The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-11-07
A Throe-foId Cord.


Tn q brief article in yesterday g issue,
wet insisted upon the maintenance Of
proper self-respeot en- the part Of our
people, notwithstanding the wretohed
political condition to which they have
been re,luoed, and the little rational
hopeof early dolive.anoe from it. It is.
indeed, small when We look upon the
mass OF ignorance and prejudice be.
clouding the land, with the SCUM of all
the earth floating upon the surface, and
exhaling their foul and fetid odors far
and wide. But still it does not become
brave and honorable people, on the
one hand, to pine and long for vanished
good, nor. on the other, to give way to
unmanly and pitiful forebodiugs. We
have glorious past; let us cherish and
honor 1t. We have with us an ugly pre-
sent, and before us On uncertain future
hhank. perhaps, with unimagined hor-
rora-hut let us resolve, in the strength
OF our manhood. ind in unshaken faith
in the civeT Of all Good, to make both
bright with good deedsand wise thoughts,
atrong with brave and bene6oent pur
poses, and tolerable and agreeable even
by sturdy patience and unfinchipg for
titnde.: @
HR sse but faint prospect of any
change for the better in our political
condition in South Carolina, Tor an in-
definite time to come. unless. perohance,
the election OF a good man to the
Presidency should open up course of
measures, or o train of circumstances,
which may possibly, by and by, bring
as relief. The Radical ascendanoy here
is as complete and fixed as stereotyped
overwhelming majority con make it. It
Is structure essentially OF ths earth,
earthly, and must. in the nature of things,
ultimately rot and give way. For the
present, however, it rests securely upon
she broad foundations Of ,stolid igno-
rance, preiddioe' and ILL will. we'll nigh
universal and. bitter as gall, and ,villainy
unparalleled in history: fomcnting for
its base ends all the animosities of war,
race. color and condition, and tanning
and keeping alive all the diversities of
tastes, sentiments, traditions and hopes.
What can take us out OF such n1ire ms
this? Nothing of the class of political
agencies. It is idle to talk about them.
We but, beat the air in resorting to any
such remedy. or III hoping anything
from il. What arc we to do, then?
"Lie supinely upon onr backs, aud hug
the delusive phantom of hope?" BY no
means. Let us throw politics, as we'll
az other such nanseous "physic," ," to the
dogs. There are other fields OF activity
better suited to our condition, and far
more promising of satisfactory results.
And we can work in them with will.
The energies which our people have
wasted in hopeless political contests
might be much more profitably expended
in improving their agriculture, in cult
vnting the mechanical arts, in develop
ing and building up manufacturing in
terests. so much needed, go inviting, and
80 full Of promise; and, last but MOI
least, in the faithful discharge of tha
prime duty which we owe to the young
IN bestowing upon them the most com
plete, thorough, and. at tho samo time,
practical and even technical education
which can possibly be procured. A
dozen yoars ago, We had schools in thi.
State presided over by scholars distin
gnished for Earning, skill, zeal and ex
perience. We have some still, but they
are sadly reduced in numbers and Grip
pied In efficiency. We had then O col.
lege filled with students, whose youthful
buoyanoy and elastic spirits were finely
tempered. and directed by the love o.
study, the ardor of application, the
thirst for knowledge, and the ambition
Of excellence. College and schools hap
PLY seconded each others efforts. anf
the professors in the one and masters ir
the others oo-operated harmoniously ir
giving the most polished shape to til,
precious material committed to thei
coro Rovu &oooharo ofo3oot,