The daily gazette., 1874-09-23
POLITICAL DISCUSSION.
RepHbficdn RuIc IN the South
Degradation to the South.

MEN
William Henry Trcscot, Appointment
South Carolina Conservative, who is a
candidate for Congress in the Hid Dis,
trict of that State, opened his canvass
in Anderson County few days since
with speech of which the following
are the most noticeable portions
In the long indictment against the
Republican party of this State there is
one crime, which ought never to be
forgiven, and those who should press
the evidence of its guilt and cry aloud
for Its punishment are not We but the
colored citizens of the State And that
crime is that it has put back the advance
OF the race for years and diScredited
their promise of improvement in the
minds of the thoughtful men of the
world. In 1868 when by force of their
numerical majority the colored people
of the State took it into their posses
sion in Il spirit of natural and commen-
dable gratitude to the men whom they
believed had made them free and whom
they were taught by the Frecdmen's
Bureau to look up to as the honest re-
representatives. of the great Government
atW ashington, they delivered the whole
power of the State t. the men who
have held it ever since. What have
they done with it? What were our
preiudices in opposition to such apow-
er exercised with even tolerable hon
esty What could we say, what would
we dare to say, if to-day the Republi-
can party of South Carolina could stand
before the world and declare
I'VE took possession of South Caro-
lima strong with the power of the Fed.
Government and sustained by the svm-
pathies and hopes of the whole North
ern people. We took the negro under
our protection and devoted ourselves
to his improvement We found him
ignorant but docile, inexperienced but
full of gratitude, proud of his new free
dom but sorely perpleXed how to use
it. We found him bound to the State
| by the strongest local attachment, and
to our surprise we found him free from
hatred or revenge to his former master
We found him anxious to discharge his
new duties worthily, and Singularly
willing to he instructed how TO dis
charge them properly. We taught him
| that honesty, sobricty and integrity
| were the surest guarantees of his elcva.
tion, that politics was bad trade, and
that every colored man who made bin
self successful merchant respectable
professional man, Il skilled master me
chanic would do more for his race than
"A thousand ofiice-holdsrs
THE NEGRO DEGRADED BY REPUBLICAN
RULE.
But who does not recognize the mock
cry of this language What Is 1t that
they have done They have. indeed,
taken possession OF the State. They did
| find the negro ignorant. but docllc,
grateful, and anxious to learn. They
have made him the mot ludleruusly
conceited of mortal5. They have made
him believe that the whole civilized
| world was adnirng his earieature Of
government that his place was 50 inn
portant to civilization that he owed
nothing to the white man for the past
and need depend on him for nothing IN
the future. They taught him that hon
est labor was the badge OF seryitude.
and that it was better and easier and
nobler to hang about the court house a
informer and witness and Juryman for
| the miserable per diem, To sweep down
| the steps of the State House under the
dignitied name of attache, to waste his
| time ut ward meetings and primary con-
ventions in hopes of being made school
commissioner when he could not spell
and county treasurer when he could not
cipher They taught him that property
was his right, and having lust deluded
him with the idea that the Federal Gov
ernment would contiscate for his benefit
lands which he had not the money to
acquire or the industry to retain, when
that delusion was exploded they made
Appropriations to buy him land in pub
| lie, and put the appropriations III their
own pockets in private. They taught
him to hate his natural employer. and
/ to resent with unaccustomed mallgnlty
the superiority which centuries of wealth
and power and education h;td given his
former masters. They taught him to
traffic with his vote, and to measure his
political duty 10y the money he could
make in its discharge. When they had
thus demonstrated and debauched him
tthey indeed became his fitting represen
tatives, and having by constant ,.ss.eia-
ton and personal exa nple proved t,
him that there Was no level too low foi
the white man 10 descend to in his gree
nized for the first time in the history ol
lciyilization II government the founda
Itiop Of which was ignorance, the motive
of which WAS personal plumber, the ma
chinery of which was fraud and corrup
ltion.
THE BLAME OF BAD GOVERNMENT sHiF
TED UPON THE NEGRO.
And to crown their infamy, whel
1.-THE outraged sense of the whole natioi
cries out shame upon their work, the,
wiring their hands In pretended repen
ltance, aud exclaim the negro did il
MIR. Chamberlin says that the party i
IA mixture and corruption. Mr.. Elliot
says the party is n burden and disgrace
to the National party. What do the.
meanS Who is the party but Mr.
Chamberlin and Mr. Elliott, and thei
colleagues ON the one side and tn
great mass of the eolored people ON th
others Does Mr.. Chamherlin meal
that he and his fellows are corrupt ant
ignorant Does Mr. Elliott meal
that he and Judge Wright and Lieut.
Gov. Gleaves, who have been brough
from other States to teach the inferior
Icolored people of South Carolina, ar
~ Il.