The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-07-06
The Moral Danger Of tho
g., '-. State.

S"p"oio SoFcfHluonC,. NfC nOJ Dy
nny means tho most enduring rca-
sons why it is tho duty of overy
good citizcn to take an active part
in, tho movement for obtaining u
faithful and worthy administers
ton Of tho affairs of the State.
Oppressive taxation and u grow
ing public dobt prevent tho &C
cumulation of private wealth, and
gradually cat away tho most con-
siderable fortune. Tho argument
which touches tho pocket has u
concrete force difficult to bo mea-
sured by words. This cogent
power drives the pooplo into tho
camp of Reform, and should mako
tho now party, rs u matter Of por-
sonal interest, dccisively success
full. But unloss it is desired to
have only II temporary reform, n
momcntary light to bo followed
by pitchy darkness, tho public
must govern their actions by a
higher motive than dollars and
cents. They must work for Puri-
ty aud for Honesty rs indispcnsa-
bio to tho moral and intellectual,
as well rs tho material, hcalthful-
ness Of all this people. Unloss tho
body polite DO purgcd and clcanscd,
tho popular mind cannot be strong
and vigorous, FREQ to labor for its
own adyancementan and for the high
est good Of tho State.
Tho history Of South Carolina
before tho war bctwocn tho States
is Grandly simple; it is tho histo-
1y OF a people who valued wealth,
but did not make it thoir God,
who loved art. and letters, who
honorcd virtue and rcvcrcd their
chastc womcn-tho mothcrs and
tho daughters and tho wives Of tho
idolizcd Palmetto State. There
was no restless progress, no fever
ish activity of hand or brain. Tho
stream Of lilo flowed evenly along
broad enough and deep enough
to bear the hopes and tho happi-
ness of people, its borders all
aglow with the tropic hucs Of tho
flowers Of ambition and fame. 10
make haste slowly was the watch
word Of tho Conservative states.
mon of the time. This thing was
not scorncd because it was old,
nor was that thing adorcd because
it was new. Tho whole tone Of
society WIS calmly conservative,
gracefully strong-tho black snake
which lay beneath the roses was
unseen or torgotton.
And tho war was Il rudc awali-
cning from dreamy revcrc and in
holenL sclt-contcnt. Smooth faced
boys and bearded mon, tn or
Southern hearts all anamo, an
sworcd their. mothers call-pour-
ing out their precious blood on
tho sands Of the coast and in tho
valleys Of tho West, cnshrining
their martyr-bonos in tho mighty
rcliquary Of tho South-that grand
old State, VIRGINIA.. Tho war
brought with it no easily pcrcop-
tiblc weakening of tho moral fibre.
There were men, the first bloom
OF whose honor was brushcdaway
in rude bulfcting with tho. world !;
there were fair girls who forgot
that there is "a GAultincss Of thought
as well as Of act. But only q
handful fell. The war "dcmoral-
lied" little moro than would have
boon .tarnishcd and smirchcd had
not tho dogs Of Mars bcon looscd
upon the land. And in 1865,
though riches were swept away
and homes made dcsolatc, tins
people was manly and truo-puri-
fled, not destroyed, by tho fires Of
a1liction.
For tho first year or two the
tone Of South Carolina was un-
changed. 1t is truo that tho
whites were shocked at the thought
that Ignorance and incxpcricnco
might be set up in authority ovor
intelligence and wealth. But this
was not their work, and they
waited patiently and quietly for
that settling down which natural
)y follows a cyclic of tumult and
strife. Tho body chosen to franc
n now constitution mot and did it's
work. Still there was no pcrccp-
tiblo change in tho common stan
dards Of right and wrong. Gov.
crnor Scott was elected ard tho
reconstruction Goncral Assembly
began it's sessions. This was tho
tHrning point. Aftor two years
of party Legislation, tho pooplo
halt and hesitate. Whether they
90 mith the truth or join hands with
,talschood, depends upon the uictory
or defeat Of R. X. Scott and his
Ring, IN the coming general clec-
tons.
Already tho evil lcavon is work
ing. The General Assembly could
be bought, and people began to
think that tho conclusive argu-
mcnt Of money was moro convon-
icnt than tho reasoning founded
on equity and right. Tho State
officials wcro selling their indu.
oncc, and men Of our own people.
wcrc found ready and oagor to
buy. Greedy politicians grow rich
h,r &, lcbinf. opJ b,, ,o,,lS a.>o<..l.