The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-08-04
Redeemed, at Last

The Conservative citizens of Charleston
have won a great victory. General Wage
ner and his whole ticket are triumphantly
elected.
These few words tell glorious tale. They
speak volumes to the citizens Of Charleston,
Who for three years have groaned under
the rule of ignorance and vice. TO all
South Carolina they announce, in tones oil
thunder, .that the day Of deliverance is
come-that the time is approaching when,
in the Palmetto State, all men shall enjoy
equal rights, and all classes shall be gov
erned with purity and wisdom.
We must try to bear our honors meekiy.
Yet it is something so new and strange for
this people to defeat the Radicals on their.
chosen battle-ground, that a little exultation-
is uardonabie. We must, however, IN all
our rejoicing, remember that this is not the
victory Of party, or a class. The day has
been won by the united labors Of white and
black, rich and poor, adopted citizen and
native Carolinian. Ills the result of strong
and united effort to rescue Charleston from
the hands of the plunderers, and to place
her fortunes under the guidance OF citizens
whom the whole people can trust. All the
| powers OF the Municipal and State govern
ments were leagued against us. Attempts
were made to run ID Radical voters from the
county, and boat-loads of hulking negroes
came in from, the islands. The election
was appointed at moment when hun
dreds OF whites were sure to be absent
from the city. All the arrangements for the
election we're made to serve the interests OF
the opposing party. In spite OF this, we
have won the fight. The attempts OF the
Radicals to SOW discord and dissension in
our ranks utterly failed. Never were honest
men more true to themselves, or more har-
mopious in council and action. The riotous
negroes were snuffed out Every citizen ex-
ercised, without molestation, the right OF
the suffrage. And, with an absolutely free
election, Mayor Pillsbury, who was elected
in 1868 by ls majority, is defeated roW oy
III votes. This throws the State election
Of 1870 into the shade. It is, indeed, a
triumph of organization and work.
The Mayor and Aldermen elect do not
take Office until November, but from this
very day there will be change for the bet
ter in our municipal affairs. The rod hangs
over the cowed officials who have grown lat
| in the public crib. They will be careful lest
they meet sterner fate than the mere loss
OF place And of this we are assured. The
new City Government will be model Of
common sense and fair dealing. Nor shall
the colored men ever have cause to regret
that they stood shoulder to shoulder with
their white felow.citizens in the desperate
conflict with brute ignorance and personal
and public corruption.
Well may We be hopeful. Where now are
the croakers and false prophets? Where
are they who always knew that Pillsbury,
forsooth, would be elected Where are they
who talked OF abandoning the struggle in
despair On Wednesday, a handfu. OF these
men could be found in Charleston; but on
this glorious morning thereis not one living
soul to be found who will care to retail the
| gloomy prognostications of few short hours
ago.
The work is done, and well done. Fellow
citizens of all classes and all races, who voted
in solid phalanx for General Wagner and
his able Aldermen, you have deserved well
of Charleston and Carolina!