The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-10-30
Gov. Pcrry's Remedy.


80 Gov. Pcrry's Remedy.
We published, yesterday, long and
earnest letter from the Hon. B. e. Perry.
late candidate for Congress from the
Fourth Congressional District, to fthe
people OF the District. Coming from
the high source which it does. and at
tacking in such o bold and direct way
the evils which beset us, tho lotter must
prove interesting, and will be doubtless
widely circulated and freely commented
upon. In what Gov. Perry has said of
the baneful apathy OF the white people
in the last election, we most heartily
concur. There is no doubt that we lost
o rare opportunity Of redeemiDg our
State by failing to give the boilers a
epKdial and full support. apd thus break
ihg the power of the corrupt ring which
has shaped the deatinies Of our State for
the last four years, and brought her into
disrepute, bankruptcy and well-nigh
ruin. In his picture of the lamentable
state Of affairs, by which the bulk OF the
property and intelligence of the State is
.pEactically ostraoised and denied partici-
patton or power In the management of
their local affairs, Gov. Perry has not
exaggerated the melancholy and we'll.
nigh hopeless ,kituation. But We cannot
eoncur in either the righteousness or the
!expedienoy Of the remedy which he
offers to, bring the oolored people to a
more healthlnl political tone of mind.
= In the first place, it is wrong. admit
ting, as we have done. by our endorse
ment of the Cincinnati platform, that
She ,Solored psople have d, legal right to
voea-which we propose no longer to
question-to attempt in any way to coerce
them 10 it's free exercise. So long as we
denied their rights Of citizenship. it was
not inconsistent, illegal nor unjust, from
our stand point, to prevent them from
enjoying the privileges OF citizens. Bat
that day has passed, and we have, by our
prompt and unanimous endorsement of
Greeley and his platform, pledged our
selves no longer to oppose the equal
rights and privileges of the colored peo-
pie. 1t is repugnant to the genius of our
free institutions that any man, however
poor or ignorant, should be forced to
vote as some other man, even though he
be more wealthy, intelligent, and even
virtuous, shall dictate.
In the second place. the remedy is in
expedient. The desire for gain on the
part Of the individual land holder would
mike it impraoticable 60 be carried out,
and 1t would antagonize the races as
they have never before beon. There is q
simpler-slower, perhaps. but surer-
remedy left to US whereby to bring abo1.
concert of political action between
blacks and whites. and it is immeasura-
l. bly, preferable to that offered by Gov.
Perry. in that it ia peaceful and alto.
; gether right and proper. We must make
it to the plain interest and to the desire
OF the colored people to vote with u in
the overturning of the present corrupt
oligarchy and the establishment Of an
honest and economical government. We
are not prepared as yet to give particular
suggestious as to how this happy end
may be accomplished. There is one
avenue certainly open to US at this time,
by winch we Gun make rapid and sure
progress into the confidence and good
will Of our late slaves, and that is through
the commendable zeal which they all
have to acquire an education, ard the
limited opportunities in that direction
now afforded them. We have it in our
power to do great deal in this way for
the negro. 1t is philanthropic work.
and moreover it is our patriotic duty.
snd of prime. necessity to the future
welfare OF our State.
-L2
The EpIxuotic.
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