Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-01-06

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amnesty aud cnfranchiscmcnt. This soidar
ty of our good citizcns, and their harmony
with tho better class of political ideas now
swuying the great masses OF tho American
people, and destined, we trust, to restore their
broken unity in 1872, arc fruits of thc Union
Reform movement, we'll worth the faithful
labor which they cost.
These, however, arc not the only fruits re-.
sulting from the liberal policy aud the self.
sacrificing labors Of the pa,.y. 1t has expos.
ed to universal cxccration the corrup,ions
of the State government, and the persons
controlling it, and forced its officials and or
gans within the State, and its friends without,
to demand reformaton 1t has demonstrated
to every fair mind the determination of the
white people of this State to abide by the ac.
conplishcd results Of the war, and removes
all prctcxt for further persecution on the
part of the General Government I. has
washed its hands Of all the blood that may
he, cater flow in conflict Of races, so arpa.
rentIy imminent in certain localities, by pub.
liz aud solemn concession of legality to the
rights of the colored race, acquired by infor-
NAL and revolutions processes. thus laying
Upon the altar of peace all it had to offer con.
s'stent with honor, self respect and self. pres
crvation. Finally, it has developed the true
condition of society in the State, and the real
and vital nature of the contest in which VIC
arc engaged, md has demonstrated, beyond IA
doubt, that Radicalism in South Carolina
rests upon the antagonism of the negro race
to the Southern whites. That we have been
defeated by this antagonsm as a principle,
will appear from review of the canvass.
we entered the contest by laying down a
platform on the rights of race, identical aud
; co.cxtcnsvc with the legislation of the Re-
publican Congress upon that subject. We
invitct mcn Of all parties. upon that bnsis
to unite in an effort to reform the present
"lncompctcnt, cxtravngant projudiccd and
"nnd corrupt administration of the State GOV.
Germ ncnt, and to establish instead thereof
'just and equal laws, order and harmony,
economy in public expenditures, strict nc
"countahil.y Of Office holders, and the cleo.
"tion to Office only of men of known honesty
"and integrity"
We put forward as the State candidates a
prominent Republican, who had proved him.
self II capable and just Judge, ard Democrat
and cmlnently representative Caroinian, pop
ular and distinguished The people, in their
county nominations generally observed the
same spirit of compromise, and selected as
thci; candidates white and black, Democrat
and Republican giving full effect to the
principles Of tho platform. Certainly if ever
q party was organized outside Of political
issues, this was. There were literally nothing
In it to repel any citizen of any school of pol
itics, except the few who, clnging to the is.
sues of the past, were offended by the liberal
concessions mado to the coored people. If
therefore, we could established our charges
against the then existing administration of the
State government, VIC had right to count
upon the support Of all honest men. Those
charges were, in gen eral terms, incompetcncy,
extravaganza, prejudice and corruption, and
there is not a county or precinct in the State
where they were not proven to be true to the
conviction of the commoncst understanding,
and to an extent wholly unparalleled in the
annals of civilized government. These proofs
were never re(utcd Some errors in particu.
lar specifications were occasionally pointed
out but MS whole they stood uncontrovcrt.
cd as they were incontrovcrsblc- inefaccbly
impressed upon the recorded acts of tho gov
ernment Had tho battle been permitted to
rest upon this issue, you would to day have
been rejoicing in the restoration of peace and
good government to this stricken and desola.
ted State. The wicked leaders of the preiu.
diced and bcnghtcd masses of colorcd people,
who looked to them for guidance with the
simple faith of childhood, knew too we'll
where their strength lay not to avert the blcs
scd boon from their deluded followers. True
to the principle of 'rule and ruin" which
has ever actuated them since thoy camc among
us, they appealed to that spirit of antagonisnl
which slumbere1, until thoy came and led
their victims blinded to tho sacrifioe. They
pretended that we were not in carnest,-that
our lending men did not support US that our
hberality of principle and practice was but
premoditatcd troaoho,y-a subtle and decep
tive scheme to acquire power; that powcr,
when acquired, would be usod to put them
back into slavery; that we were tho san,e poo