New-York tribune., 1871-05-03
MSRULE IN SOUTH CAROLIEA-A VERY

|
| The World triumphantly quotes large por-
| ton of our special correspondents letter from
South Carolina, laying bare the causes of the
anarchy now afflicting that State, and says:
ave ask attention TO cOpous extract from South
Carolina loter from its special correspondent printed
in TIE TRIBUNE yesterday DO consider the value Of
this evidence Fit had come from Democratic source
the writer might be suspected OF exaggcraiOn and false
coOring But the bias of TRIBUNE correspondent IS
oil e other ,oay It is not in his commission TO rcfuto
and explode the accusations which fill the editorial col
of the same paper Tho fact that he does so is
triumph OF truth and honesty prejudice and party
interest His testimony valuable because it cannot be
suspected that he has overcharged the picture lie had
eee,y temptation to soften and mitigate"
However true these implications might be
of The Worlds special correspondence, they
are utterly false with regard to THE TRIBUNR's.
We selected and dispatched the writer of the
letter commented on above because we be-
lieved mm capable, trustworthy, candid and
truthful. We directed him to visit the most
disturbed sections of the South, collect infOr-
nation from every available source, and report
to us from time to time the exact, literal
truth. lie was under no shadow of 'tempta-
"tion" to color, OF Soften" or mitigate"
To do anything of the sort would be to en-
on the staff of this journal. His letters are
valued by us in proportion to their absolute
imDartiaity and freedom from all bias what
ever. If The World dispatches correspondents
with instructions radically different from ours,
or leaves them under the impression that they
will crafty their employers by reporting such
facts only as sustain and fortify their editorial
ayerments the limited circulation and second
ary influence of that journal are fully ac-
counted for.
Our special correspondent is still in the field,
and we invite the Southern people of all
classes to bring to his knowledge any facts
that they deem important and calculated to
influence public opinion throughout our cOuD-
try and the civilized world. Let Rebel" and
"scalawag,' "carpet-bagger" and "Ku-Klux,"
aristocrat," "poor White" and "nigger," ap-
proach him freely, and proffer him statements
and proofs. We shall keep him in the field so
long as he shall prove useful there, and shall
from time to time send others on a similar
errand. Every one will be instructed as he is,
and will be valued by us in proportion to the
capacity he shall develop for eiiciting and pre-
senting important truth. He will have no
temptationn from us to evince any bias"
partisan purpose; and it will not be safe for
him to yield to any such temptation, should it
be proffered by others
The gross ignorance and consequent polit-
ical incapacity of seven-eighths of the people
white and Black of South Carolina, is
melancholy truth. 1t is nowise their own
fault, but rather that of the naughty, grasping
aristocracy who had kept them benighted and
incapable down to the collapse of the Rebel
lion. The "poor Whites" enjoyed legal lib
erty, including the Right of Suffrage, but, des-
titute of education, of intelligence, of prop
erty, they exerted no real power, and were
unfit to exert any. They had no thrift, no
morals, no aspiratiOns--nOthing but an art
fully stimulated pride Of race and instructive
contempt for and hate of "niggers." The
Blacks were of course simply chattels-gen-
orally servile as dogs and not more intelligent
than some horses The aristocracy, who had
hitherto monopolzed all power, all political
experience, were in good part excluded from
office as conspicuous Rebels an exclusion
which Gen. Sickles, acting rs Military Gov
ernor of their State, found an obstacle to his
best efforts five or six years ago. Here were
about the least promising materials ever pro-
yided for the construction OF republican
edifce or state.
What should have been done was TO relieve
the intelligent and capable few from all their
disabilities and then maintain what is called
Military Government-that is, the administra-
ton and enforcement of the laws by Army
ollicers-for years; meantime putting forth
every effort to educate and enlighten the
masses, while labori1g to modify and at length
those antipathies of race which IN
teIposed so grave an impedimoAt to benchcent
self government.
But Sham Democracy saw its opportunity
and feared that ii could not last. II cam