The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-08-20
COLUMBIA. S. c..
Tuesday Morning. August 20. 1872.
For President of the United States.
HORACE GREELEY. OF New York.
For Vice President
II. GRAFT BROWN, or Missouri.
Tho Convention.

for the purpose of selecting candidates
for general State officers and for Con.
gress from the State at large. AS to the
members of Congress, the white people
of the State feel but little interest. It is
not, indeed, very agreeable to feel that
South Carolina is represented in the
General Government by disreputable
characters, or by men distinguished for
their ignorance and stupidity, as some
of our members of Congress from South
Carolina have been. But the South
Carolina delegation to Congress form
but IL very insignificant portion of that
body, and can effect no great harm, how
ever corrupt or evil-disposed they may
be. The State Government is quite an
other matter. It affects directly every
interest and every citizen in the State.
Accordingly, as it is wisely or un
wisely, honestly or corruptly, fairly
or uniustly, administered, will result
the welfare or the ruin of the State.
In the State election. therefore, the
''white people are deeply concerned.
For this reason, and inasmuch as it has
'.5een very generally agreed that the
whites will place no opposition candi-
E. dates in the field, but will support the
Republican nominees, provided only
they be honest and capable men, we
shall presume to give word of advice
to'the Convention. A large majority of
SNe delegates will be colored men. To
them. and to such white delegates, if any
there be, who are really Republicans,
and have sincere desire to serve their
country, we would speak.
The Government OF South Carolina
stands to-day ga disgrace to civilization"
and q monument of shame to the Re-
publican party. The important inquiry
is, who is to blame for this state Of sf-
fairs? We do not cure to seek for the
grand primary cause, which will be
found in the policy of hate pursued by
the Administration at Washington to-
ward the South since the war.
But, as matters now stand, who are re-
sponsible for the corruption and profit
gacy of our State administration? and
Who are they who have raised the gaunt
spectre of ruin which now stands staring
us in the faoeP Are Scott and Parker
and the financial ring the monsters who
have perpetrated such foul wrongs? Are
Moses and the corrupt Legislature, and
the other bribe-taking officials, the causes
of the humiliation which is upon Us and
the grave perils that environ US? Un-
doubtedly they are. to great extent
Without them, or such bad men as they
are, the present state of things could not
exist. They are Immediately chargeable
with the immense fraudulent debt which
has been heaped upon the State, the COR
Legislature. the ruinous rates of taxa
tion. the general squandering of the
public moneys, the want of public
schools, the suffsrings OF the lunatio
asylum, and all the woes that now beset.
But who are responsible for these men.
who form the power behind the throne?
By what instrumentality have these dis
reputable and dishonest men been placed
in positions of power and trust? All the
white Radicals in the State, if dubbed
together, are not sufficient in numbers
to elect even commissioner of any
County in the State of average popula-
tion.
The colored people make tine Govern
ment of South Carolina. Their suf-
frages, and their suffrages alone. deter
mine into whose hands the dearest into.
rests OF themselves and OF their white
fellow-citizens shall be placed They
have an overwhelming majority in
the popular vote Of the State.
As they decide, 80 shall things be.
Uneducated and inexperienced, it was
not very surprising nor severely to be
reprehended that they made grave mis-.
tskes in their first attempts to exercise
the moral privileges Of freemen and oiti.
gems. But they cannot from this time
forward plead inexperience. For four
years, they have had control of the State.
Two years ago, despite the most ear.