The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-03-30
politifal..
The Press Conference.
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS.
From the Abboville Press.1

(From the Abboville Press.1
The right to vote carries with il
necessarily the right to hold Office. The
voting class form tho body polite; they
are the State really and css entially -
They are tho sovereigos, for suffrage il
the highest at of sovereignty. Suffrage
sets the complex machinery of govern
ment 10 motion, aud keeps in in opera
tion. 1t creates the executive, the
legislative aud the judioial--they who
make the laws and they who administer
them. Can anything be more absurd,
then, than to deny to the ruling class
the right to select from their own body
those whom they may deem worthy "a
hold the Offices in their gift? y egro
suffrage is fixed fact, and it is too late
now to deuy all Of it's Legitimate conse-
quences. If the negro is the ruling
power 10 the State, can we deny him the
right to choose his Office beurers-to
choose them especially from those Of his
own class7 Not only has he the right,
but we are prepared to show that be-
tween his own race, and those who are
properly denominated "scalawags" and
''carpet baggers" "-meaning by tho one
mere unprinc:plcd adventurer,, and BY
the other those who are recreamt to the
instincts Of race-it is a right which
he should properly exercise in elevating
the best representatives Of tho black
race to office.
Not only is the right of the black man
to hold Office Legitimate consequence
OF the right to vote. but it makes less
inroads upon time. e.honored prejudices
1t is step less in advance re-
volutiorary in fact and in semblaucc,
than was the concession of universal
suffrage. TO make the bondman the
master--the newly cnfranchised the sole
dispensers Of ofice-to make the igno-
rant rule the intelligent, aud the poor
control the property Of the rich; this
was SO contrary to the principles of right
reason, and the first instincts of our
nature, that, granting this, we may well
concede, without a murmer, everything
else invoved. We concede the principle
in its length aud breadth; we have no
reason to stiekle at any of its Legitimate
consequences Negro suffrage has been
established. We shall not gain say the
right Of the negro to hold Office. We
60 further we prefer the negro in Office
to the rule of the carpet bagger aud the
scalawag and this for two reasons
reasons which involve the whole ques-
ton of competency-that he possesses
more of ability and integrity.
lst The black man in Office will
naturally be the best representative OF
his race, and surpass the carpet bagger
aud scalawag in Intelligence and ability
By the carpet>bagger we do not mean
Northern men who come to settle with
US permanently for "weal or woe," we
mean mere adventures, the "bummers'
ofthe camp. They have not tho stamina
to compete with solid men at h,me,
but are mere "waiis" of the storm
thrown up to the surface by the currents
Of revolution. They are insignificant,
inert and powerless for good as the
scalawags the,uselves-men who turn
against their race, and sacrifice their
self-respcct aud the good opinion Of their
q. ncighbors for the lust Of office. Do you
want to verify these conclusions? Turn
to our late Legislature itself. Who
we're its controlling spirits? Wright
DeLarge, Elliott, Whippcr. Northern
men, some Of them, it is true, but the
best representatives of race with whom
they are identified 10 interest aud
blood, and to whose advancement they
are pledgiDg their best energies.
But I'd. Who were the most honest
aud conservative Republicans 10 that
same Legislature? We believe no one
doubts the honesty of Wright, aud we
have heard no allegation against the
others. They are also the most conser.
vative. 1t stands to reason that it should
be so. The carpet-bagger has left his
home aud his associates, and allied
himself with the alien race, and all for
the greed Of Office. The scalawag has
gone farther, md turned against 'those
OF his own household" They have
both done violence to the instincts @!
race, and sacrificed reputation aud self
respect, which are the bulwarks OF
character. Can we hesitate long 10
choosing such man as Wright or
DeLarge or Lomax in preference? We
respect an honest, conscientious black
man. Not only do we not blame the
colored men for electing such re-
preventative Of race, but we endorse his
action in the premises. We would
choose such ourselves in pysference to
Such are our views, and such we be.
lievc are the sentiments Of tho white
men OF the South-those "to the manor
born The Republican party claims
the monopoly ofgood will to the black
man. We despute the claim. We
appeal to the past; we arc willing, il
need be, to give pledges for the future
All the associations OF our past, all the
interests of the present, all tho con.
siderations Of the future, make us th'
friends OF the black man. This coult
be clearly made to appear, but we mus
defer its consideration for the present
{ From tie Newberry Heraltl.]
The conference could not we'll hav,