The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-06-28
COLUMBIA, s. G.
Sunday Morning. June %, 1874.
Mr.. Chamberlain Behind tho ..TImes :,

Sunday Morning. June 20, 1874.
nr. Chamberlain Behind the .'TImes.' >
Another letter of the New Yorl
Times correspondent, written from 90
lumbia, and treating Of the causes o.
and supposed remedies for tho preva
lent political corruption and fnanoia
ruin, has been made public. It trote
out Mr.. D. n. Chamberlain this time.
It embodies his misty views upon Ger.
tain subjects, old and new. They
mostly concern matters of the past
They present sort of dim outline oi
the mode by which our enormous bond
debt was created and develop the
causes which placed the control OF
public affairs in unworthy hands.
The masses OF voters were ignorant
and inexperienced, and the leaders,
for the most part, proAigate and cor
rupt. Mr.. Chamberlain, in this oon-
neosion, finds fault with the Southern
element the natives of the State, OF
education and standing. for not COM
ing forward TO aid in its reconstruction
and in q oonoiliatory course towards
the black people. In this way be seeks
to relieve those corrupt scalawag and
carret-bag lenders, who did thus come
forward and assume direction Of the
ignorant masses of come OF their re-
sponsibility for misgovernment and
corruption. and for the long carnival
Of crime in which they have reveled.
Radical party leaders revert to this old
thread.bsre theme with great gusto.
II their statements should all be con.
eeded.. they would tell against them
selves, and in no degree tighten their
burden. ThhsiT gathered aud united
force would not amount to more than
burglars complaint. if We could con-
ceive such a thing. against the house.
holder whose house ha had broken
into and robbed. that he had not
sufficiently barred and bolted it. Men
who fail to protect Themselves against
robbery and plunder, may be justly
charged with neglect, and may Justly
blame themselves. But it would be
an unheard of refinement in political
morals if the picked villains, the legis-
Iative robbers and official highwaymen
who have loaded a fine State with
debt, corrupted every branch OF it's
service and stained it's name with dis
honesty, should get mp the plea that
facility led them into temptation and
justified their crimes; that those who
were their victims did not secure par.
bial exemption by joining their crew.
But, ia fact, these statements are in.
correStin every particular. It WAS not
possible for the former masters and
the newly enfranohised voters to enter
at that time into political friendship
with each other. Call it what you
please. there was an insuperable some
thing which kept them apart. It
would not be fair to place blame upon
either side at this stage of their rela-
tions.
But Mr.. Chamberlain is as unjust
as he is illogical, in trying to fasten
consequences upon the natives for
what followed, for what they could no
more prevent than they could arrest
the fall of Niagara. Faults they had,
errors they may have committed,
wrongs some may have done. For
these they are amenable, But let the
score be just, and do not lead inno-
cent correspondents into grave errors
both OF fact and deduction.
Mr.. Chamberlain was 80 busy in
cramming the Times correspondent
with these old legends and misconcep-
tions, that he had but little breath left
for themes Of the present day, in
which We would suppose live candi-
date for Governor would take interest.
He touches upon one OF the huge old
evils, the great disgrace of his party,
the issue OF State bonds and the disas-
trous increase Of debt. Strange to
say, astute and subtle as lie confess sed-
iy is, he cannot find any one on whom
ko l., tho hlo H.