New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-17

best -uualffed 20 present. tnen Wv.
case to the country With great unsnmity they Oil TO
800 mo "a GEN. D. H Chamberlain. who has Just
receiyed their nomination for Governor spoaAnk VI
him a nm bonest man and by all odds the aoess man IN
our partyv found Gen. Chamberlain NOT oniy Nnnns
20 talk but anxious to lay before the puo'c nepuo
lcan NEW of the situation In south carolina HIS s'a"
mani ELECTED By the same questions propounded Gay
or two ago to Gen. Kershaw, tho propapio oa"N'N -
the Taxpayers. is herewith given.
EARLY CAUSES OF MIsGOvERNMENT.
oen Chamberlain said: There Is no difference OF
opinion the present condition generally OF puohc
affairs In South Carolina They are deporabe and un
fortunate In the extreme But when we come to state
the causes We find opinions Numerically opposed 10
each other have been citizen here for nine years
Like the Trojan wanderer tell the story OF misfor-
tunes, "all Of which saw and some part OF which
wasn I wish to be accurate and fair. l regard the
present condition here as the natural and plain
result Of the elements which went to make up the poh
zeal situation In 1863. These FIRST the whole col
ored population, with very few, comparatively uat'e
and adopted white citizens second with rev excep-
tons the entire native white population The former
were almost wholly uneducaed and wholly without ex
perence in public or political affairs, and without edu
cation or property The class represented the
old ruling element Of the State as well as
the greater part OF the present property
and education OF the State Each of these classes was
so constituted offer the most serious obstacles 10
the peace and prosperity Of tho State so far as Its poll
tca action was concerned The whites were sore with
defeat-deeat in the and In all their cherished
plans than this they were exasperated
by the sudden elevation Of their slaves to the political
control of the State The colored people, the other
hand distrusted their former masters 10 all political
affairs The whites accordingly stood at first suenly
aloof from any participation In the work OF recon-
struction and left 1t wholly 10 such as chose
to engage therein. There not single representa-
fba VIII fe
struction convention. Now many conservatives will
say to day that I am wrong In charging them with
refusing aid in reconstructing aud VIII airm that
they were excluded by tho negroes why Is IT, then'
that although they have absolute majority In many
counties Of the State they did not send single repre-
sentative to that cOnyentionf There Is no answer 70
b,s question except 10 the fact which have stated
that they refdsed to use the power they had. They
looked upon the work Of reconstruction as farce as
piece Of work sure to be speedily undone, ano they
proudly and contemporary disregardedit.
The whole work thus left to the other class which
have named. The material here was soanty and poor
for success in public measures. There were few In
eigent and honest Of both but for tho most
part the Legislature Of necessity composed of men
who had never felt public responsibility or had any
share in public affairs What result now could BIO e1
pected Certainly other result than this that what
the people Of other States had already for generations
learned and pracced must be taught anew here to our
| governing class The whole fact was practically
sealed book them Experience OF their own was the
only schoomaster who could teach them. The result
has been should have been expected. The oolored
people have stumbled and fallen in their efforts In pub
lie Offices They have been the prey OF demogogues and
speculators Their errors have resulted in the loss OF
public credit, in making our public affairs In many
| respects dishonor to our State.
THE SITUATION NOT so BLACK AS PAINTED.
truth compels TO say that things are not so
| bad as they generally painted. The State is
materially prosperous than ever before. Our an
nual production and export Is unprecedented.
| Labor is good aud abundant. and even In
the matter OF taxation the current statement that 1t
amounts to confscation is gross exaggeration have
never known OF OF hardship arising from taxa
which might not have occurred In any other
State at the same time. Property has been
sold for taxes here as elsewhere, but the
vast amount is OF worthless property
which It WAS not the interest Of the to hold II
we were to look only the bare facts OF present
situation we might feel dscoura ged but when we 90
further and the effect OF experience we can
feel hopeful To Illustrator II In NewYork to-day such
a condition of affairs existed rs exists here 10 would
indicate hopeless Generalization for New-York could
not need such experience to teach her the evils OF
bad government here nothing else could teach that
lesson. The result is that the colored people now
are aroused to sense OF their mistakes and their
responsibility. There are CLEANS Of hope. Daylight Is
breaking though the fun brightness OF day Is yet far
off 1t difficult to apporton the responsibility for our
present condition between the two classes OF whom
have spoken but do say with confidence that 1t lies
between the two parties ana not exclusively with
II the Democracy OF this State had co0perated in the
Reconstruction plan, / believe our worst evils
would have been prevented. And so, TOO,
II tho Republican party had been composed
of the material Of which 1t Is composed In
any Northern State those evils would have been
D,t Tho Irvnr M M
bribery the native white citizens have borne part To
say that the Republican party has alone shared In the
spols s not true. The confession made In the Tax
PAYERS Convention of 1870 by Mr. Wary proof Of this
He declared In substance that tho negro had been led
astray and encouraged In his dishonesty by the native
white citizens Of the State.
"What can we do in the futurep Well, am hopeful
7 believe reform can be effected by the Republican
party OF one thing sure; IL 1t cannot be done IN
that party be done at all while the Democracy
OF the State occupy the position and hold the views
which they believed TO hold. tell you the
colored people will vote with any party or set Of
men whom they do wholly trust upon all questions
which touch their civil and political rights; and in my
Judgment they are right in this Corruption is preferable
10 murder The abuse of rights is better than the de-
NAL of rights. "Better fifty years OF Europe than
O cycle OF Cathay."
MEANING OF THE NOMINATION OF CHAMBERLAIN
consider nv nomination a distinct effort on the
part of our party to reform within its own ranks
have always been strict party man. All who know
me know that Garrisonian Aboitonst in former
years have faith In the colored man. and in Republ
can principles propose to stand by that party here
az the only hope Of our State II lived in other States
should doubtless regard party lines Of far less
sequence Here there is alternative. The Republi
can party the only agency through which any good
can como to the majority Of people As to the
charges made against me- they have been made solely
with view to defeat my nomination. 1 do not
believe there Is man In this State who
that ha halt thoaa