The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-03-05

substantial prosperity under It's present
control. It i, however, in South
Carolina that negro domination IN affairs
Z most pronounced, and there its evils
are most apparent.
II there we're any doubt Of the unfit
ness of the present rulers ofethe State To
hold the trust now FePosed in them. they
would be wholly removed by the pernsal
of q sketch Of the proceedings of recent
session OF the Legislature which We print
In another column Those who have
hoped that matters were improving IN
South Carolina viii be sorefy disappolnt-
ed by this latest speeinlen of temper
which controls the law making power OF
the State There would be little cause
TO complain that the manners of the legis-
lators are not better than In former years
if their morals had improved. But this,
unhaPPily, does not appear to be the
case. The Legislature II SOatth Carolina
10 apparently a gang Of there's, intent only
apon ylat,aderiHg the I'eopie aohOBa 1t is sup
posed to scrUe. Long practice has made
the Legislature of the State perfect sys-
tenn of brigandage. Ignorant negroes,
transplanted from the cotton fields to the
halls of the capitol, tohere they hare been
drilled By interruptions acltite Gfpe'stHrers,
have naturally made mockery of gov
eminent, and bankrupted the State. 1t
is rot surprising that such legislators,
representing constituencies debased by q
long period of vassaIage, and under such
t.teIaqe, should have displayed an inge-
nuitY in fraud which has no parallel In
history.
1t is among the least of the deplora-
BILE consequences of negro supremacy IN
South Carolina that the credit of the
State has been utterly destroyed. The
State debt has been increased over $1O,-
600, 900, since the close of the war,
and nothing has been secured in public
improvements for this prodigal waste Of
| the public revenues. The bonds of the
State are worthless, and matters have
now become so desperate that the robbers
aoho rule 1t are forced to d;fend for their
stealings upon the pittance of taxation
which can still be wrOng from an impov-
erished people. Public morals have been
so debased that any hope for publication
| from within the State can hardly be en-
tertained. Evils OF this kind have been
unjustly charged upon the Republican
party. When the whites made War upon
| the government, it was inevitable that the
blacks should be freed, and it was essen
| tial to the safety of the nation that the
cornerstone of reconstruction should be
| the enfranchisement of the blacks. In
most of the States no disastrous eonse-
quences have followed @ measure demand
| ed By Justice and national security, but an
those States lctere the negroes had nut
merical superiority the reverse, it must be
admitted, has been true But the Repub-
| lican party had no choice in the matter.
1t was forced by great national exigen-
| eies to take the course it did. The evils
which resulted in some localities have not
| been the fruits of its policy, but the
WORK OF POLITICAL ADVENTURES,
who have always been disowned and de-
nounced by the Republican party. That
bauched, and have broug ht great scandal
upon themselves and their friends, Is due
to these advertlTers alone. The present
disgrace can in no way be charged upon
the party which carmel the respect and
admiration of mankind by the liberation
and enfranchisement of 3. 600, 900 of peo-
pie.
But it is the duty Of the Republican
party to root out these eUiis, so far as it can.
That it can suddenly eradicate them is
not probable, but by the influence of pub
lie sentiment, and of the Federal Gov
eminent, much can be done to mitigate
them. The negroes seem to be con-
WINGED that their proceedings have the
sympathy and support of the Republican
party and of the administration. The
first thing to be done is to andeceiue them
on ttis point. They must be taught that
they must adopt an honest and liberal
policy if they would have the moral sup
port of the Republican party, to which
they owe the powers they have abused.
It is not difficult task TO impart to them
a knowledge of this fact it can be done
by the press and representative men of
the party. 1t must be done if we would
free the party from all reproach in this
matter. These misguided freedmen must
be convinced that public affairs must not
be managed solely for pillage and OPP
preston. This is the last great task of
reconstruction, and it cannot be shirked
without endangering the safety of the
party.