The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1872-03-09
.islauI u rljel,Id, by1. lose ,ha, wa,

! :aa=: dared sspe-e ;:seif to public odiun,
for the welfare of the State.
dRccDmtrna.ioai then had to be effect.
ed in some other way, and us there was
an element in the population that would
pot hesitate to accept the terms proposed
by CorIgrrYsyth negro was called in as
the !aAsA-,eser., sssd b. his votc South
Carolina was once more introduced into
the family OF Suites. II there are my
who date their misiortunes from this
seyeat1 they will not Jail to see that it
yss Brought about BY the counscIs o;
leaders Shep fhty sl,ad 80 long aud 50
iHtdily followed. ~ s
The effort since then hus been to re-
gain The lost ground The struggles
have been fierce, and defeat has omiu
ously lowered over them all. Until the
elections of 1870 the public mind did
not despair of attaining somo form of
government which would restore the
white man to his supremacy. But it
wasthenF discovered that it was in vain
to e.xpec, any eooIcration from the col.
ored vote, wiilput . full and bonc.t con.
cesAidn4df ah theirirish,s under the re,
construction laws, anl, for the first time
since the war, the vote Of the white pco
pie was cast in favor OF the term, pro-
posed by Congress. The platform Of
the Reform party was all chat any hou-
est Republican should ask, for it was
identical with their own. Bat tho col
ored people were easily persuaded by
artfui iutrigucrs that the whites should
not be trusttd, and the olive branch held
ont to tasm was rudely rejected. They
were made to doubt the sincerity Of
their former owners, and cast an indi
yidual vote against tEem. Had they
Known the real sfac,s of The case they
would have done therwise, for by this
time all rejecting men bad despair..d of
raising themselves by the Democratic
ro2e any, longer, and with muscles para.
lysed hyscontinual tension, had conclaa
ed. to ht it go, and unite honestly with
slf those Of every party who had the
real welfare of the State at heart, il
purifying the abuses of tie Government.
Since then, the Taxpayers Conven-
ton has been held, and the people were
greatly encouraged to believe that much
good would be the result. Minority
representation seemed TO hive been
secured, aud the State had cheering
prospect of relief from that measure
alone. But the illusion has been dis.
pelled, and the people now fiud them
selves absolutely without any hope of
referm, BY any measures to he taken in
the line Of operations hitherto pursued
The real difficulty is, that the vote Of
the c"lored people has iu every instance
been sivea against US The reason of
this Is tl,t the white people have re
fused to attend their meetings., or shaw
any sympathy for then in the only way
that could reach thcir understandings,
They have heard no voice of friendly
counsel fro,n these Who have asked
their confidence. M one has mingled
with thenu,- except strangers, who were
ostcnsibIy defending their rights since
the war, which they pretended they had
fought Tor whilst it was pending Will
any one be surprised now that the col.
ored people, iiad,r such circumstances,
would be turccd to trust these strangers,
who had aided to give them their rights.
in preference to their furmcr a,asters,
m'wi'ou those rights had been taken?
Ihey we're ::I!ige;L!, Gor obvious reasons,
~ iiesis upon Vuc or tne otncr-anu
much $as they might prefer their former
ow hers, they. dared not trus. them,
when they kept themselves entirely
aloot from their public meetings, and
thereby showed signs Of dissatisfaction
with the liberty they were enjoying us
free and independent ci'izeus of com.
mon country !,
They had heard much said against
the Republican party, to which they all
belonged--very few of them united with
it-but to all those who did the colored
people have focked as to friends aud
rights to tleir keeping without the
slightest hesitation. They were sure
that those who had thus identified them
selves with the party could be trusted,
and they, cannot understand how their
former masters can bo really friendly to
the new relations between them 40 long
as they denounce that party which gives