The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-01-10
COLUMBIA. 8. G.
Tuesday Morning, January 10, 1871.

Tuesday Morning. January 10, 1871.
Gov. ALooRN's RsBuKE.-One Of the
most remarkable letters which has ap-
peared in this remarkable age, we find
in the Weekly Eraminer. published at
Aberdeen, Miss. It is from Gov Alcorn,
the Radical Chief Magistrate of that
State, who has been regarded as the idol
and exemplnr of Southern Radicalism.
The circumstances under which this let
ter has been written, are as follows: A
certain individual by the name of Flour
noy had some sort of conditional pro-
mise of the Governor to appoint him q
brigadier.g Of the State. Before,
however, the Governor had made up his
mind to sign the commission, Flournoy
uttered two unfortunate speeches; one
was o denunoiation, in the vulgar and
malignant style of Radical ultraism, Of
the great and good Robert T.. Lice, and
the other was an assault upon the prin-
cipal university of tho State, where the
best Of her citizens and the most distin-
guish of her SONS had received their
coilsgJale edhcation. By these unfortu-
nate, but truly and consistently Radical
uEterances, Gov. Alcorn concludes that
Flourpoy has shown himself unworthy
to receive commission in the service of
the State. He announces this conclu-
sion in the, following manly but rather
extraordinary latter, every word of which
will be found worthy OF perusal, remem-
brance and reflection:
I feel it duty to my State to refuse
the Issue of q commission that would be
even ain apparent approval of your Ian
policy of the Legislature and Executive
in reference to the University at Oxford
am pledged to the establishment,
on sure foundation. of the freedom of
the negro. am 80 pledged with sim
gleness of purpose which turns neither
TO the right nor left in any spirit of self
seeking. If the colored people are con-
tent with this on my part, we'll; if they
are not content, again we'll. My earnest
ness in tho cause is. in either case, none
the less positive in its conviction, that
people plueked suddenly from slavery
cannot be trusted by anxious thought
fulness to maintain their freedom in hos
tility to the wealth. intelligence and pas
sions of powerful mass, trained in ell
the skill of politics, and nursed in the
exercise of social aud moral power. MY
devotion to the cause of free labor
pledges, therefore, to the duty of main
tanning the attitude of mediator between
she two classes. My oath Of office de-
mands an enforcement of the law, and
forbids me to compromise my mission of
Cancellation by even an apparent sane
tion of line of thought calculated to
make that enforcement impossible by
the inflammation of popular passion.
Gen. Lee was, perhaps, Il "rebel," yet,
in q much humber position, I myself
stand guilty of the same offence. Neither
must l overlook the fuct that my party
embraces in its ranks men who have
been amongst the most devoted soldiers
of the South I cannot, therefore,
seemingly approve of any slur cast upon
the memory of Gen. Lee, because of his
participation in the rebellion" A wise
Cancellation would lose sight of the
'rebol, in presence of tho noble quail
ties of the man, and shining achieve
anents OF the soldier.
The University Of Oxford is one of tho
traditions which patriotism holds it
duty to cherish. Precious as it is to the
cultivated minds of the State, that noble
Hemnant Of the past retains IL strong
mold upon the affections Of the mass cf
citizens OF my race. Against that inho-
ritance Of my people, no man or set Of
men shall, with my acquiescence, dare
to raise IA saerlegious hand. can never
forgot that I am white man, with all
the pride OF the race that has given to
the world that crowning glory of civil
zation, liberty. And if L cannot push
the negro forward on the glorious path
way opened before him by God, without
arresting the Caucasian in his Heaven
inspired progress, then must negro
liberty learn, so far as am concerned,
to take care of itself.
If the Shaw University does not meet
the wants of higher education amongst
the freedmen, L am determined. as lar
as in me lies, that it shall be made to do
30, but am not the less determined that
the University of Oxford shall never be
plucked star from its orbit. to subscrvc
any political ambition Of mine or thut of
any other man.
h<,,,o boy., c,t;,f;.J wa, tl,,,t 81, "a