The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-01-21
rFRox OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.

4
A curious under-current, mysterious and in
describable, Is unquestionably at work. Un
easiness prevails In certain circles which have
been accustomed 10 use and lavish the public
money. The day Of reckoning approaches toe
fast for comfort, and officials who have stolen
or squandered are trembling at the threatened
presentment of facts and figures. Rascality at
last begins to bend the knee to expected rev.
Citations, and honest Republicanism dares to
show its hand and demand investigation. Ger
tain men are on tho trail who will follow the
scent to the den, and burn out, If necessary,
| the whole brood of robbers.
The Governor himself Is said to have pub
licly declared to senator in one of the offices
that he would arrest him, or any member OF
the Legislature, or officer Of the government.
who should make an attempt to repeat the
plundering schemes of last year, or who should
be found guilty OF corruption. 1ncensed at
the disappearance Of one hundred and thirty
FIVE thousand dollars in forty.four days
money clean gone without voucher to show
for 1t, save tor. about sixty thousand dollars,
and hopeless as to the efforts of any investigat-
ing committee to do more than kindly white
wash the offending spendthrifts and hide the
crime, Governor Scott seems at last determin-
ed, like Mr.. Lincoln, to ''put his foot down
firmly and at least as far as his Office is con-
cerned, to do his duty irrespective Of race,
color or previous condition.
Naturally, quarrel has resulted between
the Legislature and himself, and to-day you
might have seen one OF its phases exhibited
on the floor of the House in the shape of per.
sonal bitterness and frantic denunciatirns,
which strangely contrasted with the vlrtuous
pleading in his behalf before the election.
The truth is, the secret of the opposition con-
sists in an endeavor to blind the party at home
and abroad, hide the iniquity already perps-
trated, and thus SHIFT the responsibility to other
shoulders In effecting this object they un-
mercilully berate the Governor because, as
they allege, he has not preserved the peace,
called out the militia, and spent perhaps a
quarter of million of dollars. But the pub
lie will not be deceived. White Republicans
will not be deceived, and they look on the
present conflict concerning martial law and
other similar nonsense simply as an exhibition
of spite-a punishment to the Governor for
not coming down with more cash, and ashield
to certain discreditable actions which it was
thought would not see sunlight. 1t may be
here remarked, that in this contest the race
line has been broadly drawn. With the excep-
ton OF one OF two white officials, who are in
the background, the opposition consists entire
ly of the colored members. Of these, doubt
less, majority do not understand the inhu-
ences employed to urge them forward in this
hue and cry, and vote with looseness and
unanimity which shows charming perfection
of political drill; but, behind are half dozen
sharp, shrewd fellows, who have the manage
ment OF the machine at their fingers ends.
They know thing or two and have been paid
learning the lesson. Even Frank Moses, the
speaker of the House, Chamberlain and Tom
linson-in fact, all the discreet men of the Be.
publican party-are arrayed against the domi-
neerlng spirit which would, If possible, force