The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-06-15

i itN"'f 'F-f
The re election Of Whittemore is but
the act of desperation OF these men, to
perpetuate their power; aud sour Nation
al Legislature is presented with hy-
poorite and renegade to save junta Of
petty thieves in their uneasy and uncer.
tain positions at home.
The Republican party must wash its
hands of these political abortious called
State officials in the reconstructed States,
or it must cease to rule in single
commonwealth of the South. When
reconstruction began it was impossible
to place competent and honest men in
power in the Southern States but re
construction is settled, and the Repub.
licau party must demand ability and
Integrity in its representative men, or it
must die. If Whittemore shall bo
admitted, and thus the high sanction of
the Republican national administration
be given to the political aaycnturcrs
who have bIotted the history of the con.
stitution, and now hang as mill stoucs
about the nccks of the Struggling States
of the South, they will all follow Virgi.
nia and Tennessee, and Republican
power in the South will have no future.
Its history will be but continued
chapter of shame and misfortune, and
it will pass away speedily amidst tho
rejoicings Of all honest men. Already
the citizens party is making headway
in South Carolina, and embraces in its
ranks somc of the ablest leaders, both
white and black, in the State; and it
needs but the admission Of Whittemore,
and the high approval Of q Republican
Congress to be given the imbecilo and
corrupt rulers who have returned him,
to insure the utter and hopeless disco,p.
fiture of Republcanism in the strong
est Republican. State of the South.
THE CHARACTER OF TIE MAN
EhEOrED.-WILL CONGRESS- AD-
NIT TzkIs DIsGRACED CADET
SWINDLER.
In the same vein as tho above manly
and outspoken article, the travelling
correspondent of the New York
Tribune writes from South Carolina !;
The fact that the return of MIR Whit.
:emore to Congress will in1ict serious
blow upon the best interests of the
Republican party and Of tho South, is
not moro in the minority party opposing
him on general grounds than by the in.
telligeut Republicans of South Carolina.
"W i'll not the House rise to the dignity
Of refusing to receive him ?" they ask,
urging that his resignation ought net
to prevent his receiving some adequate
punishment for the offence holcommittcd
But when I intimate that the House
will probably consider its duty done in
letting the self convicted representative
go back to his constituents branded
with vote of ccnsurc, these gentlemen
sigh, aud fear there is no hope Of over
coming, in Mr.. Whittcmorc's own dis
trict, the hold which he has obtained
upon his very peculiar constituency du-
ring the too brief time which the order
for election leaves to accomplish any.
thing. Tho extraordinary condition of
affairs temporarily existing in South
Carolina in consequence OF the with
holding of amnesty and the snddcu Gle
ection to supreme power of class, at
least, inexperienced in the wilcs beset>
ting legislation, has induced facility
for corruption in its politics which the
many honest men in the dominant par
ty have the moro difficulty in fighting,
because the opposition do not recog-
uize their efforts, but class all as 'cechcs
together. There is an unplcasantly
large class of politicians who live only
by politics, who know no other profess
sion, and who look upon the illegitimatc
cmolumcnts of the trade with equally
favorable eyes. When TO these VIC add
an infusion in the Legislature of men
chosen as the most eligible in commu~
nifty of field hands who never saw
school house and never owned five
dollar bill, it is easily to be seen that
dangers beset the public affairs of South
Carolina-dangers which will lessen as
education is spread among the people,
as wealth is diffusod, as amnesty per-
mits the voters to choose among men
whose loyalty has been sadly stained,
but whose private integrity is above
suspicion-but dangers not the less real
to the present welfare of the State, and
the creation OF chronic
political corruption which it will be hard
to countoraot. That the general virtue
innate in the voters of the State at large
is proof against this peril as yet, is
abundantly shown by the high character
of the senators chosen, and of the Gov.
ernor. But there arc detached localities
liable to error, tho votes Of
which may fasten many cormorants upon
the commonwealth, and the most cons
spicuous of these is the district I'M which
Mr.. Whittcmore was lucky enough to
encamp at the close of the war;. and
which he shrewdly made the stepping
stone to one place after another, till he
reached tho seat in Congress, from which
only his own carelessness temporarily
lislodged him. And though he may
succeed in deceiving his immediate
Mr.. Whittcmorc's true
character is p0I fcctly well known to
those who have Served with him in the
State councils at Columbia, and tho
rouOhlv iInderstood bv LEADING Rcnuh-