The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-06
The Lesson of the North Carolina Elec-
tiorts.


Carolina, before the late elections, was like
that in which South Carolina finds herself.
Executive and legislative extravaganza, and
official and personal corruption, had doubled
the expenses of the government, made the
administration of the laws costly and uncer-
tain, and cast foul blot upon the escut-
cheon of the State The people OF North
Carolina saw only too plainly that the time
had come for making desperate struggle
for the protection OF their property, the
security OF their families, and the preserva-
ton OF their rights as men. Twice had the
Conservative party been defeated. In April,
1865, a Radical Governor was elected by
is, 900 majority. Six months later Grant
and Colfax had majority OF $4,000. Upon
purely party issue there was no hope OF
succeeding, but the expressions OF Holden
and his co-conspirators touched all classes
and all colors and it was wisely determined
in the old North State-es it has been deter
mined in South Carolina to organize
ali the elements opposed to misrule and
fraud into q solid column, before which the
banners of the enemy should so down in
confusion The first step was the publica-
ton of an address to the people by the Con-
servatiYe members OF the General. Assembly,
In that address are set forth the wrongs and
grievances of the people. In it the declara-
ton is made that ready obedience is yield
ed to the laws and the constitution, that the
Reconstruction acts are regarded as fnali-
ty, that the status OF the colored man, as
fixed by law, is accepted in good faith.
These were the main points of the address,
which reads as though it we're written for
South Carolina as we'll as for the Old North
State. That address was the platform OF
the c :rservative party. And we print it to.
day, that our people may see and under
stand, that North Carolina, in the late elec-
tions, occupied the Identical position which
is held by the Union Reform party OF South
Carolina, and was loining battle with the
very tyrannies and expressions which have
nerved our people to make one more strug-
gle in the cause Of good government.
Working upon platform similar to that
of the Union Reform party, the North Caro-
lima Conservatives soon oyercame the early
apathy OF the people. The printed state
ments of the public debt and public ex-
penses convinced all classes that their only
hope lay in union for the common defence.
The declarations in regard to reconstruction
and negro suffrage satisfied the Republi-
cans. both white and black. All the bayo-
nets of Holden's militia could not orerawe
the people. No declaration Of martial law
made them abandon the fight in despair.
They stood to their posts like heroes, land
won glorious victory-a victory OF purity
aud truth, over rottenness and crime: And
South Carolina, if her people work as hard.
will tell the same tale in October.
The colored people in North Carolina
were prejudiced against the whites, as they
are here. Every effort was made to alarm,
delu le and mslead them, as is done in this
State. They were told that, if the Conser-
vatives won, the blacks would be Put back
into slavery. The same huge falsehood is
nculcated by the Scott Ring But the
North Carolina freedmen resolved to stand
by the decent white people, by way OF ex-
pertinent They did so, and they have no
cause for regret. Immediately after the
elections, the Conservative committee issued
congratulatory address, and in that adj
dress, made when the fight was won, every
pledge given before the election is solemnly
repeated. The committee declare that the
victory sfs due in a great measure to the
uprising of honest and Conservative men OF
call parties" Thousands who, in the former
elections, voted with the Radicals, helped
the Conservatives to win the triumph which
gladdened the hearts Of the South And the
Conservative party, counselling harmony and
peace, proudly declares that time will show
that all its promises OF Justice, equal rights
and honest government, will be faithfully re-
deemed.
We print the addresses OF the North Caro-
lima Conservatives, made before and after
! the election, in order that our people may
see for themselves how their plighted word
is kept. They show the colored people that
q party identical in character with the Union
Reform party does keep faith with their race.
They show the people how to organize vic
tory. What was done in North Carolina
will be done here. But newspaper writing
and stump-speaking will not save the day.
In political matters there is no ricarious re-
demption. Men must work out their own
political salvation. And South Carolina is
no exception to the rule.
THE Marion Crescent says that ColoneI
Graham, the new convert to RadlcahSm'
boasts that he has three thousand dollars to
;,aronca election. and that he can get thirty