The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-11-11
Tho Old Lady OF East Bay.

|
Tho Old Lady OF East Bay.
Sepsitlveness to criticism is sure sign OF
weakness; chronic irritability OF temper is
one of the infirmities OF impotent old age.
That this is true of newspapers, no less than
| of men, the Courier is kind enough toproVe.
That paper grandloquently declares that
"the preservation Of public right requires
"the free and untrammelled comment OF
"journalism; yet 1t fairly. ioams at the
mouth, when TIE News uses its declaration
that Mr.. Greeley "was rejected by the
."Northerh States because he was the apostle
"of peace" as the basis Of an article in
tended to show that 1t is the interest and the
duty OF the South, at this juncture, to avoid
| every word and act likely to antagonize the
Federal administration. 1t possibly does not
strike the Courier that the world does not
think it as infallible and impeccable as 1t
believes itself to be; but, although 80 dull
scholar, It may learn In time that its oracu-
lar sayings will be reviewed and conc hned
whenever, In the opinion OF The NEWS, they
are likely, In even an inanitesimal degree, to
affect ipjuriously the Interests OF the people
OF the State.
The gist Of the reply OF the Courier to the
leading article printed in The News OF Fri
day is this: THE News is shown, by ex.
tracts from its own columns, to have made
vigorous fight for the Liberal candidates
up to the very day Of the election, and the
public are for the milionth time informed
that certain leading Radicals, during the
Presidential canvass, said very sharp and
Insulting things about the South. Such an
answer is worse than none. Either the
Courier cannot comprehend the principle
which The NEWS advocates and expounds;
or it finds that principle too just and reason
able to be lightly condemned.
The slogan of the Liberals, In the contest
now decided at the polls, was Reconcilla-
ton, Reunion, Equal Rights. Those who
Joined in the movement at the prompting OF
personal ambitIon---the hucksters who are the
plague OF American politics-ialter and turn
back; but those who believe that the prin-
cples enunciated at Cincinnati, and con.
hrmed at Baltimore, are the only rules OF
action by which public wrongs may be re-
dressed, and the republic saved from destruc-
tion, stand firmly to their colors, and neglect
no opportunity of advancing a cause which
Is as much theirs to-day as it was week or
month ago. It is not true that the main
cause of General Grants reelection was
"the cordial support OF Mr.. Greeley by the
"South, and the sectional animoslties still
+" cherished In the North as resulting from
"the late war" These counted for some |
thing, but they do not explain the immense
Radical msjorities in the North, and the
small Liberal vote In the South. The cepi-
talists and employers OF labor, beyond the
Potomac, feared that the election of Mr..
Greeley would distract the country and
check its commercial progress. Beyond
this is the determination, which lies deep In
the heart of the Northern and Western
voter, not to allow anything to be done
which threatens disturbance OF the settle.
ments OF the war, or renewal OF sectional
agitation. This halted the Liberal col.
umn. And, though it may be an unpalat-
able truth for the Courier to swallow, it is
evident that tens OF thousands OF Southern
white men do. not prefer Greeley to Grant.
Look at the vote In Georgia, and at the Lib
eral rout in Virginia, North Carolina, Ala
bama and Tennessee. These considerations
cannot be overlooked; nevertheless the Con-
rter insists that Mr.. Greeley's defeat Is due
to the fact that he was "the apostle OF
"peace." The statement carries with 1t it's
own reiutatlon.
This paper is not willing that the South
ern people should be invited to abandon
every hope Of political reform. The candi-
dates whom the majority Of them supported
came In second in the race. But able and
pure men are not wanting, who, from the
first, have boldly avowed their conviction
that President Grant will give the South
fully as much as was expected from Horace
Greeley. Time will show whether they are
right. In the meanwhile the Southern poo
pie will do well to refrain from any abuse OF
the victorious Radicals. The North has
doubted the sincerity Of the South, and any
intemperance Of tongue will be received as
evidence that the Southern Liberals were |
enly talking for effect when they proclaimed
their desire to see the whole country united |
and at peace Is it not wiser, is it not |
nobler, is it not more patriotic to say to the |
President and his legions: ave made |
s'square fight against you. There was re-
"crimination and abuse on both sides. You |
"have won. We do not intend to NOPE or
"sulk. But we remind you that We are
"American citizens, as you are; that the
"Soutb, in which we live, produces the
"staples upon which the country relies for
"the adjustment Of its foreign exchanges