The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-02-26

age Ignorant negroes, transplanted irom Inc
cotton fields to the halls of the CAPITOL where
they have been drilled BY unscrupulous white
adventures have naturally made mockery OF
government, and bankrupted the State. 1t Is
not surprising that such legislators representing
constituencies debased by a long period OF vas
salage, and under such tutelage, should have
displayed an ingenuity in fraud which has no
parallel in history.
1t is among the least Of the deplorable con-
sequences of negro supremacy in South Caro-
lima that the credit of the State has been utter
ly destroyed. The State debt has been increased
S10,000,0O0 since the close of the war, and
nothing has been secured in public improve
ments for this prodigal waste of the public
revenues: The bonds Of the State are worth
less, and matters have now become so desperate
that the robbers who rule it are forced to de-
pend for their stealings upon the pittance OF
taxation which can still be wrung from an
impoverished people; Public morals have been been
so debased that any hope for publication from
within the State can hardly be entertained.
Evils of this kind have been unjustly charged
upon the Republican party.
When the whites made war upon the govern
ment, it was inevitable that the blacks should
be freed, and it was essential to the safety OF
the nation that the cornerstone of reconstruc-
tion should be the enfranchisement of the
blacks. In most Of the States no disastrous
consequence have followed measure demand
ded by justice and national security, but in
those States where the negroes had numerl-
cal superiority the reverse, it must be admitted,
has been true. But the Republican party had
no choice in the matter. 1t was forced by
great national exigencies to take the course it
did. The evils which resulted in some locali-
ties have not been the fruits Of its policy, but
the work of political adventures who have
always been disowned and denounced by the
Republican party. That the negroes in some
States have been debauched, and have brought
great scandal upon themselves and their friends,
is due to these adventures alone. The present
disgrace can in no way be charged upon the
party which earned the respect and admiration
of mankind by the liberation and enfranchise-
meat of three millions of people.
But it is the duty of the Republican party
to root out these evils so far as it can. That
| it can suddenly eradicate them is not probable,
but by the influence of public sentiment and
of the Federal Government much can be done
to mitigate them. The negroes seem to be
| convinced that their proceedings have the
sympathy and support of the Republican party,
and the administration. The first thing to be
must be taught that they must adopt an honest
and liberal policy if they would have the moral
support of the Republican party, to which they
owe the powers they have abused. 1t is not a
difficult task to impart to them 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 re-
proach in this matter. These misguided freed
men must be convinced that public affairs must
not be managed solely for pillage and oppres.
sion. This is the last great task of reconstruc'
ton, and it cannot be shirked without endan
gering the safety of the party.