Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-12-11
:EenS OF SlyBsCRf1,:soS


GOV. CIisrIzS.1 ,sAzS's W: s. K. g
Hon. ID. II. Chamberlain was il
stalled on Tuesday as Governor OF
South Carolina. His message, which
was real hy him in the Hal of tie
House of representatives, mas been re
ceiyed with much satisfaction by those
who always look upon the brightest
side OF every dark picture and whoar
willing to believe that anything good
can come out of he sinks OF corrup-
ton into which tie once powerful Re
publican party has fallen. Gov
Chamberlain speaks well, but a man S
speech but seldom betrays the hidden
thoughts of his heart, and it is al
most as impossible for camel to pass
through the eye of a needle or q
leopard to change his spots or,to use a
decided vugarism, to whitewash h-ll,
as for any measure Of honesty Or pop
ular reform to originate among the
South Carolina Radicals.
The message is, in the first place,
full confession of the wrongs (which
have been inflicted on the people of
South Carolina ever since the close
of the war in the oppression of the
citizens and the wholesale plundering
OF the treasury, and in the second
place, a promise of reform of the many
abuses which have dragged the once
proud old State down to its present
political degradation. It confesses to
the evlls of the tax assessment, the
oppressiveness of the trial justice sys-
tenn, the corruption and extravagance
of the Legislature and the inefficiency
OF the school system, and then goes on
to Indicate policy that, if carried out
to the letter, viii mark Gov. Chambe
iain's tenn as one Of the golden eras
OF the State. Yet, promises are cheap
aud 1ta:n warm place, We all
Lpow, is paved with good Intentions.
We are willing though, and not only
wiling. but glad, to accredit the Gov
ernor with desire to do his whole
duty to the people of South Carolina.
We believe that he is honest and sim
cere IN the expression of his intention
TO he the Executive of a people and not
merely of party, but IN how
far these promises can be carried out
amid the manifold temptations of Of
t1ce and the pressure of party, state
and national, that may be brought to
bear upon him, remains to be seen.
Gov. Chamberlain, it caHnot be for
gotten, is the successor of Gov. Moses.
a man whose entire administration
was marked with abuses, and whose
character. private as well as public, is
In full accord with the corruptions OF
the age and Of the Republican party.
The new Governor will be ycritable
moral Hercules if he succeeds in the
course which he has marked out for
himself. Ii he fails and falls he Will |
not be-ln the nature of things he |
cannot be-worse than was Ioses. If !
he succeeds, the rlAudita Of honest |
people everywhere await him, and the |
world and posterity will forget the |
plr:y in the zeal with which they VIII |
press forward to 30 honor to the man.
Gov. Chamberlain message is a |
fir paper, aud its noble expressions
are conched in equally noble language. |
Let us forget that tho party By whom
BE was elevated are social as well as
political vagabonds, in the hope that
the leopard may indeed change his
spots, and thai new era OF reform
and Improvement Is about to dawn
upon our PROSTATE sister State. Let
all good men, in South Carol na and
elsewhere, believe in the sincerity of
the reform promised, and with glad
acclaim sustain and support the new
Executive in every movement which
may look to the prosperity Of the peo-
pie and the State.