Before con-
senting to support the "Citizens' party" We
should know something Of the men who are
are to be put forward by that party as their
standard bearers. As the condition of our
support, we should require to have men who
can be trusted to maintain the principles the
party processes; not the old Democratic
leaders coming forward in new garments
for the sake of getting the power
into their own hands, We have in
the Republican party In South Carolina,
honest, Intelligent, capable and patriotic men,
both white and colored both Northern and
Southern born. We have In our Legislature
few who have stood out boldly and fearlessly
in defence OF the interests and honor Of the
State, and against the tide Of corruption by
which they were surrounded. We have, even
in our State government, two or three such
men, finely educated. able and honest, who
would ornament any government. These men
have had to suffer with the worst members of
their party for the defence of principles which
our former opponents now seem perfectly
ready to admit. They have been thoroughly
tried and found true on all occasions. If the
sCitizens' party" wishes us to believe it is act
ing in good faith, such men must not be neg
lected, but must have prominent part in the
new movement. 1etus have no odous dis
tinctions on account of place of birth or color
of the skin. We want Northern men, North
ern capital and Northern energy to come into
the country to assist in developing Its re-
sources.
It is the interest of all who desire quiet and
the prosperity of the State, that the two races
should live together harmoniously; and it is as
manifestly the interest of the colored as of the
white people, that the State should have an
economical government, and honest, capable
men to administer 1t. If they can be con-
yinced that their rights will be respected by
the "Citlzens' party" all who have acq uired q
little intelligence, or who are already OF hope
to become property owners, would undoubt-
edly support such movement. But If they
see men o" known intelligence and integrity
OF character rejected by this new party, mere
ly because they had advocated the same prin-
cip!es when it was unpopular to do so, they
will, very naturally, suspect that the whole
movement is intended to get the power out of
their hands, and they will consequently
ject 1t.
If then, the "Antl-Radlcal" press and the
"Citizens' party" are sincere in their profess
sions, they should not fail to consult honest
and capable Republicans about the organiza-
ton of this new party, and the candidates who
are to be put forward for prominent and re-
sponsible positions. In the nominations to
the Legislature, the colored people should be
well represented wherever men of their num-
Der can be found with reasonable amount of
intelligence and honesty. In this way the con-
fdence of the best class Of colored people may
be gained, and an honest, economical govere
ment be restored to our State. Such "Clti-
zens' party" l, as a Republican, immovable in.
my attachment to the great principles Of that
party, could heartily support.
Very truly your friend, B. O. DUNCAN.