The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-02-02

There is unrest. Men arc dissatisfied
and questioning. The feeling porvades
the masses. The very air is charged
with political skepticism. What is the
South Carolina of the future to be-
judging from the present? is the great
question with good citizens. -
That South Carolina has immense
resources all admit. Soil, climate
and location combine TO give this State
a great leverage with the world. That
leverage was used in the past-not as
it should have been, indeed, but still
to considerable advantagc--and so our
State had something like its share OF
influence until after the mad cap inau'
guration Of war.
But even the dcsolatioDs Of war could
not crush our people. They set to
work, and through almost appalling
discouragcmcnts climbed to better ways.
And finally, though VIC all saw that We
must struggle and cconomisc for years
before great prosperity was reached,
there came a good deal of hope.
But now the corruptious and thiev-
ings and general msmanagement Of
our politicians, and some OF our SO.
called statesmen, arc doing what even
the fierce hurricane of war could not
do in disheartcning our people. The
effect of the work Of some Of these
jackals is dircful.. ..'.
There are, in truth, good men hold
ing position in the. government Of the
Statc-men who are anxiously seeking
the advancement of the people-but
many of those who hold office, both
white and colorcd, hold it only because
the tremendous revolution in our af-
fairs lifted them there by the mercst
accident, they themselves being steep
cd in corruption. These are creatures
of circumstance. On for a thousand
years, perhaps no time would come that
would lift this class Of men to the gid
dy height they now occupy.
1t is not that some of these are not
graduates of colleges, or even of com
mon schools; it is not that they are
cramped in knowledge because of the
political system which ruled the State;
it is not this, for we are thorough Re-
publicans, and not only believe in the
government of the people, but know
that many of the great-brained men
who arc Of most service to the State
are not Of the schools;-it is not this
over which We are gloomy, but it is
that SO many Of our public men are
thieves That has harsh sound we
know, but it is simply the English way,
and the only true way, of putting it.
From every side come rumors of the
corruptions of officials. Some Of these
rumors are Of course only rumors, with
no foundation whatever, but others of
these stories arc too true, and too un-
erringly point to the political perdition
toward which we are drifting, and
which We shall surely reach unless the
people, whom these corrupt men do not
in reality represent, rouse themselves to
action.
All thisis sad enough in itself. It
is sad to see men to whom were COM
mitted the peoples trusts, making of
their own souls moral ruin. And yet
there is something sad even be-
yond this. 1t is that many of these
claim to be Republicans, and, elected
to Office by Republicans, are looked
upon in some degree as representing
Republicanism. The grand, sacred
principles of our party, are imperiled
by certain Of these officials who are
corrupt. We are sad enough to see
Democrats selling their. souls for gold;
but we feel worse when Republicans
fall, because Of the principles they
claim to represent. Do these men
ever ask themselves, What of the flu
turc Of the great Republican party of
So nth Carolina p Charleston RepuGii-