The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-06-06
The Republican Party of South Carolina.

The Republican Party Of South Carolina.
A day last month was celebrated in Beaufort
as the anniversary of the formation of the Re
publican party in this County. Anniversaries
always suggest retrospect Let US glance at
the promises and anticipations of four years
ago, and then look to see how they have beer,
fulfilled. The young party of 1868 resolved
upon vigorous campaign against the abuses
fostered by the pro-slavery spirit which had so
long ruled the State. 1t determined upon an
honest economical but liberal government of
the people by the people. Education was to be
encouraged; the children of those kept in ig-
norance for the conservation Of slavery were
now to be furnished with free schools; every
encouragement was to be extended to those de-
string to own land taxation was to be equal
lied and all the people we're to bear its bur-
dens integrity, morality and competency were
to be the qualifications for Office; all distinc-
tions of class and color were to be swept away !;
the moral, material and political standing OF
the people was to be elevated by freedom and
equal rights. In fact q political millennium
was looked for, and South Carolina was to ex-
change her bad eminence, as the hot-bed OF
treason and slavery, for one of loyalty, good
government and prosperity. How have these
expectations been realized? How have these
promises been made good? Are the people
educated? Let our schools closed for half the
year and languishing for means the other halt,
answer. Are the people elevated to higher
moral plane? Let our thousand grog shops be
taken as an evidence of moral purity. Have
integrity and capability been the qualifications
most sought after in filling ofices2 Let the
state of our finances be the reply: Have our
rulers redeemed the State from violence? Let
martial law and United States soldiers, the
keepers of peace, tell the story. Have the
burdens of taxation been equalized? Ask the
merchants who are paying licenses to State,
County and Town.
Undoubtedly the Republican party has been
a God-send to individuals Some who never
earned dollar by honest labor have been lifted
to high places ard now roll in wealth. Some
whose impudence and reckless folly should at
once have consigned them to merited contempt
have seized upon the stations of statesmen.
Utterly without shame, devoid of any ability
save cunning, destitute of personal or political
principle, they have thus prostituted the no.
blest political organization of any age. Who
have been the greatest sufferers from this dis
regard of promises, this neglect of sacred du-
ties, this wilful perversion of the designs of
the people? 1t is not the merchant, whose en-
terprise has beer dampened; it is not the ban
ker, whose just expectations of the profitable
employment of capital have been thwarted it
is not the great planter, whose lands have be-
come burden to him. No None of these are
truly the greatest sufferers. To find these, we
must seek the cabins of the poor; in the freed
mans hut, where he almost longs for the flesh
pots of Egypt; in the children growing up in
ignorance; in the youth corrupted by the Ii
cense and excess born of political chicanery,
will be seen the true victims of the mismanage-
mcnt and shortcomings of our party: But
there is reserved yet more serious evil to be
borne chiefly by the same class. 1t will be
found in the loss of confidence on the part of
the great body of the people of the United
States in the capacity and willingness OF the
colored race to select suitable rulers and pro-
duce commendable local government. That
confidence was born of earnest desire. At one
time it seemed that the very life of the country
depended upon the virtue and fidelity OF the
cofored man, and the experiment of universal
suffrage seemed to be the only panacea tor our
many ills. The feeling that this experiment
has failed is spreading with such rapidity that
unless checked soon by change in the course
of our party in the South, it will create reac-
ton fatal to the rights and privileges of the
colored race The enemies of that race are
alert to take this tide of feeling at its flood:
For years they have been apparently inert and
hopeless. This is only part of their game.
They have watched with intensest glee the full
fllment of their predictions of the bad results
to spring from negro suffrage. They willingly
bear their present ills, nay, gladly bear them,
though ostentatously grumbling; for, in every
act Of fraud, every waste of means, every In:
crease of debt, every job of extravaganza and
knavery, they see the weapons with which to
overturn all that has been secured to the eman-
cipated race.-i3eaufort Republican.