The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-05-07
Columbia, s. G., May S, 1871.

LII REfh o1ttsi Aud p4Hlc5 CS1A3 "Q4cn
now exla in oM statH and ths;lawfses
and disturbed Condition. Of so@etNin
many Rouaties,sf ,sfurneh he she oecasfon
and excuse Tor addressing you. I wish
could hope with more confidence that
my views aud suggestions svohld, tehd to
hasten the removal Of present evils and
lay safe foundation for our future har-
nony, aud prosperity But L hold that
it is the duty Of every man, who has
thought or plan which seems to pro-
mise relief from existing difficulties, to
contribute it to the common fund of in
formation. address my views to you
because know that you are devoted, by.
true, permanent and highest interests OF
our State, and because 1 believe that
though wholly dissociated from political
life, you are not unmindful of that duty
which Cicero. tells us, inrhis delightful
essay, is ''the dearest and foremost duty
to cnre for ones county" remember,
too. the generous and eloquent words
which you have uttered in behalf Of
hopeful, patient, courageous graphing
with tho duties and problems Of to:day,
rather than the cherishing of memories,
however sacred, or the indulging OF re-
grets, however iust am not, like you,
o native Of the State. aud perhaps it was
my misfortune toi have settiedlhere at
time when circumstances we're lot favor
able to cordial reception of those who
had stood upon tho other side Of the
grent civil struggis which had torn asun-
der the two sections of our country. I
profess, however. to be not: behind the
foremost in my desire to do all that.lies
in my power to serve and benefit the
State with whiuh all my interests are now
identified II ;.3'
| It will BIO necessary for me. ut the out
set, to give my. view Of the nature and
causes Of the evils which now pfaict us.
II we mistake Gle causes. we shall be-
| certain to mistake the remedy. I bro
| pose to lay inside all pat:isanship and
simply to stdte facts as I conceive them
TO exist. Let us look at onr State when
the reconstruction Acts first took effect
in 1868. A social revolution had been
accomplished Ian entire reversal OF, the
| political relations Of most OF our people
had ensued. The class which formerly
held NIL the political power of -our State
were stripped 6f MI. The class which
had formerly been less than citizens,
| with no political power or social posi-
tion, were rnade the sole depositaries of
the political power OF the State. I refer
now to practical results, not to theories.
The numerical relation of the-two races
here was such that one race, under the
neH Jaws. held absolute, .political control
! of the State. The, feelings which such
facts were calculated to call forth need
| not be stated or described. The attitude
and action Of both .taces, under these
| new conditions, while not unnatural.
was, ns must think, unwiss and unfor-
tnnate. One race stood aloof and
hanghtily refused to seek the confidence
of the race which was just entering on
its new powers; while the other race
quickly grasped all the political power
which the neW order of things had
placed within their reach. From the
nature OK the case, the one raoe were de.
void of political experience, of all or
nearly all education, and depended main
~ for these qualities upon those who, for
the most part, ,chanced to have driftei
here from other States, or who, in very
rare instances, being former residents OF
the State, now allied themselves with the
other race.
No man OF common prudence, or who
was even slightly familiar with the work
Ing OF social forces, could have then
failed to see that the elements which
went to compose the now dominant
party we're not OF the kind which pro-
duce public virtue and honor, or which
could long secure even public order and
peace. I make all just allowance for e1-
ceptional cases OF individual character,
but I say that the result to be expected
from the very nature of the situation, in
1868. was that scramble for Office
would ensne among the members of the
party in power, which again, from the
nature of the case, must result in filing
the Offices Of tho State, local and gene,
raj. to n great extent, with men of no
capnoity and little honesty, or desire to
really serve tho public. The nation had
approved the reconstruction measures,
not because they seemed to be FREQ OF
danger, nor because they wero blind 10
the very grnvo possibilities of future
evils, but in the hope that the one race,
wearing its new lnurels and using its new
powers with moderation and forbear-
ance, would gradually remove the preju-
dlces and enlist the sympnthies and CO.
operation of the other race, until fair
degree OF political homogenity should be
ronched, aud race lines shoui1 censa to